unwed parent

[carberssister]

I have two questions, now i have a daughter. I have always wanted to join the Marine Corps. And my recruiter doesnt seem to take me seriously. Yes I have talked to other recruiters, they look at me like I'm crazy, could be because I'm half the size of them or the fact that I'm a female or even cause I have blonde hair, but they wont really give me the information that I need. What does the Marine Corps actually want the paper work to say with the custody, do I need to give up full custody, or do they just need me to give up the custodial custody. Yes I do realize it varies from state to state, but I currently live in Washington state. Also for the female Marines how do I get the recruiters not look at me like i have 5 heads when I walk in there? Thank you all for your time.

[ggyoung]

carberssister+++++++++++What I'm going to tell you, you wont like, People on this site probably(sp) won't agree with me. Stay home and take care of that cute little baby. She is going to need you as she grows.

[rktect3j]

You've made a prior lifetime commitment already. For a man trying to enlist with children is a problem but for a women it really is a prior lifetime commitment. You are asking a recruiter to take you seriously but a recruiter will have it in his mind that 1. you are willing to give up custody rights of your children for something else so why would you then not give up on the Corps. 2. the recruiter is in no hurry to break up a family especially a mother from her children and small children at that.

Just my 2 cents.

[carberssister]

Thank you for your response it helped alot.

[Marine84]

Take it from another female honey - stay at home. It's hard enough to do it without a child much less WITH one. You'll have to give up custody, sometimes it's hard to get custody BACK after you're out of the Corps - you've made a prior commitment to that little girl - stay at home and watch her grow. You won't be able to take her ANYWHERE with you for so many years (and this is just assuming you only do one enlistment). Why would you want to hand over custody of your child to somebody else anyway? They'll teach her bad habits and, as young as she is, she WILL forget who "Mommy" is with your being gone all the time. I don't know who you intend to "hand her over to" but, if it's you Mom, don't you think you're being a little inconsiderate to ask her to do such a thing? She's already raised HER kids - do you think it's fair to ask her to raise YOURS?

As far as Recruiters looking at you funny - they'll look at you funny the whole time you're in if you decide to go. Get used to that. You have to have really thick skin to do something like this. The Corps doesn't believe in women "having a bad day" sometimes and, trust me, you'll have them.

That child is the most important thing in your life - if you were to join the Corps, the Corps would have to be the most important thing - that's as simple as it gets. If you weren't a Mom, I would be the first one in here to tell you to go for it - I know it was the best thing I ever did for myself but, I had no distractions.

The distractions didn't happen until I got in the fleet! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!