<p>After Indoc do we still send goodies for the platoon? I have a package ready to go, but it won't be delivered till after Sunday I'm sure. Want to do the right thing. I have enough for all but wonder about next time. Thanks so much for your help!</p>
<p>After Indoc you do not need to send enough for the entire platoon. Would they enjoy it, sure, but not required. With that being said plebe candidates will not be allowed to keep food in their rooms for a while after indoc; however, there are many good hiding places in one's room for goodies and do what you may with that information. </p>
<p>There are some exceptions to the food in room policy and that includes things like power bars.</p>
<p>When I spoke to my son last Sunday, he told me not to send any more packages as the DI would not give teh Plebes anything...even though there were dozens of brownies, etc inthe package. The DI kept them. So, I am just sending letters.</p>
<p>ftgordon,</p>
<p>Just curious, which company is your son?</p>
<p>THis would be for later on...</p>
<p>Recently, my son was trying to figure out what to do with an 'exam care package' I'd sent up. Lot's of brain food.. 'Smarties', etc. He placed the box in the middle of the hallway. Ran down the hall, banging on doors, hollering 'FOOD!'.</p>
<p>Instantly, the velociraptors exited their caves, and descended on the simple cardboard box...
--3 musketeers were decimated,
--Sugar Daddies were made widowers,
--Mounds were pounded such that you no longer could share a half and still have a whole,
--Snickers found it was no laughing matter, and
--Baby Ruths would no longer grow up to swing a bat for the Yankees.</p>
<p>He looked down the hallway. It was mere seconds ago that 'not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse'. The hall was alive with roiling, boiling masses.
Just as suddenly, the hallway was empty again.</p>
<p>A partially shredded cardboard box, that had survived the tender mercies of the United States Postal Service remained. A bittersweet chocolate looked around , and decided to go home with Mr. Goodbar.</p>
<h2>Net elapsed time... 45 seconds.</h2>
<p>At NO time are these kids NOT ready to pounce on food :)</p>
<p>Just don't be in the way when it happens...
PS> (Later may be better... although I WAS guilty of sending up a package or two anonymously to 4TH CO DRILL INSTRUCTORS.. .I don't really know if they got it or not... but I am CERTAIN that it did not go to waist, er WASTE).</p>
<p>My son is in first compay and as with ftgordon was not given any of the cookies I had sent (plenty for all). Said in his phone call they were waiting for them to do something good to deserve them. He wasn't complaning and did ask for more so I sent a second box. Don't know if he got any. I guess that wont be an issue much longer.</p>
<p>s going to wait to send next box till they finished first!</p>
<p>Suggestions for care packages:</p>
<p>Do NOT send anything that needs to be microwaved. They don't have one.</p>
<p>Send some REAL food--i.e. cup a noodles, power bars, peanut butter, trail mix. (They do have hot water.)</p>
<p>Delano can be miserable and they don't want to eat it. My son has lost 20 lbs in the last year.</p>
<p>Send powdered drink mix, like gatorade--they can mix it with water and it's cheaper than sending cases of gatorade pre-mixed.</p>
<p>Someone had posted a cheap way to send stuff. I think it's with FedEx ground. I don't remember who did that. If you are still online, please let these new parents know. I think it was, anything you could fit in the box for $11. </p>
<p>Other suggestions for goodies would be, movies or things to watch on their computer. </p>
<p>Make sure other people are writing to them, not just you. They like to get snail mail. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I sent a care package that was delivered on Wednesday. Don't know if son in 1st company got it, but had 30 power bars and 30 individual oreo's. On Sunday phone call last week, last thing son said was "DI likes Oreo's"</p>
<p>I put in a note "Power Bars are for you and the platoon, Oreos' for DI's. IF the DI's can eat them all maybe they will share."</p>
<p>Don't know if it worked but will report results after this Sunday's call.</p>
<p>We use USPS flat rate boxes. They come in 3 sizes & price varies according to size. I think it ranges from $8.95-$11.95. Our son typically receives these in 2-3 days, which we think is great considering that it is coming from the west coast.</p>
<p>And sad, you new parents are very good at sending extra for DI's.... your s/d also has a waterfront trainer that likes goodies!.... just joking!</p>
<p>And rumor has it that their printer is NOT a good place to hide things.</p>
<p>Our son is not a sweet eater and asked us to send his favorite snack......flour tortillas. Yes different but he loves them for a snack so we did it for him. I sent a box full and he should have gotten them yesterday. I worried that the DI's might be upset as it wasn't sweets or power bar type food. I dreamed last night that my son had to sit and eat all 50 tortillas as they were mad we sent them. I am a little nervous to talk to him and see how that went over. Something tells me they would not withhold this to keep for themselves. :) He will love the gesture but I'm not so sure everyone else will.</p>
<p>Stuff they're not supposed to have during Indoc, the D/Is won't let them have..
I really admire what the DIs are doing/training/etc. Just last year, a LOT of them were candidates as well this time last year. (and yes or course, the waterfront folks as well).</p>
<p>I have met some wonderful kids, and some great parents.
(your kids will meet some great Mids as well... and I bet they admire a lot of what the DIs are doing as well... ok, maybe not <em>THEIR</em> PARTICULAR DI :) )
I wonder how many of the new candidates will choose to be DIs themselves next year?</p>
<h2>But before then, there is a LOT for them to accomplish.</h2>
<p>Parents... (a warning before you become a Personal Shopper, like happened to ME for a while ;) )
... you are going to HAVE to make a choice.
your kid can request all the stuff he wants.
It's up to YOU to decide whether you pack novels, DVDs, PC games, etc.</p>
<p>I cannot stress enough.... they WILL be overwhelmed with conflicting priorities, and at LEAST a bruising (sometimes crushing) academic workload.</p>
<p>While SOME of their friends at State U will be complaining about 15 credit hours, sometimes MAYBE 17-18 hours (and even one or two who think 12 is tough), YOUR kid will be weathering 18 at minimum, and maybe 21, possibly more!
Plus inspections,
Plus regimental,
Plus parades,
Plus watches,
Plus Plus Plus...
Plus keeping their room tidy ! (something they will <em>NOT</em> be doing on those few days when they DO get to come home)</p>
<p>So.... balance carefully which, if any, distractions you sent up.</p>
<p>They CAN make it, it WILL be tough for them.</p>
<p>Remember back to when they were lined up,
and you saw your kid... and someone to his left, and someone to his right.</p>
<h2>ONE of those three will likely be set back, disenrolled, or in serious straits.</h2>
<p>OK parents. Ya really going to send up the Halo book trilogy? or the Chemistry -for-Dummies and Trig-for-dummies review books you found at the bookstore? ;) </p>
<p>Good luck to you all ! </p>
<h2>-Z</h2>
<p>PS. I <em>NEVER</em> sent those distractions... although I <em>DID</em> include goofy lil stuff from the $1 store.</p>
<p>Regarding Movies that Kathy suggested.....don't send movies. The Plebe Candidates are not allowed to watch them, to the best of my knowledge....</p>
<p>....and as Zonker said, why send something that may be a distraction to them. I can assure you that your child will be shocked and almost overwhelmed when classes start. The workload and responsibilities that are shoveled upon these kids is almost incomprehensible.....not to mention if they get caught with contra-band then they will get in trouble....,.which in turn may mean ED (extra duty) which === more work which === less time to tend to academics....it's a vicious circle. One Plebe last year was caught hiding contraband (food, etc) in his room and had to pay dearly with restriction and ED...so send what you want, but be aware that it may cost your child dearly.</p>
<p>If you want to send cookies and goodies of that sort, KPMOM, has a cookie cafe that she runs each Thursday for all the Mids. I know she would appreciate homemade cookies being sent for that as she bakes 100's of dozens of cookes each week at KP.....also if your Plebe Candidate wants a little relax time they can go to the cookie cafe..especially if they know Mom and Dad sent their favorite cookie. If you want more infor about this PM me or KPMOM.</p>
<p>My son was told last year he was allowed to have NCAA approved snacks which I sent on a regular basis and which he never got in trouble for having. I too also sent goofy toys from the dollar store.
:)</p>
<p>So if they are not allowed to have food in their rooms even after indoc, please let us know what types of snacks can they have sent in packages? I know the last thing my son will appreciate is ED!!</p>
<p>Could you clarify a bit. The admiral told us point blank. "'treats" (hate that word) were fine. But they can't store food. So do you send small amounts they can eat immediately or small enough to be hidden? And, what are NCAA Approved Snacks? Thank you, this seems such a small thing but I can see we nervous parents want to get it right, the last thing any of us want is more pushups!</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Would you provide the correct address to send cookies to the Cafe? That sounds like a great idea.</p>
<p>Thank you, I understand that the cafe will start August 14th?</p>
<p>Here is what one Mid once said,
[quote]
But sometimes, as a great midshipman once told me "Its not what you CAN or CANT do, its what you can GET AWAY WITH within moral reasoning." . . . You can't get away with skipping class or disrespecting upperclassmen . . . but partaking in a bag of hershey kisses, tucked away in your air conditioning vent? No problem.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Power bars are almost always requested. I heard 3 of those can fit into the air conditioning vent very nicely. They are a big hit when they miss a meal (& they will sooner or later due to running behind schedule). Beware the ramen noodle!!.... they crumble the things up & throw them into their drink bottles, dump hot water on them, then drink the mess. Yummy. :rolleyes: However, they don't wash the bottles & talk about a nasty build up. If they like tuna, substitute small lunch sized packets that contain the plastic fork. Throw in a few of those little tubes of powdered drink mix so they can add it to their water. When classes start, send 'em a small package of super sour or super hot hard candies. I hear this helps to keep them awake in classes (sometimes). I kinda have my doubts about that one but it was suggested. :D</p>
<p>2012 parents--I have just read every post on this website and realize that we are scaring the heck out of you. It is a hard year, but NOT impossible. They DO make friends. They DO have fun. They will work hard, but let's face it, so do we!</p>
<p>Sorry Suzannegra--these kids do need some distraction. Movies (which if you send or not) is one thing they will find out how to watch. They need to learn that like zonker said, "they are not like the kids from State U." They have much more responsibility. </p>
<p>They will be fine and so will you. </p>
<p>I have a kid who asked for nothing to be sent. (How did I get that lucky?)It's probably a good idea to hold on the contraband for a while. (Wait till after indoc, better yet, after parent's weekend.) They have enough to eat.</p>
<p>2012 parents--take a breath. They are in good hands and will learn how to navigate stuff on their own, without your help and trust me, this is good!</p>
<p>I was an emotional wreck and just as nervous as you last year. Mine did fine. I'm bringing him back to KP tomorrow. </p>
<p>If you can come up and see him on Sundays, do it. I did last year, mostly, for me. Bring yummy food and also enough for the friends in the company. Take lots of pictures. Keep friends and family updated by e-mail. Make sure everyone has his address. </p>
<p>Met's game is wonderful if you can do it. (I didn't and still regret it.)</p>
<p>You will enjoy every minute. On parent's day--take a good Christmas card picture--pin on their eagle--or whatever it is...(sorry) and know you (and him/her will be ok.)</p>
<p>Well put. As a new 2012 dad i found my stress releaver was to setup a web site for the NC parents association. There i cut out all the pictures from KP of the mids and post my son's under his name. This way i have an excuse to work on the photos and can point friends and family to the cut outs. Everyone has enjoyed the photos. The trip to NY is either long (11 hours) or expensive so i'm saving up to bring family to Parents weekend. To see my site go to USMMA</a> NC Parents Association
For any NC parents, cut out your son/daughters photos and send them to me and i'll post them. Thanks for everyone's words of wisdom who has been through plebe year.
NC Dad 2012</p>
<p>chiefnerdnc--</p>
<p>One more piece of advice. Bring limited people up on parent's weekend. YOU will want to spend time with son--others will just distract from that. During that weekend, (which is the first time off campus, except for the Mets game), he will just be decompressing, so entertaining many family members, i.e. grandparents, girlfriends, etc. is not so good. Other plebe 2011 families regretted bringing multiple people on Parent's weekend. They can visit those extended family members during their first break. Mine did alot of sleeping anyway that first weekend. If not eating, then they will probably being eating. Just think about it.</p>