<p>I think it would be helpful to post advice for parents gearing up for R-Day from those who have been there before.</p>
<p>This is based on last year so forgive me if things are changing for this year:
My best advice is to beg, borrow and steal (okay don't steal) but attend the R-Day and night-before events with your swab. Most parents and families attend these events. Don't worry if you kid says you don't have to go, just know that most families are there and they are made to feel very welcome with dinner and dessert the night before and a full schedule of events for families once their swab signs in in the morning. You will see them again late in the afternoon when they are sworn in. You will cry because you will be so proud of them. Many will be a little scared and your last hug before they line back up with their company will mean a lot to you and your cadet. I can't imagine what it was like for the few swabs whose parents and family weren't there when they had that 10 minutes to say goodbye and they looked around to see all the other swabs with their families. As a mom, I couldn't have let him go without that last few words of encouragement. All families are different, though.</p>
<p>Okay, so maybe I should have titled this, "swab parents who need info, ask away." If you are a CGA parent-to-be, you will want to become familiar with a term that is used often during Swab Summer and in fact during the entire four years your s/d is at the academy. That would be Semper Gumby, always flexible. Once R-Day arrives (I think it is around that time) you will be invited to join the Parents Association board for the class of 2011. This is outside of the regular CGA website. I encourage you to do this because the information and shared pictures that you will be able to see is invaluable to keeping your sanity. Some local parents will go to the shoulder board ceremony and take tons of pictures and share them online. Others will go when your kids are going to board Eagle. You will quickly start to recognize the other kids who are in your kid's company and will be able to see your s/d at many events, like the Mystic Flag Ceremony. We even had parents who videotaped some of these events and posted the short video online. It is awesome.</p>