I feel like I am repeating myself a lot lately, but I’m truly taken aback that the little boy who held my hand and cuddled on my bed with me is now going to marching into High School–in two weeks! EEP! And one of the biggest changes we’re facing is the fact that he signed himself up for JrROTC…which is not a bad thing, just a new thing. My friends, this is How to Prepare for the First Year of High School JrROTC–because, let me tell you, we weren’t.
How to Prepare for the First Year of High School JrROTC
- Don’t panic. This is for you, moms. No panicking. It’s not worth it. The kid’s doing it anyway. Just take a DEEEP breath. And support them as best you can. The school will deal with uniforms and supplies–they’ll even give you a list, but you, you’ve got to keep your cool. LOL!
- Get the haircut. Sadly, this was a big deal and the boy did not want me to take pictures. He looks handsome with his hair above his shoulders…heh. Girls don’t have to have the haircut, but they do have to keep it in a ponytail–so teach them to do that, if they don’t know already.
- Buy the boots. This is when it really hit home for me. We bought him combat boots. Real, honest-to-goodness combat boots. And I laced them for him. My heart ached…until he put on the silly hat with them and then we were laughing. LOL!
- Be prepared for the ouch. We headed to Target and got all stocked-up on TYLENOL® 8 HR Muscle Aches & Pain, so my son can be in control of his pain and carry-on like a good soldier through the whole semester; Extra Strength TYLENOL® to help me deal with the headache (too bad it doesn’t work on heartache from watching your kids grow-up); and Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream, to ease his sore feet, legs and arms (you know, from all the marching and saluting).
- Enjoy an MRE, soldier. You deserve it. (the lemonade is actually pretty good)
And remember (kind of a “number 4A” here), after you pick-up your ouch-preparedness kit, you need to follow the storing instructions and dosage on the bottle/packaging of your medication–as with any medication, over the counter or otherwise. This is good modeling for your young marcher. And it’ll work better that way. LOL!
Now, if you’re still in denial like I was, you just ignore all this for a little while longer, but pin it so you can remember when you’re ready to prepare for the first year of High School JrROTC! LOL!
Do you have any tips for preparing for getting ready to take on JrROTC? Just drop a line in the comments for me! And remember to get positively prepared with the right pain relief for you and your family at Target.
