Aside from death or injury what is the reason most parents do not want you to enlist??

Question

Do you feel its because...

-they never served?

-they want you to go to college?

-they think you will fail in it?

-they had your "future" planned for you?

-they are anti-war

-they drag politics into the decsion?

What other reasons do parents give thier offspring when refusing to sign or support their children in a very honorable decsion?

Answer 1

College is supposed to be the way to success,everyone thinks once you have the college degree you are set for life and that's if you finish the college degree.Deviating from college means in their eyes you aren't going to be as successful.

Half of my graduating class this year will be going to community college and living with their parents once we graduate with the other half doing a trade or going to a state college.Only 10 or so of each class of 400 join the military in my high school.

Answer 2

they dont want their kids to change

Answer 3

I came from a "white-collar" family; my parents (never been in the military & think that they are low-class, especially enlisted) wanted me to go to college and become either a doctor like my mother, or in finance like my father (he was an executive in a brokerage firm). So, what did I do? I dropped out of college, enlisted in the Navy, then volunteered again for EOD. And my future? Police Officer in the Bomb Squad. And I'm almost done with my BA in Accounting; I also want to be a CPA while being a cop. My parents will surely disown me; they hate cops more than servicemen. But this is MY life, not theirs.  

Answer 4

I'm the wife of a SSG in the army.  Knowing what Inow.  I am all for serving your country.  However, I would want my child to graduate college before making that decision.  The army pays officers better, and I think that so many "kids" get caught up in the hype of the army.  I think its something that could wait until you were 21 or 22 to decide.

Plus after the army you have something to fall back on rather than feeling trapped by the army as so many soldiers do.  I know first hand sometimes it is easier to reenlist than figure out how you are going to support your self and your now family after the army.

Answer 5

no matter how old you am or what you do, they will always see you as their baby boy.

Remember in the end its your choice, it's your life don't live wondering  what could have been.

Answer 6

Usually political, and a big factor is they just dont want them to leave there friends and family behind, cause alot of parents see it as abandonment, they would rather see them go to college nearby and visit on the weekends, not get 5 phone calls the whole time he's on a 18 month deployment to Iraq

Answer 7

If you serve in active duty, you see things that you will never forget.  I think a lot of parents don't want their child to be exposed to the horrors that they will see.  My father served in Korea, was shot with a machine gun, and faced years of recovery.  He never fully recovered, not just physically, but also mentally.  He suffered from nightmares often, you never startled him, forget fireworks or even popping your bubble gum. He was proud of his service but I don't think he would have wanted one of his children to go through what he had.  

Answer 8

A great many parents today were hippys yesterday. Not that theres anythng wrong with that.  Mine were in wars and told me never enlist until the congress declares war- but htose were mine. Some cant stand the way their sweet little children come back wildmen with insane ideas of fun.  

Answer 9

Politics probably play a very small role but it's mostly about safety.

Answer 10

I think it mostly has to do with not knowing enough about the military in the first place.  

Answer 11

I can only answer personlly and not for others, my parent were all for it, as all of my family has served. I signed up at 17 with the blessings from all.

USMC 68 Vietnam

Answer 12

my familys biggest fear for me is that I cant allow someone to be in my face yelling at me and I'll end up hitting a DS, their also concerned I wont be able to cope with having people I dont know bark orders at me, and then theres the whole having to respect rank regardless of whos wearing it thing.

P.S.  Im 22y.o. when I was a young teen I spent over a year in a privetly run "bootcamp", just watch the movie sleepers and youll have a pretty good idea what Im talking about.Im from one of the worst neighborhoods in the southwest and have seen plenty of death. my mothers fear is that Im too "seasoned" to sign up and be treated like a fresh 18y.o. cherry , but I think my struggles can only help, if I can get over my 3foot rule.

Answer 13

My parents also all for me enlisting in the Marine Corps.

Answer 14

I actually got a call last week to join the US Military and I was really surprised.  My mom grabbed the phone from me and mouthed off to the women...saying that its sick how there trying to brainwash young teenagers to enroll in the military....and I agree with my mom. I would never in a million years want to join the military anyway. I think parents are protective of their children like my mom is of me, and they don't wanna see them get hurt. Id like to see George W Bush's bitchy daughters go fight in Iraq!

Answer 15

If a parent doesn't want their adult child to enlist in the military it's probably for political reasons.  There are probably numerous reasons parents don't want their adult child to do something but the real question is:  who's decision is it to make?