Need Feedback on Joining the Reserves [Archive]

Anonymous

12-31-1969, 08:00 PM

: I would like to get some feedback on:**A married woman with three children going into the reserves.**My heart and my head say Y.E.S., but my mom says I am crazy.**I would like to hear from women who know first hand what they are talking about.**Please e-mail me at:**LilChit6269@webtv.net Hello Leslie.**My name is Kay Lawford and I am a Standby Reserve in the Royal Australian Navy.**I was in the permanent forces for 8 years as a single woman and loved every minute of it.**I then married and had 2 children.**When the kids were little it was very difficult to hold down even reserve work as something always seemed to be wrong with the kids and this reflected in the reports that were given at the end of each time.**It was rather difficult accepting these sub standard reports as I am a perfectionist and when given a job do it well.**What happens is your mind tends to be on the kids and their problems.**I don't know how your kids are but while they are little it tends to lead to problems.**During schooling years it is a little easier as they are only without you for a few hours a day.**High school kids, you would think it would be a breeze, but this is the most difficult time, as you really have to keep an eye on what they are doing and who they are mixing with.**This is where I went wrong.**Thinking my kids were grown up enough to handle things.**How wrong I was.**After school and at weekends is where they start doing things to test mum and dad and if you don't keep this in check then it gets out of control.Last year I did 4 months in Sydney and had a ball, but at a cost.**My kids were then 17 and 19 and still things went wrong.**I guess if you were to do reserve time in your hometown it wouldn't be at all a problem but when you have to go away for a month at a time and all responsibilies lay on your huby or other people, things do go wrong and believe me its an inner fight between what you want to do and what you should be doing.**I love the navy**life and want it it my life so much but when you have kids, sometimes you have to put them first.**The Navy is truely for young single people, or married couples without children, or the man whose wife stays home to look after the children, who can devote their time to it.**Its very hard devoting time to the Navy, a husband, kids and a home. I have known quite a lot of women who have had children and are posted to sea.**They are away 6 months at a time.**Most of them have had to leave the Navy because of the children.**Tough decision you have to make, but somehow you will be able to figure it out.Regards Kay Lawfordlawfordm@topaz.cqu.edu.au

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lawfordm@topaz.cqu.edu.au