Ernest Graves
A:
They say that.
Q:
I didn't know.
A:
Oh, that's an old cliche.
Q:
Is it true?
A:
Probably not.
Q:
Overall, what is the stamp of this kind of a career choice on child rearing? What are its
benefits and the problems that it caused?
A:
I think the benefits are the different experiences. I think that, generally speaking, the
military children have benefited from moving around, from being able to cope with
situations, with not being tied down to a very narrow environment.
I feel that I have seen this in many children--service children-- that they are brought
up to be independent. Now maybe this is because of their mother--the successful Army
family has a very independent woman in it. And this can't help but be an influence on
the children.
Q:
Especially since you're the parent they see the most.
A:
You're the parent they see the most. You are making them be independent. Part of
raising them is to make them be independent.
Q:
That's your job. That's right.
A:
I would imagine this might be true among civilian wives also. But it isn't as necessary.
I think there were more benefits in moving than shortcomings. I think we were rather
fortunate in that I do think one of the problems in raising children in the military is the
high school years. We were fortunate that affected only one of our children.
When he was a sophomore, we left him to board in school, and I feel we should have
had him with us. Later he did come to be with us. And so we overcame that problem.
But I can see where moving around in high school is a severe problem on the children.
That, I would say, is the biggest. Through the early years, I think it's more of a
benefit--the move to different schools. Ralph was in nine different schools the first nine
years of his school life.
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