Children of military personnel are usually given their own military ID card once they turn 10, except in certain circumstances such as when children of divorced parents live apart from the military sponsor. If your child is old enough to have a military ID card, what should they consider before you allow them to sponsor any of their friends on base?
How Well Do They Know Their Friend?
It is important for children of military personnel to ask themselves how well they know their friend before they sponsor them on base. This can help to weed out people who are only trying to get on base to cause trouble or take advantage of services provided for the military community, including retirees. If you have any suspicions about any of your children's friends, invite them to come over so that you can get to know them personally. Supervise your child as they spend time with their friends and only then should you decide if certain friends should be sponsored to go on base with your child.
Is the Child Responsible?
Children should be taught that having an ID card requires that they be responsible and selective in whom they allow to come with them on base. They should not sponsor each and every child who asks to come on base. Even if this seems hard for children to understand, they must realize that not all of their friends are responsible individuals who will behave themselves on base. If a non-ID card holder causes trouble on base, they will be asked to leave and could be barred from coming on base again. This would cause a lot of embarrassment to yourself, your child, your child's friend as well as their family members.
Is Adult Supervision Required?
If your child sponsors their friend on base, parents should still consider whether adult supervision will be required. Even friends who have already been vetted by the parents can misbehave if they are not properly supervised by responsible adults. But if becomes clear the child is likely to cause trouble then it would be wise to prevent your child from sponsoring certain friends onto the base in future.
Children need to be taught early on that having an ID card is a big responsibility and that they should be very careful if one of their friends asks to come on base with them at any time. While many children have good intentions and just want to see the park on base where all the local military children play or they want to take part in the bowling tournament, others are trouble-makers and will cause a scene if they are allowed on base.
