I left the Navy SEALs to have more time with my 3 kids. What I learned in the military helped me raise confident kids.
Brandon Webb says his time as a Navy SEAL helps him parent his kids. Courtesy of Brandon Webb Brandon Webb left the Navy after 13 years to focus on fatherhood. He taught his kids to ignore negative talk, including from adults. He didn't over-advocate and allowed them to make mistakes, he says. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brandon Webb , author of Puddle Jumpers . It has been edited for length and clarity. My parents were hippies who gave me a lot of freedom. I was homeschooled, and we traveled frequently. At 10 or 11, I was making friends in dusty Mexican streets. At 16, in Tahiti, my dad kicked me off the boat during a family sailing trip in the South Pacific (that's another story). While it wasn't traditional, the way my parents raised me gave me a lot of confidence. The Navy was my ticket to something different. I joined when I was 18, and four years later, I met Gretchen. Back then, the Navy paid you more once you were married. We were in love...
