With the summer fast approaching, do you have a plan for your teen? Some teens stay home all summer, some get jobs and others look for a variety of programs. With many options available for teens over the summer, consider what your teen is excelling in and what they could use some help with. What Type of Program? What kind of program are you looking for? There are programs with very flexible scheduling and others that are more regimented. Each...
Teenagers want to feel in control. Teenagers also turn into young adults. To prepare those young adults in the making, independent living skills are incredibly valuable and a great way to hand over some control. When you spend your time dealing with behavioral challenges, teaching your children how to use a plunger seems like an unnecessary task. However, when your teen turns into a young adult, he is going to need these skills in order to thrive. Focusing on strengths...
Enrolling your teen into a program to address challenging or concerning behaviors comes with many questions and decisions. Locating a program that is right for your teen is key to getting him help. There are many options available including online programs for teens, summer camps, military programs, residential, outpatient, wilderness and therapeutic. You know your teen best, so consider the behaviors you are seeing as well as the characteristics of your teen. When interviewing programs, ask many questions and be...
As a parent, the last thing on your mind is sending your teenager away to a boot camp for behavior issues. Unless of course that teenager is acting out, troubled, and seemingly irrational. The thought of sending your child to a boot camp can be scary but it doesn’t have to be. There are many different types of boot camps and they can be very beneficial. But how can you be sure? What things should you, as the parent, be...
Defiant behavior happens when a person purposely opposes ruling or structure. When a child has defiant behavior, they are most likely opposing the structure a parent or adult has created. Parents often feel this behavior is their fault or they are failing as a parent to create the structure their child needs. This is not necessarily the case, There are many reasons a child may act out. Disobedience, defiant behavior, and acting out basically means someone is trying to “act...
Spring is nearing, which for school-aged kids means Spring Break is coming up right around the corner. While this much-needed break from school work is a welcome reprieve for kids and parents alike, as teens get older, they want to spend less time with their family vacations, and more time with their friends. If your teen is thinking about heading off on their own for a week of fun in the sun with friends, there are some things you need...
Troubled teens learn a lot in therapy programs such as online programs, wilderness programs or even boot camps, but what happens when they come home? Continued therapy is a huge part of getting them back on the right track. With spring break coming up, your teen will have a week off from their usual school routine, and you may be worried about them spiraling out of control again or getting into trouble on a vacation with friends. Instead of letting...
When looking for a therapy program for your teen, you may come across listings for various residential programs like wilderness camps, residential therapy schools, military camps, or schools for troubled youth. These programs, like troubled teens themselves, are not all created equal. There are some things to consider when choosing. If you are considering a military program, see below for some guidelines that can help you determine if your teen will benefit from this type of therapy. Know the difference....
Love can come in many forms, and is sometimes a hard thing to show, especially to a troubled teenager. There’s a fine line between tough love and overkill when trying to lay down ground rules for a teen who has spiraled out of control. This month is all about showing the love, so if you are finding it hard to find a way to show the tough love to your teen, see below for some great tips. It can be...
At some point in every teen’s life, there are going to be some conversations that parents are dreading or don’t know how to approach. It could be from the death of a family member, a change in situations such as moving or financial adjustments or even a decision regarding the teen that they may not want, such as sending them to a troubled teen residential program or a teen wilderness camp to get them help. If you have to face...
