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27 Responses

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• A Mom Says:
  June 16th, 2009 at 7:46 am
  

  My son attended a military school last year and it truly has turned his life in a new direction. The previous year in school, I received phone calls and/or emails from the school about 3 times per week because of his behavior in the classroom. He was extremely oppositional at home. He is extremely bright, but did not care about his grades and hence, his grades were poor. During this year, his grades shot up to all A’s even though the work is academically more challenging. He received numerous awards for his efforts there which encompassed military bearing, academics, behavior, and physical fitness. These awards motivated him tremendously — he never tried before this year to achieve any sort of award. It is a college prep school, so they motivate these kids early to think about college and prepare them well for entrance into them. We were amazed at the transformation we observed.

  Our son thrived in this setting. But there are kids who got kicked out during the year because of their behavior or because they came up positive on a drug screen. Some kids will rebel regardless of the setting. We also found that some kids get picked on excessively if they do not “fit” in.

  We have not kept the “military” structure in our own home on his return this summer. But we have found he is much more compliant with our rules and with carrying out the chores required of him.

  We have not decided yet if he will return for the next year, though he is open to it as are we.

• bjbauer Says:
  June 16th, 2009 at 10:11 am
  

  After nearly eighteen months of uncontrolled deviance and drug use. We placed our 15 year old son in a Families in Needs of Services Program locally- which helps teens stay out of the Juvenile justice system. He was then placed into a 12 month Drug Free court program through family court due to his continual runaway and drug use. We placed him in Teen Challenge program in Jasper Texas three days before his 17 birthday. He has now completed four months of the program which is very strict and structured to help adults overcome not only drug use but behavior through a Christian program. Our son calls it christian boot camp. He is making great progress. We miss him and it is tempting to talk about him getting out early, but are moving very slowly because we do not want to endanger his recovery and progress. We do not have a plan in place for when he returns. He has completed his GED prior to entering the program.We have discovered that our son had to get completely away from the friends and envelopment in order to recover and grow as a person. The pull of kids on the street was too powerful for us to conqueror. tough decision but one that we are glad we have made.

• Frustrated son Says:
  June 16th, 2009 at 10:38 am
  

  I am happy for you that your sons have turned their lives around. We are not having that success. Our son was sent to an excellent residential facility, Outside In, that kept the boys busy with a structured routine of exercise, school, community service and camping trips. After 5 months and before he finished the program, he signed himself out on his 18th birthday. He has been at home for almost one year and has reverted back to old habits: no job, sleeping in until noon, 1 or 2 pm, same old friends, verbal abuse, breaking things, lying and stealing. Tests positive for marijuana. We (I is a better term) started him on a list of rules which he won’t sign or even discuss. If he did not get up early and put applications in, he was out of the house for one day, three days, five days. Problem: My husband won’t agree to follow this plan. He takes our son and picks him up at friends whenever he calls. Husband does not want me calling the police, and says “I just can’t throw him out of the house.” My response: I am ready to leave my home, husband and three other children because this is crazy living like this. My husband refuses to go in on a conference call with your counselors who have been extremely helpful and supportive. Husband thinks that “talking” with our son will miraculously change the situation and just doesn’t get that what we have been doing IS NOT WORKING. I totally agree with James’ advice, but can’t get husband to be on the same page. frustrated mom

• another frustrated mom Says:
  June 16th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
  

  I have signed up my rising 8th grade son for a 5 week summer school/camp at a military boarding school 45 minutes from my home. He too is a bright boy, but completely unmotivated to do any school work, does not care at all about grades and is addicted to xbox and computer games. By some miracle he has managed to get straight C’s at year end. But that does not reflect the struggle and near destruction of our family life during the years. I have hidden the laptop, destroyed 2 xbox machines over the years and lost an ipod somewhere in my house. I have used the threat of summer school throughout the year if he continues to make his poor choices. I basically have become the “bad cop” of the household. We have been unable to succeed with any consequences or punishment. As noted by the other frustrated mom, my husband and I are not even on the same book shelf, much less the same page. He refuses to agree to send him to this program. We cannot even have a civil conversation about the situation. I have done my research, spoken to numerous families who have had success at this same school, created a solid, logical case for this summer only program. Yet we are at a road block. I, too, am almost ready to leave my home and family over this. NOTHING we have done in the past has had any impact on this child’s behavior regarding school. My fear is that if we don’t correct it now, what will I be dealing with in a year or two? So, my question is what do I do when there is no cooperation from the dad? He has no other solutions to offer other than the same crap we’ve been doing over the years. Help!

• kathy pride Says:
  June 16th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
  

  First, let me say I feel like I know each of you, because in one way or another I have lived a part of each of your stories.

  I would agree with Elisabeth, that Military School, or a boot camp program will not work for each individual. We spent a lot of money enrolling our son in a therapeutic wilderness program and aftercare that ended up not delivering what it promised for our son when he was 17. He is now 24 and still floundering. Why? Many are because of his choices, but unfortunately circumstances and enough enabling on our parts is also part of the reason.

  First, I applaud the decision to consider alternatives to military schools or “boot camps” like Teen Challenge, or Therapeutic Wilderness Programs. Our son attended Second Nature in Utah, and indeed it was life changing. They are NOT the same as military schools; although they are frequently lumped into the same category. There is a therapeutic component that helps to address and heal the anger/substance abuse component.
  Our son did well there, but did come home. The aftercare program did not deliver what it promised, and there was drug use there. He came home, finished HS got some college credits and went on to college.

  College was hard for him, but he finally graduated this past winter. But he is still drinking and smoking pot. He is looking for the easy way out and when he drinks he gets really angry. He moved into an apartment in NYC with my mom after my dad’s sudden death in February, but has been sleeping, not reliable with work, belligerant and I dare say verbally and emotionally abusive with his girlfriend and not contributing to the rent.

  I am fortunate in that my husband and I are on the same page, although it wasn’t always the case; he was the firm one, I was the enabler. But no more.

  It is all coming to a head,which is what will happen if one allows to let natural consequences take their course. He has no job, no money and now no girlfriend. She moved out three days ago. What does he need? To take responsibility for himself and avail himself of opportunities that allow him to move forward and not play the victim.

  OK, so I am rambling a bit, but to say for both parents to be on the same page is critical. My husband and I choose together to launch our son into success. He is ahead of some, (college graduate) but behind others not being self supporting, still wearing a cloak of entitlement to a certain degree. We will not let him move back home, it would be toxic to all of us, and my mom is about to give up her apartment and move,so that creates a natural transition point for him. I think that any program that enforces responsibility and natural consequences is key; if depression is an issue (as it is with our son) then a therapeutic component is critical. We had to do
  “tough love” with our older son also, he attended Passages to Recovery in Loa Utah. Also lifechanging. But they are really hard decisions.

  I think the appeal of “Military School” is the idea that someone else enforces the rules that somehow we have become impotent to enforce, but there are other options.

  First, get on the same page. Critical.
  Allow natural consequences to take their course.
  Never stop loving your kid.
  Pray.
  And know you are not alone.

  Peace, Kathy

• Carole Banks, Parental Support Line Advisor Says:
  June 17th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
  

  I just wanted to remark about how moving it is to read all your comments, shared in the spirit of helping each other. I also had a hard time with my son and wished there might be a place to send him but had no money to work with at that time.

  I wanted to comment on something that Elisabeth said in her post that we found to be true when I used to work with families in their homes. I spent a couple of years doing work with families whose kids were involved in the juvenile justice system. Our goal was to help the family prepare for their child to return home. Our experience was that if the child returns to the same environment, he is likely to respond in the same way he did before he left home. This does not mean that you have to mirror a military school program. It means that in order for lasting change to occur, the family needs to find a way to support the changes their child has made. Before the child returned home, we would help families improve their communication skills, learn how to develop structures and plans to keep their child responsible and accountable, look into school supports and community programs. The change in the family interaction is exactly what Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 are about in the Total Transformation Program, where James Lehman instructs you to look at your child’s problem behaviors and some of the ineffective techniques we parents use to manage those behaviors. Lesson 3 gets into how to set up behavioral structures and problem solve. I agree with Elisabeth that the Total Transformation can be used as preparation for the return of a child to your home — or in many cases, as an alternative to sending your child away.

  For parents in this situation, know that there is hope, as long as you have a structured plan in place that will keep your child’s behavior where it needs to be.

• overwhelmed and fed up Says:
  July 14th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
  

  I can say that I feel like i am in the same boat as most of the other people talking about there life is seems like no matter what you do it doesn’t help or very little my son 14 is bipolar,adhd,odd and has a lot of care in his life since he was 4 years old and in the last ten years he has been in 3 12 month programs and not to mention the many hospitals i lost track awhile a go and has not had any improvements I have went to all the parenting classes seminars and all the thearapy 2 times a week i had so many people in my home trying to help and nothing. My son is 14 and is so out of control with school he went when he wanted was always late I got tired of driving him to school every other day his grades are well all a and b’s so i was greatful for that. My son likes to destroy everything I have holes in all walls i have windows where he has thrown things at and broke he likes to hit on me and his father he likes to stab things all sharp objects had to be locked up and many other things the computer has been pad locked cause he likes to visit porn he also has stolen both his grandmother’s and my credit cards and spent them on porn, and many other things.My son is so disrepectful he calls me and his father all names in the book he is lazy and refuses to do anything that is asked of him even down to brushing and showering I just don’t know what to do you can ground or set up any type of punishment and it means nothing to him he will leave the house and walk where ever for hours at a time and doesn’t even care that he makes me worry.and to say the least this is just the surface of what i go through every day i got to the point where i have had to medicate myself to deal with my home life I just don’t know where to turn he has legal charges which ended up into fines and community service that if he doesn’t complete it will come back on me even though the charges that he recieved was from me and the abuse he has put me through you tell me where that makes sense I don’t know but you can’t go no where as a family it is so embarassing that you just stay home i feel like i am locked up in my destroyed home you can’t fix things because they just get broke again if anyone has some advice for me on where to turn or what to do that would be great because i am ready to give up on it all and just leave….

• Elisabeth Wilkins, EP Editor Says:
  July 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
  

  Dear overwhelmed and fed up:
  It sounds like you are living in fear, and that’s not right. As James Lehman says, “There is no excuse for abuse.” If your son threatens you, is verbally abusive or physically aggressive, or steals things from you, it is time to call the police. Here are a few articles that might help–hang in there, and be strong. Please check in with us and let us know how you are doing.

  Kids Who are Verbally Abusive:The Creation of a Defiant Child

  When Kids Get Ugly: How to Stop Threats and Verbal Abuse

  When Kids Get Violent: “There’s No Excuse for Abuse”

• abray272 Says:
  August 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
  

  I’m looking into an Outward Bound program for my 17 year old son right now for all the reasons the above parents mentioned. My son has been unmotivated in school (receiving poor grades), lacks accountability for his actions, has stolen money from me and his uncle, took my car and his uncles car (2 separate occasions) for a “joy” ride without a license, is defiant, seems to be addicted to porn (as we keep catching him looking at websites or trying to access it on the t.v.) and he has become verbally and physically abusive to 3 women that I know of; myself, his girlfriend and his aunt. He has been diagnosed with ADD and mild depression. He is only taking medication for the depression at this time. I am currently a single parent and because things got so bad, he actually made the choice to go live with his aunt and uncle to try and better his life. That only lasted about 2 months before he started getting defiant with them, stole money from them, then their car and all the behavior started again. Now he wants to come back home and promises things will be different. I can’t trust him or believe him and I don’t feel safe with him. He has agreed to go to the Outward Bound but only because I told him it was the only way he could come home. What I’m afraid of is it is only a 50-day program. What do I do after to maintain what he learns from them (if he in fact learns anything)? How can I keep us going in a positive direction? Is sending him to Outward Bound even a good idea? I’m definitely spending money I don’t have to do it but he is my only child and I want him to have a chance at a future. Any advice?
  Thanks!
  A caring, scared, single mom

• Carole Banks Says:
  August 5th, 2009 at 7:26 am
  

  Dear Abray272:

  Since your son has been physically abusive, and you say you are afraid of him, you may be in a position that requires the professional help of a behavioral specialist when he returns home. James Lehman says if kids are gaining power by being violent, the first thing that you have to do is take away that power by not tolerating violence in your home. There’s no excuse for physical abuse, no matter what. It’s important to teach your son problem-solving skills to manage his strong feelings instead of using violence. An experience like Outward Bound brings into focus a sense of personal control and responsibility. This important emphasis is also what James talks about when he says it’s necessary to ‘create a culture of accountability’ in your home. When he returns home, have an expectation that he is able to make good choices, that he is able to be responsible for himself and his decisions. Interact with him in such a way that you trust and expect that he will try to do better. If he slips, discuss it as a problem that needs to be solved differently, rather than his character caused this back-slide. You can rely on the techniques and the language in the Total Transformation Program to help you teach your son how to think in terms of being personally accountable for his choices.

  Thanks for your question. Please let us know how it’s going. We’re here to help.

• Erica Says:
  October 18th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
  

  I am a single mother of a 12 year old son with anger issues, Obedience Defiant Disorder and ADD. He also has emotional issues and consciously tries to make my life a living hell. He destroys things and refuses to accept responsibility for ANYTHING! He deflects everything from himself so he feels no pain and no real happiness. He has just started taking meds for the ADD and I am hoping that it will help some with the behavior, however, if there is no significant change,I am planning on sending him to a military academy. No school is perfect but I am hoping that with some strong male figures around, he will start to see the light. It’s not clear to me how i’ll be able to afford the tuition, but I have to do something before my son ends up in prison or worse. Has anyone had any experience with a military academy? They are a college prep school with great athletics and clubs, and teach study skills and organizational skill, etc. All things that my son needs desperately.

• Boyzmom Says:
  November 7th, 2009 at 4:17 am
  

  We sent our son to a Christian boarding school for troubled teens at the beginning of his junior year in high school. He was verbally abusive, angry, disrespectful, shoplifting and stealing from family members, viewing porn, breaking curfews, drinking, and being cruel to his younger brothers in addition to parents. We had been through counselors, psychiatrists, juveline court “at risk” programs, medications, and all really had failed. We finally warned him that laying a hand on either of his brothers was a ticket out of the house. He did anyway, and we promptly paid $3000 to have him escorted from our home by two bodyguards who woke him up in the middle of the night and flew with him out of state to the boarding school. The improvement in our family life and our marriage without our older son in the home was truly unbelievable. Then after his graduation we were sucked into letting him move back home temporarily since he seemed so much better. Within 48 hours we could see our son’s old personality and behavior had returned and we asked him to leave by the third day. The advantage to the boarding school wasn’t the lasting improvement in our son’s narcissistic and destructive personality — it was the respite our family needed, for us to heal, for us to spend positive time with our other children without constantly dealing with our older son’s problems. Our problem son also did get a high school diploma, without a criminal record. Now he is on his own, and it’s up to him. We will never regret the money spent on the boarding school. But he is NEVER moving back home again.

• Boyzmom Says:
  November 7th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
  

  I also wanted to add that we considered a traditional military or other boarding school but realized quickly that our son could be kicked out of the program and our tuition would be nonrefundable. So we chose to send him to a program where his behaviors were expected and where he would not be able to leave voluntarily until age 18. The environment was very structured and rigid. He was extremely successful there and finished 2 years of high school in one year due to his motivation to leave. There was NO aftercare, however, which might have really helped. The thing I want to emphasize was that I think waiting until your child is 17 and violent to send him out of the home exposes your whole family to tremendous stress and more suffering than you can believe. Then the behaviors are so ingrained that lasting change is very difficult. Wish I would have found this program when our son was much, much younger.

• Elisabeth Wilkins, EP Editor Says:
  November 9th, 2009 at 9:17 am
  

  Boyzmom: Thank you for sharing your story. I can really see how that must have been a healing experience for your family. Also, good for you for standing your ground and asking your son to leave. My friend’s son was very much like yours, by the way. After a few years on his own, he surprised everyone by coming home a changed person. Life out in the world can be a humbling experience, and that is exactly what my friend’s son realized after a few years on his own. His words to his mom were, “I finally realized that you and dad are the only people who have ever been on my side.” Stay firm, but never give up hope.

• Adopted Son Loved 16 Says:
  January 12th, 2010 at 9:54 am
  

  I cannot tell all of you how much these stories have meant to me!!! Yeah, I am not alone. I adopted a baby boy single when he was 4 months old. Married, then my husband adopted him at 6 years old…he and I dated when I got my son, so he knew no other father…he is ADHD, Bipolar, ODD….(are they all??) anyway, he was born drug affected, fetal acohol….but as miracles have it, that was it…he has an IQ higher than mine and a sense of entitlement to go along with it….When he was 12 it really got bad, so for almost 5 years, my husband and I have been blown away with behaviors….we are lucky with No Drugs, Alcohol, or smoking…He is “too good” for that..I applaud that, but we raised him with the knowledge that it would KILL him if he did…. Anyway, his verbal and physical abuse to me is such that he wants nothing to do with me. He has used my family and thinks he doesn’t have to follow our rules, he can take the car, etc. He can turn low F’s into B’s in 6 weeks….WOW…Well, long story short, my husband and I agreed to send him to Youth Challenge….He leaves or “reports” on Sunday. It is an intensive 22 week program by the National Guard…It is voluntary, but he has a choice , this or Youth Detention until he is 18 then he has to go to school…… after being thrown over a stove, hit on the face with a remote control over a pair of sunglasses, it is TIME…. My heart is broken, but since he will be 17 next month, he will complete the program, God Willing and I will get my son that I fought for so hard 16 1/2 years ago…if he completes and still hates me and his father, so be it!!! I did my part, fulfilled my promise to him and God and will try to make sure he is ok. He doesn’t want to talk to me, see me, interact with me PERIOD!!! Well, I can deal with that as long as he is ok….. Thanks for all the other letters, it does help my heart!!! I am looking forward to being an empty nest to heal….I will miss the little boy, but not the Young Man, he doesn’t exist yet! Prayers are always accepted, and know that I am praying for each of you!!! God Bless and let us hope for the best, and know the worst could happen!!!! I will never give up hope, but I won’t be abused by anyone!!! Thanks and God Bless

• Mt Mom Says:
  January 26th, 2010 at 8:27 am
  

  I have a 12 yr old son. He has bi-polar, adhd, odd, ocd, ptsd (he was assaulted by his principle at school 2 years ago) and has a learning disability. I am looking into sending him to a military boarding school. I have talked to the counselors there and they are used to dealing with kids like my son. My only problem is finding the funding to send him. I am on a fixed income and can’t afford to pay the tuition myself. I have hit nothing but road blocks in my search for funding. Does anyone out there know where I should look? My son has a violent temper, refuses to go to school. He is actually running my life for me and I feel powerless on how to change that. I am planning on ordering the tt program so when he comes home from school I am better equiped to deal with him. I just feel kind of lost right now. Help?

• Carole Banks Says:
  January 27th, 2010 at 8:30 am
  

  Dear Mt Mom:

  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged given the situation you are describing. I’m glad you have found this website and hope the articles and comments from other parents are helpful.

  Public funding sources for boarding schools are getting more and more difficult to find these days as states struggle with their budgets. You might try appealing for help from your local church group.

  There are likely much better alternatives, however, then to send your son to military school if he is struggling with multiple mental health issues. There are good and effective medical treatments for both bi-polar disorder and ADHD. Start by having a child psychiatrist give your son a thorough evaluation to determine an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. James Lehman states that many times the negative symptoms of mental health disorders must be under control before you can use the techniques in the Total Transformation program. Your child must be able to reasonably regulate his emotions and thinking in order to problem solve with you.

  If you still prefer to send your child to a boarding school and can find funding, it’s important to match the school up with the skills your child needs to acquire. You mentioned that your child has ADHD and a learning disability. There is a resource for finding good schools and camps on the internet. http://www.CHADD.org This resource was provided to the Empowering Parents web site by Dr. Robert Myers, the author of the Total Focus program. You may find this article by ‘Dr. Bob’ helpful: Does Your Teen Have ADHD? Help Them Stay on Track in School and in Life http://www.empoweringparents.com/blog/adhdadd/your-tean-with-adhd/

  We wish you success in finding resources and assistance for you and your son. Please keep in touch with us. We’re here to help.

• rochesternative Says:
  May 19th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
  

  I have seriously considered sending all three of my boys away to military school/therapudic care at one time or another. In spite of services in the community, therapy and medication I have really struggled. (Single parent, dad nowhere to be had)

  A couple of things have helped (although we are no where near where I would like to be)

  My oldest son is in the Civil Air Patrol, which is a branch of the Air Force. He hates to go, but loves it when he gets there (I think the anticipation is the part that is hard for him). The structure and built in rewards (promotions) are reinforcing, plus he is around kids with maturity and goals. Cost: minimal, annual membership is like $32

  My two youngest boys are in a charter school run by the Uncommon School Network. The discipline, structure and respect are AMAZING. Both my boys have been asked to leave various schools, and this school has embraced them and they are doing FANTASTIC. Cost: Free,

  All three of my boys are being mentored by a man from my church. Since the time the oldest was 9 he has taken them weekly/biweekly to do “guy” stuff. So they’ve learned to fix a toilet, build a circut breaker, basic plumbing and carpendry skills. He has taught the boys about AM radio and taken one to get licensed as a severe weather spotter. Cost: Priceless

• Troubled Parent Says:
  June 1st, 2010 at 10:22 am
  

  We sent our son to a residential facility, not military school as he really needs the intense therapy component that a residential program can provide. He is in a good program now but we made a mistake with our first placement and I want parents to know that this can happen so do as much homework as you can up front. We originally sent our son to a program in Salt Lake City, Utah and had a terrible experience. We were concerned that they could not handle a boy with our son’s issues (BPD traits) but they assured us that they could. Ten weeks later, they kicked him out of the program and abandoned him and us (his parents). They indicated that they didn’t he would still be having these BPD behavioral issues ten weeks into the program and couldn’t work with him. If we had known he was only on a ten week trial program we certainly wouldn’t have sent him there.

  Not only did they kick him out but they abandoned him with no support leaving us to scramble to find another placement ASAP. He had a bad weekend and they took him to the emergency room to admit him to the hospital psych ward because they couldn’t handle him. Then they called us up and said they wouldn’t take him back and we needed to figure out where to send him. We live across the country and so we scrambled to find him alternatives, toured those alternatives and transferred him after about a week. When we picked our son up at the hospital we were shocked to find that they didn’t even bring him a change of clothes or his glasses for the week he was in the psych ward. They didn’t even call to consult with the Dr. to see how he was or if they could give some input. They offered no help to us in figuring out the next placement for our son.

  This may be cynical but the program admitted our son when they had a lot of open beds and kicked him out when they were pretty full. Also, you would think they would at least compensate us for the extra expense we incurred to scramble to find him another placement plus part of the cost of the psych ward since he calmed down right away and the psych ward was just expensive baby sitting for the week. No…they didn’t refund a dime beyond our deposit. They stuffed his dirty clothes in his bags, had us pick them up and said good riddance. The management there does not appear to care much about the kids they care for – at least not once they kick them out and stop getting paid.

  So do your homework and good luck to you and, of course, your child.

• looking4options Says:
  August 24th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
  

  thanks for your message ‘rochesternative’. I looked into both the Civil Air Patrol and the Uncommon school system and they look like great programs. I don’t live in NY so I won’t be able to use the school system but there are branches of the Air Patrol in my area.

  You are lucky to have found a mentor for your sons. Boys do need a father figure and also, as many others mention it, and unified front when both parents are present. I just wanted to let others know that some organizations provide mentoring services such as the “boys and girls club”. The only problem is that they often have a waiting list that can be quite extensive. Another possibility someone once mentioned to me (but that I haven’t tried) is to recruit a young college student to spend some time with your son(s) after school. That student gets paid not to babysit but to keep him company and mentor him. You’d have to make sure you choose wisely though, doing a background check and get many references.

• Dealing with Anger in Children and Teens « Parenting Helps Says:
  September 8th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
  

  [...] school. What are the weapons hostile kids and adolescents use in that fight? I think hostile or defiant kids are willing to use anything: they’ll break things, they’ll call you filthy names, they’ll run [...]

• Given up Says:
  April 3rd, 2011 at 11:10 pm
  

  My son has just about done it for me. He does drugs, slacks off in school, lies to me, and just about everything you can imagine. We have just done a program for his drug use that seems to have no effect on him, and my only other thought is to send him to military school, the problem is we don’t have the money. He deliberately disobeys me and I just don’t know what else to do anymore. Just tonight I confronted him, and now he had run out and turned off his phone. I just am so sick of this. I need HELP please!

• sarabean Says:
  April 4th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
  

  Dear ‘Given up’: It sounds like you have really been dealing with a lot of difficult behavior issues with your son. I want to start off by saying that we commend you for getting him into a drug program. This can be a scary idea for parents but we call it being an empowered parent. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and in over your head it is always helpful to see what other kind of support is out there for you. Most states have a service called 211. 211 is an information and referral service run by the United Way. You can either visit the website or try dialing 2-1-1 from your phone (you have the best chance of it working from a land line). It’s possible that your state offers some alternatives to military school but you might also find some other services that can really help. We wish you luck. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.

• wife of taxman Says:
  April 27th, 2011 at 6:41 am
  

  My son has not been in trouble and is not openly defiant. He is quietly defiant. He will tell me he is doing something and then not do it. When I tell he to do something he will openly tell me that he doesn’t need to do it right now. I try to talk to him and tell him he is hurting himself. He understands that but the logic escapes him. He currently has failing grades and is refusing assistance with tutors or therapy. I am contemplating sending him to a 5 week military program over the summer that will address academic issues as well. My concern is that when he comes home he will revert back to his old behavior. His home schedule can be structured but he will have to be the one to enforce it. I can remind him but am not a consistent enforcer because of other children and my work schedule. I would love others comments.

• Sara A. Bean, M.Ed., Parental Support Advisor Says:
  April 28th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
  

  To ‘wife of taxman’: It sounds like you are quite frustrated with your son’s behavior. I can understand your concern that he might revert back to this behavior after completing the military school program you mentioned. It is important that you ask the school several questions, including questions related to their outcomes. For example, what percent of kids change their behavior in the program and then maintain that change? What does the school do to help you as parents maintain the changes that occur in your child? You should look for a program or school for your son that includes the family as part of the solution, that does family therapy and parent training for example. If you change nothing at home, his behavior will likely go back to the way it was before. Ask your contact person at the school if they do follow-up after your child is discharged and what they will do if you start having problems again. It’s also helpful to ask if they have references you can check—are there other families who have successfully completed the program that are willing to talk to you and share their experience. Whenever any parent is considering placing their child outside the home, we recommend that you really do your research. Here is a Federal Trade Commission consumer guide I found that talks more about what questions to ask when you are choosing a program: Considering a Private Residential Treatment Program for a Troubled Teen? Questions for Parents and Guardians to Ask. I hope this helps.

• Heading it off? Says:
  May 20th, 2011 at 11:14 am
  

  I have read your posts with interest and empathy.

  My husband & I are struggling with our 10 year old son’s behavior. It’s mostly to do with homework: he’ll ‘forget’ to bring it home, or lie about having done it. He is very passive-aggressive about it. Like many of your kids, he’s a smart kid, and the work is not a problem for him.

  We have tried punishment (by now, he has no access to TV, computer, or video games), and rewards. We have tried yelling and screaming.

  Nothing seems to help.

  I know these problems are minor compared to what a lot of the folks above are going through with their kids. But, unchecked, I could see my son heading down the same path in a few years.

  How can I prevent that? Are there any particular articles here that could help?

  FWIW, my husband is on board and we will be mutually supportive in whatever we decide to do.

  Oh, one thing I have to bite my tongue NOT to say is, “why can’t you be more like your sister?” [she is 15, self-motivated & responsible]

• Sara A. Bean, M.Ed., Parental Support Advisor Says:
  May 23rd, 2011 at 8:03 am
  

  To ‘Heading it off?’: It sounds like you are feeling challenged by your son’s behavior and you are looking to improve your parenting skills. Learning new skills is a great first step in preventing future behavior problems (which you may or may not be able to do, by the way—you simply must continue to do your best and be empowered). It will be best for you to shift your focus from finding the consequence that’s going to change your son’s behavior to teaching your son the skills he needs to change his behavior. This can be done by having conversations about what your son can do differently to follow your house rules. Taking away all of your son’s privileges is not going to help you achieve your goal; in fact, it is often very demotivating to kids to lose everything for a long period of time. I am including some articles I think might be helpful. Enjoy, and please check back with us often!
  Do You Feel Like Your Child’s Behavior is Your Fault?
  Child Behavior Charts: How to Use Behavior Charts Effectively
  Kids Who Ignore Consequences: 10 Ways to Make Them Stick

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