Residential Boarding Schools: A Positive Change of Environment
By Lori Enomoto
Watching your teenager have a hard time in school is difficult for any parent. Perhaps your teen isn’t doing well academically or they are hanging out with a crowd that’s headed for trouble. You want nothing more than to be able to fix whatever problem your child is having.
Teens are at the age where they respect authority the least, so laying down the law isn’t necessarily going to help, and may even drive them away. Perhaps you have even considered picking up and moving the entire family as a last-ditch effort to change your child’s environment, but what’s to guarantee that they won’t have the same trouble wherever you move?
The right answer for your teenager might be one you never thought you would ever consider – a residential or therapeutic boarding school for teens. These schools are equipped to help teens and parents grapple with such behaviors as:
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Extreme loss or gain in appetite
- Marked change in sleep patterns
- Extremely negative attitude
- Sudden drop in grades
- Spending a lot of time with kids who get into trouble
- Running into trouble with authorities
- Refusal to spend time with others or not having friends
- Promiscuity
- Excessive video gaming
Many parents ignore the warning signs of these behaviors because they just don’t know what to do, but choosing to ignore them can have long-term repercussions. These behaviors can cause distance between you and your teen, and you may get into endless arguments about problems that can’t be resolved on your own. While you’re focusing on dealing with your troubled teen, the rest of your family’s needs are most likely being ignored and your other children may begin acting out.
A Way to Change Lives
Parents send their children to residential boarding schools at different stages and for a variety of reasons. Some parents seek them out as a preventive measure because they don’t like where their teen is headed. Other parents have traveled this road themselves or have seen family members or friends go down this path, and recognize the danger signs along the way.
If someone in the family has issues with addiction, you might be fearful that your teen has a genetic predisposition for the same. Even if that’s not the case, it doesn’t mean that your teenager isn’t falling victim to negative behavior patterns that derail so many promising youths.
Parents who have never heard of therapeutic boarding schools may seek out a military school to help their teen straighten up, thinking that is what their teen needs. But residential boarding schools offer a balanced, academically excellent curriculum that also promotes healthy self-expression as opposed to the extreme discipline, required conformity and physical conditioning that military schools are known for.
By allowing for self-expression, therapeutic boarding schools help teens:
- Determine the root of their behaviors and offer them positive coping mechanisms
- Develop personal values, make choices and help them understand the consequences of their actions
- Learn skills to manage the demands on their time and life
Targeting the Behavior
Before you choose a therapeutic boarding school, it’s good to be clear about why you’re seeking help for your teen. Different schools address different issues, and it is best to find one that specializes in the specific issue that your child is dealing with. Residential boarding schools may offer specific programs for:
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Obesity
- Eating disorders
A delay in taking action on your teen’s issues can spell danger. Not doing anything to address the situation – making no decision at all – may be the most dangerous decision you can make. Talking to professional counselors at therapeutic boarding schools can help clarify options and aid you in understanding what type of program could most benefit your teen.
You’re not expected to have all the answers. But offering up the right question – “How can I help my teen?” – is a great way to start.
