Apr
Creating Champions for Christ
Posted by New Creations
There are so many questions you face when your teen’s behavior is out of control. The behavior can range from “under the wire” manipulation to get things they want or more dangerous behavior such as sneaking out of the house at night. The difficult question is “what behavior creates the need to send him or her to boarding school?” The clear cut answer for that is when you have tried all the options and reached out to others that you have available but have not been successful.
Of course, you cannot stop the aging clock until the problems subside, so this adds a great amount of pressure also. When students turn 18, boarding schools that help “at-risk” teens are generally no longer a viable option, and, when your teen is 16 1/2, you have entered the “last quarter.” We get several calls a week from parents of students who are 18 and, thus, too old to fit into a program such as ours.
Regardless of your teen’s behavior, let me encourage you to never stop showing them you love them. Some of you just said “yeah, right – you don’t have to live with my child.” The majority of the parents of our students really love their teen, or they would not go though the expense to send them to a boarding school like ours to get help.
Let me at least suggest that you find time to spend with them in a neutral place “away from home.” I find that the best moments I have with my teen are spontaneous moments when we are together for some reason such as just driving from home from school. Planning time with your teen with a preconceived “outcome” can prove to be fatal because the parent’s expectation was not met, especially if the relationship has already gone bad.
As a preacher, I remember advice from someone who had been around a while; they told me,. “You will not hit a home run every time.” Your time and resources (most likely money) are what your teen needs. Remember that the essential ingredient in any worthwhile relationship is truth, and truth fosters trust and establishes a bond worth having.
The few principles I have shared are biblical and are the foundation of our program which endeavors to “Create Champions for Christ.” If you find yourself in need of advice or are at the “end of your rope,” please don’t hesitate to give me a call with no obligation.
If you could write some helpful articles on what parents of problematic 18+ year olds can do, that would be most appreciated. I’m at the end of my rope here.