When You Know Its Time to Send Your Troubled Teen to a Boys Boarding School

If you’re considering whether it’s time to send your troubled teen to a boys boarding school, it’s likely time. You’ve probably read books on parenting troubled boys, talked to experts, and tried every behavior change strategy there is to get your boy to start acting like the sweet, lovable child you once knew. So, why is it you haven’t made the move yet? Well, it’s probably because you’re still wondering if it’s the best course of action for your child and your family. It might also be because you’re ashamed. “For a parent, taking this step can be like admitting they are an alcoholic,” says Dr. Ron Glick, a clinical psychologist. “They are admitting they’ve failed as parents.” What’s important to know is that you are NOT failing as a parent, you are actually doing the opposite – you’re succeeding as one because you are doing what it takes to save your child from a life of turmoil and trouble. It’s likely you just need a little more information on whether it’s the right time. Glick says, “If we’ve exhausted all other resources – behavioral changes, testing, helping the parents change their parenting approach – when everything else doesn’t work, we ask, ‘OK, can you effectively manage and keep the child safe?’ And if the answer is no, then they go to these programs.” Does this sound like what you’ve done? Virginia Gilbert, MFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) offers these signs it’s time to send a child to a troubled boys boarding school.

• You’ve read all of the troubled child/teen parenting books and tried all of the tips they provide with no change in behavior.
• Your child has received many psychiatric diagnoses, but none of them really fit him. Medications help, but only temporarily.
• The home is a war zone with constant arguing with family members. The stress has taken a toll on all of the relationships in your family.
• Your child is suicidal, homicidal, or harms himself intentionally.
• Your child has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, but it didn’t help.

Other Signs of a Child Needing Boarding School

• There’s been a change in friends. Peer pressure is strong and your child is giving in to using drugs, alcohol, and engaging in illegal or dangerous behavior.
• Your child has become aggressive towards peers and adults.
• Your child disregards the feelings, possessions, and space of others. He’s become extremely self-centered.
• He may sleep and/or eat too much or too little.
• He’s unresponsive to all interventions.

One mother interviewed for a LATimes article offered this as a way to feel better about enrolling a troubled child into boarding school, “You constantly question yourself, even after you’ve seen success. There is still a part of you, me, that would like him home, and yet I still realize we do not have the resources he needs. I can provide all the love in this, but I don’t have the skills to treat my son.” If you can see yourself saying the same thing, it’s time to try our troubled boys boarding school. We can save your child from continuing on a path of self-destruction. Contact us today for more information on how we can help.