Fran
Former desparate mom
Steely, been there done that but difficult child was 13yrs old. It was such a leap of faith that I can not even describe my nightmares.
My first priority is always safety. My son should not be harmed or worse than when he left my home.
Their philosophy was "do to get". It worked pretty well in stopping difficult child's downward spiral into the abyess of distorted thinking.
It isn't and never will be a cure but a controlled environment which allows teens to learn how to process problems and serious cause and effect. Lots of behavior modification plus the responsibility of animals is a good way to launch them into adult responsibility and independence.
Good luck. Watch and listen for physical and mental abuse but understand their set up before leaving. You don't want to claim surprise when they institute their consequences. Educate yourself and then let them do what they do. Don't micromanage. What you are doing isn't working and our kids need more than we are able to give them.
Hang in there and hugs.
My first priority is always safety. My son should not be harmed or worse than when he left my home.
Their philosophy was "do to get". It worked pretty well in stopping difficult child's downward spiral into the abyess of distorted thinking.
It isn't and never will be a cure but a controlled environment which allows teens to learn how to process problems and serious cause and effect. Lots of behavior modification plus the responsibility of animals is a good way to launch them into adult responsibility and independence.
Good luck. Watch and listen for physical and mental abuse but understand their set up before leaving. You don't want to claim surprise when they institute their consequences. Educate yourself and then let them do what they do. Don't micromanage. What you are doing isn't working and our kids need more than we are able to give them.
Hang in there and hugs.
