When you are at the end of your rope with your troubled son, are you sitting there not knowing what to do next? Don’t worry mom and dad. It is actually really common for parents to reach that “Now what?” moment. You have not run out of options to help your troubled son. However, you do have some work to do to take the next best steps for your son.
The Parenting Trap
One of the biggest myths of parenting is: No one parent, or set of parents, is going to have every answer to every one of their kids’ problems. It is especially true for parents of troubled boys. If your son has reached the troubled stage it is likely because you do not have all the tools he needs. Guess what? It’s okay! Troubled boys need more help than most parents are equipped to give. It does not mean you have failed parenting. It does not even mean your son is too broken to be fixed. It just means he needs extra help. Getting through the ‘knowing he needs more’ stage is tough. It is an internal struggle for just about all parents. Unfortunately, some parents never make it through and their sons spiral farther and farther out of control. If this sounds familiar, tie a knot and hang on while you look around for the help your troubled teen boy needs.
Finding Help
Parents take a big deep breath. Your next steps for your troubled son are likely going to be the ones to give him the best chance at turning his life around. When you have exhausted all the local resources available it is time to investigate sending your son for residential treatment. Most parents opt for boarding school because it combines high quality education and intense therapy and structure. The thought of sending a troubled young man away can be difficult for some parents while others cannot wait to pack his bags. Both responses can lead to guilty feelings and it is perfectly natural to feel them. Just do not let those feelings stand in the way of doing what is best for your son’s issues. Do whatever you need to, to separate your feelings from the next best step for your son. Boarding school is not a parenting failure. Boarding school is a deeper, more intense level of help.
Boarding School As A Tool
Have you ever tried to fix or build something only to discover you didn’t have all the tools you needed? Parenting is just like that when boys reach the point they are called troubled. Boarding school is a parenting tool to help your son reach adulthood with all the skills he needs to navigate a complex world. Boarding schools create an environment which replicates the outside world but with the added supportive structure of full time rehabilitation services. From the head of the school to the dietary staff every person your son comes in contact with understand it is their mission to help guide your son through the maze of social, emotional, and academic struggles he is facing. Boarding school is a highly structured but highly supportive environment.
Raising boys is hard work. Raising boys who are not making the best choices is even harder. The most responsible choice you can make is to seek out the right help for your son. For many troubled teen boys, that right help is boarding school.