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Category: parenting

Teen Boot Camps, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Wilderness Programs, and Residential Treatment Programs

Teen Boot Camps, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Wilderness Programs, and Residential Treatment Programs

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11/23/2010 Trust me, there were plenty of times I considered “getting rid” of my daughter and the strife she was causing by sending her away to some faraway boot camp for troubled teens. In my fantasies and from cursory glances at Internet sites, these places seemed like the answer. Even thought financially they were way out of my reach, I’d find a way to pay for it. They’d find out exactly what the problem was, fix her, do magical things…

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You Say GED, I Say Diploma!

You Say GED, I Say Diploma!

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11/23/2010 Here’s a little known fact in my world: I let my 16-year-old leave school after her sophomore year and take the GED exam. She had always had issues at school getting along with her peers and enjoying being a teenager. It just wasn’t happening. She felt a different kind of pressure than wanting to be popular or get good grades. She couldn’t relate to kids her own age, and she made problems and misery for herself for as long…

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Curled Up in a Ball

Curled Up in a Ball

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Sunday, November 21, 2010 No sleep came for me, and I was up early, feeling sick and dizzy. My thoughts are all over the place at the moment. Everything from, “How/where/when did I screw up this motherhood thing, God?” to “What a loser my daughter is, Goddamnit!” We have breakfast every Sunday together, have been for a while, and I wasn’t going to let her out of it today. The ride was a nightmare. Maybe I could’ve said things differently,…

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The Big Confrontation

The Big Confrontation

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8/28/2009 I just came out with it. I outlined everything I found and what I know about what it all meant. I told her I knew that she had told me dozens of lies over the past year, that it was not acceptable, that I would press charges if I caught her involved in any further illegal activities. I explained that stealing checks and prescription pads was illegal and I wouldn’t hesitate to turn her in if I found out…

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