Why are all troubled teen camps expensive? Which one is cheaper?

Answer 1

They are expensive because its really difficult to find people willing to deal with troubled teens. How much would someone have to pay you for you to take on their misbehaving kid? Next, these programs need a lot of staff. It can take five people to hold one teen down. Also, troubled teens tend to have troubled parents who file troubled lawsuits when the program doesn't work.

Why don't they work? Well, these programs often just pair up troubled teens with other troubled teens so they can learn from each other how to cause more mischief. It's almost like an anarchist's dating service. Besides that, they usually only last a few weeks. It takes at least six weeks to make a permanent change in someone's behavior.

This means that you have to fix your troubled teen yourself. How? Well, you could take beat them and yell at them, or you could try a little positive reinforcement for a change. It may seem hokey, but give your kid a compliment when he does something good. If he holds a door open for you, thank him for being polite. IIf he is quiet when you talk on the phone, thank him for being quiet. If he cleans his room, thank him for being clean. He did all his homework for a week straight? Take the family out to dinner. Appreciate the tiniest details so your precious hellraiser can learn what you expect from him.

There are only two ways you can mess this method up. You can over-reward. This means promising a trip to Disney Land when your kid takes out the trash, or giving money to them for going to bed on time. The problem here is that each reward has to get bigger than the last. You can also mess it up by rewarding them for not doing things. For example, you shouldn't say "Thanks for not burning the house down," or "Thanks for not hitting your teacher today." These tell your kid that you expect them to do bad things normally, but this one instance was an exception.

If you still want to send your kid to camp, then read on. I'll answer your second question about which program is cheapest. Jail is probably the cheapest, but I bet a talk show could strike you a deal.

Answer 2

You don't give much detail about the problem you're having. Not that it really matters much. I agree, the apple does not fall far from the tree! Try and get help together! BOTH parents. I bet this would help tremendously. If you have the attitude that the child is always wrong about something, or whatever. You will have problems, lots of them. Good Luck. I like the idea of you contacting a talk show. Like Dr. Phil. He can help you out. But, all parties concerned, have to be willing participants.

Answer 3

Mmmm, I'd try the school counselor, but I wouldn't know.