Outward Bound

[jenbug]

I just dropped my 14 year old son off at an Outward Bound Intercept program on Sunday. He's in the White Mountains of New Hampshire for 3 weeks.
No showers,cell phones,ipods,tv.computer,friends,family or parents. I left there feeling very hopeful and optimistic. The course instructors are young adults that are very capable. There were many different kind of kids there - some shy,some angry and some afraid. The instructors were able to deal with all of them. They separated the kids into groups of 10 with three instructors and then took the ten sets of parents away to speak to us privately. They took notes on each of our kids noting specific behaviors that the parents either wanted the kids to learn or unlearn. We were also given a packet with insightful information on the way teens think and it has a weekly questionnaire for the parents to fill out. The questions really make you dig deep and look to see if there are behaviors that we the parents can change for the better. At the end there is a 2 mile run and we meet our son at the finish line with congrats and hugs then we have a mediation with our son where we voice our concerns and our bottom lines and he does as well. It's only been two days that he's been gone, but I'm very excited to see him at the end and come away from this learning how to be a better parent and hopefully, my son will learn some new coping skills and maybe know himself better. As of today I highly recommend the Intercept program.
I can't wait to report back after the course.

 

[TerryJ2]

Congrats. I've heard good things about that program.
I did a portrait of a Chinese Crested once... on the ceiling of the client's house, in the clouds, with-wings. I think it's funny you have a Crested and a pittbull mix. I bet the little one bosses around the big one. :smile:

 

[busywend]

Sounds promising! I hope he gets out of it what you want him to.

Can you share some of the questions? Or learnings about teens?

 

[WhymeMom?]

Will be watching for your report after his experience.....sounds similar to the wilderness program our son went thru in the west....hope it is insiteful.......

 

[peg2]

Did he volunteer to go, because my older teen will not "volunteer" for anything!!!! That is half the battle.
Good luck.

 

[jenbug]

Well... we TOLD him he was going and that it be hard work but still
fun. He was hesitant at first but he got on board the closer it got to going.
The night before we left to drive out there he cried and said he felt like a big loser having to be "sent away". I reassured him and he was fine, he was even excited.
I painted it as an adventure and a way to get away and clear his head and meet new people and learn new things.
I'm praying it helps him....