Do not send your teen to boot camp unprepared. As the parent, it is highly likely you will be paying for the stay. As a loving parent you will want the time at camp to be a success. You will want your teen to return home minus their bad attitude and instead, be fit and enthusiastic to get on with the rest of their life. To make it happen, there are several things you can do.
- Help your teen with their health and conditioning
- Explain what happens at camp
- Give tips on how to behave
- Have your teen talk to a boot camp graduate and
- Tell it like it is
Sending your teen to a boot camp when they are overweight or in ordinary condition is not a good idea. Boot camps are renowned for their strong discipline. A teen in poor physical condition will really struggle and that's not your aim at all. Give your teen the best possible chance to make the most of their stay.
Ignorance can sometimes be a burden. If your teen knows little about boot camps and the one to which they are going, your child may develop unnecessary fears. Give them the necessary information. Don't include an exit date because some kids tend to coast knowing they are going home next week. But do give them the details of the program, the eating and sleeping arrangements and the main aims of the boot camp.
Don't let your teen try to act clever and be cheeky or rude to the members of staff. The leaders have been dealing with troubled teens for many years and know every trick in the book. Give your teen the heads up on this issue. Do as they are told, work hard and reap the benefits.
If possible arrange to have your teen speak with a 'graduate' of a boot camp. Try and find someone who found the camp a positive experience and who has gone on to a worthwhile life. Kids listen to other kids and one who has enjoyed their boot camp experience could be just the right approach in preparing your teen for their boot camp excursion.
Finally you need to be honest when discussing the camp with your son or daughter. It's hardly fair for a young camper to arrive thinking they will have hours of free time and barely raise a sweat when it comes to physical activities. Tell them like it is and let them be prepared for what they will encounter.
Boot camps do work and well for the right type of troubled teen. As a parent, it's your job to find the right camp and to prepare your teen in as detailed a way as possible. Thorough preparation and the right choice of boot camp greatly increases the odds of the stay being successful.
You want a changed teenager and one who can go on to great things from the steps taken when at camp.