Many parents consider troubled teen camps when they get mad at their teens for disobeying them or getting into trouble. Many feel guilty afterwards because of the preconceived notions that they have of boot camps. These make troubled teen boot camps seem more like punishment rather than life-changing or life-saving intervention. Are juvenile boot camps really ineffective? To be honest, boot camp for teens is nothing like the regular boyscout/girlscout or church youth camping retreats. The objective is towards behavior modification via a direct, in-your-face approach. This means that your teen’s experiences in bootcamps for teens will be challenging.A typical day in such camps may be nothing like your teen has ever experienced before, and may come as quite a shock at first. One thing that they can look forward to is a predictable routine. Juvenile boot camps are not exactly known for varying their programs because they work around a routine and structure that emphasizes discipline. These repetitive tasks is part of the behavior modification tools used to help reform troubled teens. Even though the daily tasks will be repetitive, they’re far from easy.The activities in boot camp for teens will probably put him/her through physical exhaustion that they have never faced before. There are short-term tasks that are difficult to do, which are designed to give teens or “cadets” as they are called in camp some measure of satisfaction and gratification if they are able to finish these tasks. All the staff in camp have military designations and the drill sergeants should be expected to be demanding, loud, strict and oftentimes harsh.The idea is that when your teen earns a pat on the back from the drill instructor through honest hard work and effort, he/she will feel better about himself/herself and have a boost of self-esteem and self-respect. The activities at troubled teens boot camp are designed to push cadets towards desiring accomplishment and self-esteem and encourages them to have a drive for excellence that they previously didn’t have.In juvenile camps, teens cannot storm out, beg off, make excuses, or manipulate their way out of a task that their drill sergeant puts before them. Disobedience and disorderly conduct is met with harsh and immediate punishment. Teens are also put in situations where they work together in order to achieve a goal. If they don’t work well as a unit, they don’t succeed in their goal. Teens who previously do not want to work with other teens or who prefer to do things on their own find themselves talking with, encouraging, teaching, and learning from other teens.Each day cadets are put through a series of physical exercises. It’s not unusual for cadets to be required to complete a five-mile run before they are allowed to eat breakfast. They wake up early, sleep early, and eat healthy. If nothing else, teens come back from boot camp in better shape.The pace in these camps are fast, and they don’t let up until it’s time to retire. It’s certainly a very challenging thing to go through, and if teens are not emotionally prepared for it, they may experience shock or fear of the kind of rigorous training they go through in these camps. Even if parents have the best intentions in mind when sending their teens to juvenile boot camps, it’s a must for them to explain the decision to their teens and set expectations rather than just shipping them out to these camps without sitting them down and talking with them.
Author Archives: schatzi
A Guide to Camping
One of the best and constructive hobbies of all age-groups for thousands of years has been camping to far-flung or naturally rich landscape. It started as a matter of change from the norm but with the passage of time, it has become a real adventure for people who love to make new exciting experiences. Time has revolutionized the way and trends in camping and like all other fields, it too has embraced all innovative facilities to go hi-end and more convenient. Camping site are frozen with an adventure in mind and on account of exploring the specialty of that particular place.Camping is tough a self-sufficient experience but it may include some other activities that serve as a reason to believe and reason to spend precious time in camping. Camping may be done in conjunction with other activities, like fishing, hiking, hill walking, climbing, swimming, and canoeing. Camping has to be tough and non-luxurious affair; it brings forth an exciting experience of tough weather, mountain and other expeditions. It has nothing to do with peace and calm, its all about adventure, trying everything new and getting more risk taking sort of attitude with camping. .Camping may be classified into two categories, one is tent camping and the other one is mobile camping. Tent camping refers to a transfer of campers to a campsite in a car where they will be having tents and everything in place to enjoy the real fun of rugged camping. The camping site is a special place for camping where a lot of on ground things are installed to make the campers get their equipment fixed on ground without any hassle. This kind of camping is most suitable for students and youngsters love to do it this way because it’s more natural and less luxurious and also lesser in cost as well.Another kind of camping is mobile camping or back piper camping in which all the camping equipment is loaded at the back of campers and they are at freedom to stop anywhere and everywhere. Back piping has a light weight and very costly equipment that is fitted in a bag that can be taken anywhere and everywhere along without any more need of car or anything. This type of camping is more expensive than the car camping due to high cost equipment that is accompanying the campers. One way or the other, camping has a unique experience for the campers.
How to Pick the Perfect Summer Camp For Your Kids
Going off to Summer camp for the first time is a huge developmental milestone in your child’s life. This could be the first time in their young lives that they have ever been away from the safety of home and family. For parents it can also be an important and nerve wracking time. It means handing over control of your child’s care and well being to someone you don’t even know. So how do we ensure we have put our most precious asset into capable and caring hands? Here are some tips to give parents peace of mind and make sure that kids have a fun and stay safe at camp this Summer.There are several important things to consider when you are looking at where to send your child for camp. You want to ensure their first summer camp is a fun and memorable experience so look for camps that have programs that will appeal to your child’s interests and talents. A sports camp is great for an athletic or outdoorsy child especially if they have expressed interest in pursuing a particular sport. For children who are creative there are camps run by Art Schools, museums and colleges. Some organisations like Girl Scouts will offer camps that have a little bit of everything and those are terrific for kids who are eager to try a variety of activities. Involving your child in this first step is extremely important. You want to pick something that they will be excited about attending and so getting their input will make them feel like they have a degree of control about where they go.Once you have decided on the type of camp you want your child to attend, the next thing to consider is whether a resident or a day camp is right for them. Depending on their age and your schedule this decision may be a simple one…..you are unlikely to be sending a 4 year old off to a 7 day resident camp for example. But again when making this decision it is important to listen to your child. For some, spending a week away from Mom and Dad might be exciting and adventurous. For others it might seem scary and intimidating. One thing that seems to ease anxiety is the knowledge that their friends will be joining them at camp. So checking with the parents of your child’s friends may be a smart move. Try and organize for your child to see a few familiar faces on the first day of camp to ease any initial anxiety. If the prospect of being with their friends at camp does not ease their nervousness then maybe day camp is right for them. When they are comfortable to spend nights away from you they will let you know. If they seem anxious about it then day camp is the way to go…..resident camp can wait for another year.Once these first 2 decisions have been made it is up to Mom or Dad to do some more research. Try to narrow down your choices to 2 or 3 and then analyse them in the context of these 3 important points. For each of these points ask the camp organisers to provide you with answers to the following questions.1 – Location: Where is the camp being held? What are the facilities like? Can you tour the facilities prior to camp so you can see where your child will be staying and they can familiarize themselves with the camp grounds? What are the bathrooms like? Are they clean and well maintained? Where will the children be eating? Is the kitchen/ food preparation area clean and well maintained?What safety equipment is available, for example to they have helmets for bike riding and life jackets for water sports?2 – Supervision: Who is responsible for my child while they are at camp? Do supervisors all have police background checks performed before they are allowed to participate? What is the adult to child ratio? If they are able to swim while at camp is there a qualified lifeguard on duty? Are boys and girls attending the same camp and if so are they together or separated at night? Do they have an action plan in case of an emergency? Do they have someone qualified to perform CPR? Who is responsible for preparing their meals? Do they follow approved food preparation guidelines? What are the procedures for children who have to take medication while at camp?3 – Cost: What is the overall cost of camp? Are there any scholarships available? Can you receive a discount if you have more than one child attending the same camp? What about the refund policy…do you get any money back if your child can’t attend?Once you have obtained satisfactory answers to all these questions you will be able to pick the camp that is best suited to your child and will give you peace of mind that you are putting your child in good hands.