Does My Teen Need a Christian Boarding School?
Parents who are living with struggling teenagers often ask themselves if a Christian boarding school is the right decision for their child. We talk to parents every day who look at certain behaviors their teens are exhibiting and start to wonder whether what they’re seeing is just normal teenage behavior, or their teen really does need help.
Signs Your Teenager May Need a Christian Boarding School
- Your teen resists or defies anything you say or request, and their resulting behaviors continually cause high tension, fear, or stress in your home.
- Your teen’s behavior puts them in danger, and puts your family in danger or high risk as well.
- Your teen’s behavior is a noticeable change from what has been normal in the past, including no longer loving what they once loved, or loving what they once hated, hanging out with an entirely new set of friends, always wanting to be out with friends and away from home, or not spending any time with friends and spending too much time alone, sleeping too little or too long, forgetfulness, aggression, lack of motivation, depression, anxiety, stealing, or failing or slipping grades at school.
- Your teen no longer veils their apathy toward consequences, and is increasingly defiant, disrespectful, dishonest, disobedient and displaying their rebellion openly.
- Boundaries are pushed by your teen continually, including blatant ignorance or profound rebellion towards your rules of the home and faith, often via passive-aggressive behavior or open defiance that is unusually excessive for your teen.
- Your teen makes threats of suicide either in veiled, obscure remarks, or openly, participates in self-mutilation or cutting, excessive risk-taking, dangerous substance abuse or blatant sexual promiscuity – seemingly having lost their moral code or compass.
- Your teen has run away from home, stolen your car, snuck out overnight, or disappeared for more than 12 hours at least once within the last 3 years.
- Your teen treats people, pets, or belongings with alarming levels of danger or apathy which sometimes may get out of control.
- Your teen thinks they are the most important person in your family and shows blatant disregard for the feelings of other family members, their time or their possessions.
- Months or even years of counseling show little or no progress for your teen.
- Your teen hates being with your family and refuses to spend time or actively participate in your family.
- Your teen continually finds ways to spend time with friends who are obviously living a self-destructive lifestyle that is counter to your beliefs, and is buying into the attitudes and destructive behaviors of their friends.
SCORE: _____________
If your teen exhibits 5 or more of these signs, you may want to contact us.
