14 Y/o Summer Boot Camp/councelling Camp Advice

Updated on April 26, 2012
M.M. asks from Chicago, IL
7 answers

Dear all, this is sort of a spun off my previous question about the HW battles and disrespect we have in our home every day. My son just likes to be fed, clothed, have no chores and responsibilities and for the parents to spot bothering with all the stupid stuff (aka HW, chores, respect, etc.) Well, I have no desire to live like that. If anyone knows of any programs, summer camps, anything useful that you personally know of or can recommend, please share this info with me, I am willing to do anything to shake some sense in this kid.
EDITED/ADDED: We have been to counseling, changed many therapists over the years - nothing! Some suspected he is ADHD but he had last time very extensive testing that cost us tons of money, he had 5 days worth of meetings/discussions/tests with different specialists. He tested off the charts in intelligence, problem solving, math and verbal abilities/comprehension, you name it. We were told that he can even multitask and tune out distractions perfectly! Which is rare for boys. He just does not want to work, chooses not to, ignores the tasks; pick what wording you like best.
The school counselor just keeps telling us to give him more freedom of choice, we tried, then e-mails from teachers started pouring in, the same counselor told us that we need a learning specialist on the case. On the advice of that specialist we did very expensive and extensive testing, so we are back to square one. We tightened the controls – he produced the grades, everyone is happy again at school except we are losing our mind.
What he wants - to play games, to be with friends, to sleep/be awake when he wants too, for parents to stop annoying him, to have the food he likes, in other words, he would like to be a vegetable.... well, not so OK with us, parents. We ask to do chores, to have a clear plan for his day and a study plan, to go and do sports, to do TV/games after he is done with HW, to go out with friends when he is done with HW/chores, to be polite, to participate in his meal planning/laundry, to be nice and to stop agitating his younger brother....all the things he considers annoying and not fair.
He has no lock on his door, I took the lock out a while ago when he started locking his door in my face. His room is basic - bed, desk, some stuffed animals, shelves with his stuff, pictures and a map on teh wall. He has no TV in his room. No playstation, nothing like that. He is not materialistic, he does not care what clothes he wears, as long as they fit - he is OK with them. He has no material posessions to take away.
We cannot take away his computer, he uses it for school. we do have the program that allows us to track the use of the computer - that is why we fight all the time, because we see what he actually does on the computer. We cannot disable some programs like YouTube because the school requested us not to, they use it for some projects. All the games are gone from that computer, but he hang out with friends after school and I am sure he uses their computers to play games. At home he is distracted by YouTube enough - watches stupid stuff mostly. He has not had access to videogames for a while now; I cannot disable TV because I have 5 y.o at home. He has a basic phone, he "forgets" it at home everyday so we cannot contact him and then he shows up late after hanging with friends because he is starving, tired and angry as hell. My son is not in love, thank God, not doing drugs, not smoking or drinking, I know so much is true. He is just angry that we are bothering him with all that school work that would happily just ignore.
This is the cycle of despair we have every day.

What can I do next?

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C.P.

answers from Columbia on

I'd like to make a suggestion.

Stop giving him everything and make him earn it. Sit down with him and discuss what kind of man he wants to be...and what he has to do to get there. I'll bet he'll say that he wants an awesome house with lots of cool stuff inside...a cool car...etc. But he can't ever get those things if he doesn't learn how to work for them. It's up to you to put on the Mean Mommy face and teach him how.

Give him chores to do. Strip his room (all that stuff is yours...you bought it and you can take it back). Take the door off his room. Tell him that he can earn those things back with hard work and respect. Be consistent and STAND YOUR GROUND. Give him a big project to do...maybe landscaping the yard over the summer. Tell him you aren't buying him new school clothes unless he works for them. That includes good grades when the school year starts again.

Be inventive. I suggest reading the book "Parenting With Love & Logic."

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R.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

I don't believe all is lost. I have a 12 yr old and it's similar and since I'm so afraid of it getting WORSE (which I just won't accept) I'm starting changes now.

One book that has helped me open my eyes is BOUNDARIES WITH KIDS: WHEN TO SAY YES, HOW TO SAY NO by Dr. John Townsend. (I just picked up the BOUNDARIES WITH TEENS book also.) It really opened my eyes to how I've let this happen. I know I've been too permissive. I just needed help seeing how to change it.

The Boundaries book will show you how to establish limits with common sense.

I also heard this somewhere recently, that kids won't enjoy chores. Nobody wants to do them. Heck, I don't want to do some of my chores, but I do them because they HAVE TO get done. So now, as an adult, I enjoy chores, but if you think back to when you were a kid, you saw no reason to because someone else was around to do it. And that has to change for him. HE'S MISERABLE ABOUT IT. Fine. Accept that. You can't own his feelings. His feelings are valid BUT, he can't make a big deal about it, affecting everyone else. If he does, he'll lose something. So what he really needs to do is learn to control his outbursts. That is not cool.

I just started my kids doing laundry. He will take his own laundry bin down and sort it and start his own wash. He objected loudly to doing everyone's laundry or "all" of it. Fine, but you can do your own. My 7.5 is happy to do any chores (different temperament).

I also started having them do dishes. My poor husband was doing all the dishes after I cooked. After watching a few episodes of WIFE SWAP (the kids enjoy it - it's good to see how other people live) I was amazed at how many chores other kids did! My kids are totally capable, so now... chores...

Now the kids will take turns at night doing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.

You can put TIME LIMITS on computer. You can take it away until homework and chores are done. IF he screams at you, or is insulting, tell him in advance you won't accept that (calmly) and tell him he will lose his friend time.

He's 14. He is old enough to SHOW YOU he can be responsible. You don't need to raise your voice. Since he showed you he spends too much time on Youtube while doing homework (not schoolwork) and

TV - our TV allows for a parental lock. Parents have a 4 digit code to turn it on or off. My kids can't turn it on without someone doing it for them. Maybe your TV (Direct TV) has the same.

It's not impossible. You can do it. It can be done. Another book that might help is POSITIVE DISCIPLINE by Jane Nelsen.
http://blog.positivediscipline.com/2012/04/follow-through...

THE BOUNDARIES authors might have classes for adults.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

I would suggest that if you do look into a summer camp, that you consider one that has structure and would advance his intellectual skills, such as computer camp, math camp, etc. He may just need that combination of additional routine and challenges.

Please resist any advice to send him to a teen "boot camp". He currently is not trouble with authorities or engaging in major destructive behavior. At a boot camp he could be attending mostly with youth who have experience with behaviors you do not want him learning.

All my best.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

ADDED:
After reading your additions -- wow, I'm so sorry. All this testing to see if something's "wrong" with him and he is just wanting to have it all and do nothing to get it -- no disorders or conditions here.

You note that you can't take away the computer and I get that; they're vital for school now. But can you:

--Limit his computer time to school-use only? This would require one of you basically to sit there in view/earshot of the computer at all times when he is on it. He'll hate that but too bad. You could ease that with a reward system: He gets his homework done to your (and his) satisfaction in a reasonable time frame without going to distracting sites and he earns X minutes of "free play" computer time.

--Limit his time with and access to friends and just plain random "hanging out"? I don't mean forbid friends, or turn friends into forbidden fruit so that he's sneaking out! I do mean having him busy enough that seeing friends must be coordinated and scheduled, so it's not possible for him to "show up late after hanging with friends."

--Create a system where, if he forgets his phone, discipline follows. He needs to feel greater "pain" for leaving his phone at home; it's his own fault he's "starving, tired and angry" because you couldn't contact him. If he leaves the phone today, he loses privilege X or thing Y. Make sure it's something he values enough that he'll feel the loss, like losing a planned outing with friends next time because he forgot his phone and you could not reach him this time. Stick to it and follow through with taking away the desired thing. No yelling or fighting, just matter-of-fact, you forgot, we could not reach you, you lose X, no debate.

--You mention you cannot disable TV (nor should you have to, for the rest of the family's sake) but you can limit HIS viewing. If the thinks that's unfair, well, he has to earn TV like he has to earn computer time. He should come up with a specific list of specific shows he would like to see inlcuding the days and times they are on, and should give you that; don't let him just veg out in front of whatever is on. Then he earns the shows he wants.

--Is it possible he is just bored out of his mind with school? He clearly is very smart and very unmotivated. Schoolwork, in and of itself, is of no interest to him. He may need another school altogether, where he will be seriously challenged in unique ways. I know -- hard to think of another school and greater academic challenge for someone who doesn't want to do the schoolwork he already has. It would be worthwhile, at a time when you are not angry and he is not angry, to sit down and explore calmly his feelings about school; you may find he doesn't care because the work is so very dull to him but he might be up for something unusual. He could be wasting a good brain because of uncreative teaching combined with--well, with his being 14, an age when they can't see past their own noses.

--When you say "we" have been to counseling, do you mean with/for him or as a family? I would look into family counseling with an emphasis on specific strategies for you and his dad to use to goose him along each day.

End of added section....

Sunni, talk to his school counselor. (Be sure to tie the issue to his disinterest in homework -- school counselors usually need some kind of tie to the child's school life to get involved.) Ask the counselor for ideas both for motivating him at home, yourself, and ideas about summer programs, camps, etc. that would get him outside his own little bubble. Kids this age are self-centered, and that's how they're supposed to be to an extent as they navigate who they are, but not to the point they are this isolated.

Another type of summer experience from which he might benefit would be some extensive volunteer work, someplace where he can see how fortunate he really is and how little others really have. He might learn some gratitude that way.

But start with the counselor soon. Summer programs and camps are already filled around here so you may need to get going on this ASAP. And consider seeing a family counselor if it really gets beyond basic teenager apathy. Good luck.

A.S.

answers from Bloomington on

Seriously sounds like a typical teenager. Let him have some freedom and respect......if you continue to micromanage him, he is going to keep fighting you. Relax a little, natural consequences are good for kids. No daily plan, no homework plan. Let him enjoy stupid stuff on YouTube. We didn't have children to do our chores for us, he will be an adult who will have responsibilities for 50+ years. I know I am in the minority, but he is a difficult kid and obviously he doesn't like structure as much as you do and that is ok. Everyone has different styles of learning, accomplishing tasks, humor, language of love, etc. We as parents have to remember that.....otherwise you are fighting a never ending battle.

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A.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

Sorry because I know this may be hard on you and the rest of your family, but I would get rid of the TV. A 5 year old can live without a TV. It may actually be good for him too. Treat your 5 year old out to a movie every once in awhile at the theater, instead. Since your 14 year old's distraction is YouTube, I don't care what the school says, I would take that away too. The school requests you not do that, but you are the parent, and you have the ultimate say. What your child needs isn't the same as most of the other kids, but he still needs to have it be gone from your home. How often will he really be required to YouTube for school? I'd say disable it until you see some kind of proof of assignment having to do with it, and then you can have him do it at the dining room table while you're able to glance over to make sure it's all about a school assignment. I would NOT allow him to have a computer in a private area of the house. He's using it to avoid his responsibilities. Make it a dining room table only computer. Don't keep junk food in the house. If he isn't home for meals, he can make his own. Don't have a lot of convenience foods for him. Don't make it easy for him to just come and go as he pleases. I'd take the phone too. I like the idea of creating projects and chores for him this summer. He can start working to earn the things he wants.

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Just read your other question.
He's got some serious aggression issues. Have you tried therapy? I think you all need professional help, as a family. He clearly doesn't respect you and you need to work on that.
In the meantime I would take away ALL electronics. Cut the cable TV, shut off his phone and take away his laptop (he can do his computer required homework at the library.) If he refuses to do his homework? Fine. Then he doesn't get ANY of that stuff back.
When my teenage daughter gives me a hard time this is what "shakes her up." There's nothing that gets through to her more than being completely cut off from her friends.

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