Author Topic: Struggling Parents Hall of Shame  (Read 5133 times)

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Offline Anonymous

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« on: September 16, 2007, 02:03:36 AM »
Over the years, the Struggling Teens discussion board run by Lon Woodbury has provided much insight into the hearts and minds of parents who have turned over the raising of their children to a "program".

Of these parents, there are many who meet my personal definition of a Parent From Hell:  Self-Absorbed (Narcissistic) Controlling and Pathologically Toxic.

The "advice" these parents would dispense to other parents about the features and benefits of a locked boarding school was the best advertising these hellholes could ask for.

All told, I wonder how many children ended up in a program because some other parent enabled their parent to buy into their bullshit propaganda?  It has to be hundreds.

How do these so-called parents sleep at night?  

Have they no conscious?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2007, 07:33:02 AM »
Conscience would imply they think they're doing someone a disservice.  In their eyes, you're the misguided one.
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Offline Ursus

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« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2007, 08:11:53 AM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
All told, I wonder how many children ended up in a program because some other parent enabled their parent to buy into their bullshit propaganda? It has to be hundreds.


Methinks you got those numbers a bit low... Try thousands.  Per year.  Parents rely on other parents' opinions of a given place a great deal.  Where it is available, it will be availed of.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2007, 11:48:44 AM »
i think we should write a petition for a bill barring parents from recieving funds or discounts in return for reccomending other parents to institutions.
my mom managed to get 3 months tuition off because she reffered 3 kids from the neighborhood to HLA. those 3 kids never stopped harassing me.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2007, 12:11:44 PM »
For any newcomers: ST posts can be found here
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Offline sicktomystomach

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« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2007, 02:43:22 AM »
I would like to join the struggling parents hall of shame.

I have made a horrible mistake by placing my child into a treatment centre and am doing my best to correct the situation as soon as possible.

Yes, I am very ashamed.

I only hope my child will be ok and that one day can forgive me and that I can one day forgive myself.

 :(
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Offline rayjax

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« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2007, 09:20:25 AM »
..............
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2007, 01:02:50 PM »
Rayjax,  did your "foist your kid off rather than make an effort to raise him as you should have?"  Are you one of those
 "older, rich parents" that just couldn't be bothered with your own kid?
Are you "more screwed up than your own kid?" as you accuse other program parents?
Here's your own post.


Quote
My son went to Outback Therapeutic Expedition and he says it was the worst of all of the programs he has heard about since. They appear to charge the most money, but spend as little as possible on the kids. They brag about not giving the kids tents or backpacks and having them make their own out of tarps and willow sticks. They spend maybe $6 on materials and save a bundle, while the kids are struggling in sub-zero temperatures while carrying maybe 1/3 their body weight on crappy pack frames. If you have hiked much, you know how important a pack frame is. If you look at Outback Therapeutic Expeditions very closely, you will probably conclude they are attempting to make as much money as possible off of your kids.

My son says therapy is a joke. That was my experience. We would have a fifty minute phone call once a week, but nothing of any substance would be discussed in the call. I have later discovered that Utah law appears to require one hour a week of therapy for residential therapeutic programs. I am not sure that Outback Therapeutic Expedition meets that requirement.

The basic premise of Outback Therapeutic Expedition appears to be that they will make your kids life so miserable that they will do anything to keep from being sent back there again. I do not believe that is an appropriate goal for a program such as this.

I went through a 'seminar' prior to visiting my son in which their new counselors were being trained. Most of these new counselors were fresh out of similar programs themselves. I was dismayed to think that my son was being cared for 90+% of his time in the program by kids fresh out of similar programs. In effect, he didn't have counselors, just fellow inmates that were being paid.
 
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Offline Anne Bonney

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« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2007, 01:07:26 PM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
Rayjax,  did your "foist your kid off rather than make an effort to raise him as you should have?"  Are you one of those
 "older, rich parents" that just couldn't be bothered with your own kid?
Are you "more screwed up than your own kid?" as you accuse other program parents?
Here's your own post.



I think that's uncalled for.  At least yet.  If you want to fight with program parents, I have no problem with that.  But let's try not to slam them on the first post they make. How 'bout letting them speak a little bit about what they think now that they've had experience with programs and THEN make a judgement, hmm?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
traight, St. Pete, early 80s
AA is a cult http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult.html

The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents-- because they have a tame child-creature in their house.  ~~  Frank Zappa

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2007, 01:19:07 PM »
Mine is a case of child custody dispute. My then 15 yo son didn't want to live with his mother, and the court had given me joint custody.  My ex-wife continued to file motions for custody and after misguidedly thinking that giving in would appease her, I agreed to her having temporary residential custody.  In maybe 10 days after getting temporary residential custody, she had him forceably escorted or gooned to a Utah wilderness program without my knowledge or consent in spite of me having joint custody. From that program, she had him gooned to a 'therapeutic boarding school.'

He has never committed a crime, never taken drugs, never skipped school, and has been obedient to all of the reasonable requests of both of his parents.

The program he is in now has obstructed his contact with me for the past 5 months, claiming Adolescent Identity Disorder, a diagnosis that was removed from the DSM-IV many years ago. I believe that this diagnosis arose after my wife threatened to remove him from their program if they did not interfere with my contact.

I no longer remember how many court hearings I have had on this matter. I have another one today. Wish me luck.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2007, 01:23:25 PM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
Rayjax,  did your "foist your kid off rather than make an effort to raise him as you should have?"  Are you one of those
 "older, rich parents" that just couldn't be bothered with your own kid?
Are you "more screwed up than your own kid?" as you accuse other program parents?


No, as I said above, this is a custody dispute. Yes, my wife is an older, richer parent who never attended a single school program involving my son, never went to a single wrestling match with him, and has never been involved in his life. She gets 13 weeks a year of vacation and spends at most a few days of it with him.

Yes, I am more screwed up than my kid. I have had many more years of practice at it. He is a normal 16 year old with normal 16 year old problems. No drug addiction, no mental disorders, no other conditions that would warrant him being confined in a residential treatment facility.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2007, 01:31:13 PM »
Go over there and get him by force.

They are not a legal... anything. Go over there and pick him up. Bring friends if you have to.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2007, 01:36:31 PM »
Quote from: ""Anne Bonney""
I have no problem with that.


Well as long as it's okay with you.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2007, 01:36:37 PM »
And bring a video camera.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2007, 01:46:15 PM »
To the parent: Are your court hearings taking place in Utah, or your home state?
If you currently have joint custody of your son; can't you legally go to Utah and demand removal of your son from this facility until the courts decide on the custody issues?
What does your attorney say about these issues?
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