Whitmore Alumni....Chris...Mr. Bean... Whitmore Former Stude

[Antigen]

On 2005-03-30 09:13:00, Whitmore Alumni wrote:

2. My room at home?
I actually didn't have a room at my house. My parents took my room away so I had to sleep on the couch. After that, I got sick of home and left. I lived with my friend for about a month and then got bakeracted. So I really didn't have a bed at home.

I don't want to pry too much. But WTF??? Once upon a time, when my daughter was about 15 or so, we tried a little performance art to get her attention. We were at odds over some things she was doing. Doesn't matter what, just that we felt it was intolerable in that it effected the safety and wellbeing of the whole family, including her two little sisters.

So, when she didn't come home by cerfew (and a few other details I won't go into) we put a bahama bed out in the front yard, made it up like a bed, set up her night stand next to it and waited. And we waited. And we waited by the window till she came home. When she laid on the 'bed' and cried instead of knocking on the door, we knew it had been a mistake. We were trying to say "We really need to talk!" but what she heard was "Get the hell out!"

I can't imagine 1) actually taking my own kid's bed away or 2) pulling something like a Baker Act committment after it backfired.

I don't want to diss your parents. Parents down through the ages have done all sorts of radical and crazy things thinking they had to. But it seems to me that the Whitmore philosophy (actually, the entire toughlove hate movement) reenforces that kind of harshness. How do you view it now?

The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.  
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/188301123X/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'>George Washington

[Whitmore Alumni]

Thats the thing we all did have beds. Except on trips we went on, like camping and other things, we then are supposed to rough it.  It was freezing sometimes but it's not like we didn't have our own sleeping bags and stuff.  The T.v and playstation, stereo system are basically things to enjoy, you can live without them. I didn't get a T.V in my room till I was like 16 or so, and i don't have a system or playstation. I live with out them so I won't be a drone and stay there day after day. I go out and enjoy life. I won't deny the fact that we woul get 3-5 hours of sleep a night, but it didn't kill anyone did it? We learned at the whitmore to accept and not expect, and the 2 minute showers weren't as bad as they sound. You could only use the water for two minutes like turn the water on, get wet, turn it off wash your hair, and turn it on to wash it off.

[Anonymous]

What is the Baker Act?  I really don't know what this term means.

[Anonymous]

The shower thing, was this just a "trust issue" that you are turning the water on an off and not going over the 2 minutes alloted time? Or is someone actually timing you?  And WHY?  For about $4,000 per kid, per month--- who cares?

And 3-5 hours sleep per night--you kids were sleep deprived. No other word for it. And there is an underlying reason for that too:  One it's an easy easy way for mind control.

Two: it feeds Cheryl, who from postings here doesn't seem sleep for some reason, so she yells GROUP GROUP GROUP when it suits her fancy.

[Anonymous]

nah they didn't time the showers. I always thought we should've showered at night instead of the morning because kids got filthy during the day. I couldn't stand going to bed without a shower so I started taking them at night.

I enjoy being clean and wearing clean clothes so the bus and camping was nonstop agitation for me.

The sleep sucked, i can't lie. I slept a lot when I got back at first, i'm on average of six-seven a night now.

howbizarre

[Antigen]

On 2005-03-31 13:09:00, Anonymous wrote:

"What is the Baker Act?  I really don't know what this term means."

Florida's involuntary commitment law

http://www.psychlaws.org/PressRoom/faqonbakeract.htm

Straight used the Baker Act all the time, but they didn't have to actually follow the guidelines because, like you, most kids never even heard of it. When I first heard about it, all they told me was that both my parents  plus "Dr." Newton and one other program parent who may or may not have been a medical doctor could sign off and extend my intake "interview" to 48 hours. It was just pressure to get us to sign ourselves in. When I thought I could tough that out, then they threatened a 2 year court order. I thought I could do better than that, so I signed.

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
--John Adams

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the explanation. That is a drastic measure to use to put a child in a treatment center,and it appears to really take the parent out of the loop too, as far as having any control about what is happening once the child is "enrolled." Very scary.

[Whitmore Alumni]

Yea my parents baker acted me, sent me to the mental institution. It wasn't the best thing. I have a heart condition and the doctors think that I have V-Tac. This is where you can be doing anything and then just drop dead. My mom had it. But when I was there at the mental instituion they would give me all these pills to mess me p and then I would flip out and then they woul take me into a room ad give me a shot to where I was so messed up I would pass out. This wasn't the best thing for my heart. Also a kid that  came in died three days later.  But for advice to parents.... don't send your kid to a mental intitution.

[Anonymous]

So you left the mental institution and then went to Whitmore Academy for a year? Suppose after a mental institution--Whitmore may have seemed better from your perspective, anyway?

[Whitmore Alumni]

I don;t know I guess it is. I'm glad i'm home now though. I'm robably going to visit the whitmore pretty soon so im pretty excited. :grin:

[Anonymous]

Do you still have friends going the Whitmore, is that why you are excited?

[Anonymous]

Why don't you go somewhere nice? Why visit the Whitmore? Can't think of any reason to go there.

[Joyce Harris]

Whitmore Alumini,
Do you live with your parents now?
Your stay at the mental institution appears to have been a terrible experience.
I, too wonder about your upcoming visit to the Whitmore Academy.  Seems there should be something else that you would prefer do, a place to visit that might hold fonder memories?  Or, just to move forward with you life.

[Anonymous]

Where is everyone??? Guess Cheryl isn't around to "guide the conversation?"

[Anonymous]

Um.... HELLO....  I just found this place, but i am a whitmore alumni, well i didn't graduate from there because we never did anything educational, but i did attend there yes, for about 3-4 months.  If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

~Couture