During the last two decades, residential programs for struggling teens have changed their form majorly. While these used to be controlled by government agencies, the emerging private schools and programs have changed the scene. Now, parents have received more choices as regards their children’s residential placement in these programs. Parents are taking intervention steps before their self-destructive kids reach extremes. Although they have taken up responsibilities, they have also been making mistakes while making residential placements. Due to their own assumptions, parents of struggling teens make such mistakes that can be disastrous for children.
A very common mistake made by parents is that they look out for a residential school in their local area. This restricts them from making the best choice for their children. As every struggling child has his/her own special needs, every residential program also has its own strengths and weaknesses.
If a child could be treated successfully at a distant school, then the choice of parents holds his/her progress. The selected local residential school might not be helpful to their child at all. Thus, it is important to avoid choosing convenience over quality.
Similar to geographical convenience, parents also make the mistake of choosing an affordable school rather than a quality school. A high-quality residential school would always give priority to each child and display effective results. This surely involves money that makes the school a little more expensive.
Low-cost schools usually run poor-quality programs, as they are undercapitalized to hire more staff to take care of children. Enrolling a child in such a school can be the worst decision.
Another mistake that parents make is to choose a school that their friend’s child attended. They do not realize that their child’s needs could vary entirely from the needs of their friend’s child. While it could be a quality school, it may not be fit for their child. Parents should always make a few quality choices and then decide the best out of these.
While making residential placements, parents also make the mistake of setting a timeframe for their children’s recovery. They do not realize that their decision is not about bringing a positive change in their children’s behavior but actually about mending machines. Professionals need to know a child properly before making such recovery time estimates. It is harsh on part of parents to give preset time to already struggling children who need proper recovery.
Further, parents also assume that they do not need to tell everything about their children to school professionals so their chances of admission may increase. In fact, this mistake can be harmful for their children. If they hide their child’s extreme behavior patterns, then professionals may be caught unaware when the child displays that behavior.
Summary:
Parents should be very cautious while choosing a residential program for children. It is important to avoid mistakes like choosing an affordable or local school and hiding extreme problems of their children while getting them enrolled.
