Should I Send My Daughter to a Boarding School for Troubled Teen Girls?
Parenting a teenage girl is one of the toughest jobs you’ll ever face. When that teen girl engages in reckless behaviors such as taking drugs or alcohol or having sex, or is depressed or violent, the job can seem overwhelming. Spending countless hours worrying about where she is, whom she’s with and what she’s doing can leave you exhausted. Living in fear of her sudden mood swings and violent outbursts is probably your worst nightmare.
While parenting a troubled teen girl may seem like an impossible task, you can take steps to help your child transition from unhappy teenager to well-adjusted, happy adult. It’s important you know what is normal teen behavior and what behaviors might signal she is struggling. Knowing the difference will help you decide if a boarding school for troubled teen girls is the right place for your daughter.
Behaviors that might require a the intervention of a Therapeutic Boarding School
As your teen girl begins asserting her independence and finding her way in life, she may experience behavioral changes that seem unpredictable and odd to you. Your once sweet, innocent child who couldn’t stand to be away from you now won’t be seen in the same vicinity as you, and she greets your every word with eye rolls and door slams. Unfortunately, these are typical teen behaviors.
As a parent of a troubled teen, you encounter these behaviors and then some. The behavioral changes your daughter is going through probably include emotional and learning challenges as well. She may be repeatedly practicing high-risk behaviors such as drinking, doing drugs, skipping school, having sex, self-harming or shoplifting. Depression, anxiety and eating disorders are also common in troubled teen girls.
Even though these behaviors are quite disconcerting, understanding which behaviors are part of normal adolescent development and which point to a more serious problem is key. While frightening, these behaviors don’t always mean your daughter needs to go to a troubled girls school.
| Normal Teen Behaviors | Warning Signs! |
| Appearance: Keeping up with the latest fashions is important to teen girls. She may wear revealing clothing or dye her hair. These are normal behaviors. | Appearance: If your daughter’s changing appearance comes along with dropping grades in school or other negative behaviors, or if you notice signs of self-harm or significant weight fluctuations, it could signal trouble. |
| Arguing/Rebellious Behavior: It is normal to butt heads with your teen as she finds her own identity and asserts her independence. | Arguing/Rebellious Behavior: If arguments with your teen daughter escalate to violence, or she skips school, gets into fights or takes part in criminal acts, it is time to intervene. |
| Moodiness: It is normal for teens to struggle with their emotions, experience mood swings and be irritable most of the time due to hormones. | Moodiness: Personality changes, poor school performance, increased sadness, sleep problems or anxiety could be signs your daughter is depressed or is experiencing other mental health issues. |
| Drugs and alcohol: Most teens experiment with alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Many even try marijuana. | Drugs and alcohol: If drug or alcohol use becomes a regular thing, or if it begins to interfere with school and home, your daughter may be dealing with underlying problems. |
| Friends: Your daughter’s friends are very important to her, and they have a big influence in who she is and what she does. As a normal teen, your daughter may pull away from you and put more emphasis on what her friends think. | Friends: If your daughter has suddenly befriended a different peer group, especially one that encourages her to do negative behaviors, or she suddenly refuses to follow rules and boundaries, it could mean she’s struggling. In that same vein, if she’s spending too much time alone, it might be time to act. |
Seeking a Troubled Girl Boarding School
If your daughter exhibits some or all of the warning signs above, a troubled girls’ boarding school might just be the best chance for her to get back on track. We know it’s a drastic step, but allowing experts who understand how a teen girl’s mind works and what she needs to be successful to guide her back to a better place is something only a loving parent can do.
Re-Creations Retreat is a residential treatment center and boarding school in one that caters to the unique needs of young troubled girls. We offer individualized care for each girl and her family, as well as a high-quality education. Our community-based and clinical program helps troubled and hurting girls to learn responsibility for self and others in a positive environment. Without the distractions of the opposite sex and other outside influences, your daughter can feel safe and learn trust and service to others as a normal practice.
We keep our admissions list short in order to cater to the individual needs of each girl. This helps them to feel especially cared for while they heal at Re-Creation Retreat. At the center of our treatment program, we encourage a peer culture where relationships and service to others is encouraged. We want the girls to understand that the world does not revolve around them, but instead, is an all-for-one and one-for-all type of world where everyone works together to make it a better place.
If you are a parent struggling to help a troubled teen girl, please contact us today to see about enrolling her in our boarding school for troubled teen girls. We can’t wait to help her achieve all that she can.
Below is a list of some of the insurance companies that have worked with us. Please note that our program is not covered by Medicaid. We are a Licensed Level III Behavioral Health Facility.
