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Choosing a Boarding School for your child
Parents of troubled teens consider alternatives to their child's
current school for a variety of reasons: the need for more personal
attention; the desire for additional structure and needed discipline
to learn better work habits and study skills; or the dissatisfaction
with the quality of available standard educational options.
Boarding schools provide a 24-hour learning environment, away
from immediate distractions, where students can excel and learn
to do more than they ever dreamed. The right school can provide
many academic and extra-curricular opportunities to take full
advantage of a child's potential and develop new interests,
skills and life-long friendships.
How a sweet child becomes a Troubled Teen
Due to a parent's desire to protect and provide for them,
their children did not have the adversity they needed to create
natural maturity and emotional growth. These children as they
reach the teen years rarely have been required to invest in
their families, leading them to be concerned only with themselves.
Their day-to-day life has revolved around getting their own
needs met even at the detriment of other's needs. Additionally,
they have been rescued time and time again from inappropriate
behavior, and very rarely have they felt the consequences
of their actions (although their parents have). Due to the
fact that they believe that the world has been created to
serve their needs, coupled with the parent's determination
to provide for their every need, this prospective student
has contracted "entitlementitis".
Because of the lack of respect for parental authority the
prospective boarding school student is in need of an alternative
educational setting. The ideal Boarding School student has
began to "struggle" as he/she makes one poor choice after
another. Not too long ago this student seemed to be the perfect
child. However, around the time of puberty things started
to change and the sweet kid turned into a stranger. Instead
of maturing into a healthy sound adolescent with a strong
moral compass, this student now identifies more with the latest
hip-hop rapper or gangster. Some of these teens spend countless
hours playing video games, or messaging friends through the
Internet until the wee hours of the night. Some have the more
troubled teens have become sexually active or have begun to
experiment with drugs. Most of these young men and women have
become immune to how they hurt others and have an "I don't
care attitude".
The
Christian Family and the Troubled Teen
The prospective student is most likely rejecting his/her
Christian upbringing, or at least seems spiritually lost in
comparison to where they once were. This student has dropped
their affection for sports, healthy hobbies, and good friends.
Good grades are no longer important because working hard in
school takes away from their social life and school is not
cool with their new circle of friends. As a matter of fact
their new friends have become the center of their universe
and their values no longer are in alignment with their parents.
The typical Christian family that includes a troubled
teen
The typical family is a Christ-centered family who loves
Jesus with all of their heart. Furthermore, this family has
provided everything they can to their children. The Christian
family is not perfect, but there is nothing more important
then their child. The Christian family would sacrifice their
own lives for the life of their child. Providing and protecting
their child has always been of the utmost importance to the
prospective Boarding School parent. Moreover, the prospective
Christian family has been devastated by their troubled teen's
decline. Even though the parents have always model strong
Christian values their precious child has turned away for
no apparent reason. Not only that, but the other children
in the family are starting to be adversely affected by the
actions of the troubled teen. The typical Christian parent
is willing to do whatever it takes to turn their son/daughter
around before it is too late.
How a positive Christian Boarding School views the troubled
teen
At a positive Christian Boarding School we see our students
a little differently than most, as we see the current underachiever/rebellious
teen as a future leader in training, only he/she has yet to
see the inherent power within himself through Christ. We believe
that with the intimate knowledge of a loving God our students
will return to their Christian heritage, and become the man/woman
of God they were destined to be.
We believe that the three most powerful forces of life are
leadership, creativity, and life management. The key to releasing
these powerful life forces is usually found in the midst of
one's struggle. For instance, the struggle for identity in
the life of a teenager is an incredible potential training
ground for future success. Unfortunately, most kids fail in
the midst of the struggle for identity without ever realizing
that their failure could be used to promote them into a powerful
position. In these cases, a traditional Boarding School is
not the answer. Abundant Life Academy is anything but traditional.
"...Are
you an Eagle who has been hanging out in the chicken pen,
scratching around like the chickens, but having an overwhelming
desire to fly the coop? Then ALA is the perfect place for
you!"
Craig Rogers, Executive Director
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