My son/daughter has been slacking at school and they need more discipline.

Military school can be a reasonable option for teens who simply need more structure an discipline to achieve. However, be careful that you are not overlooking other reasons that your teen might be underachieving at school. Typical causes for a teen's grades to slip might:

  1. Unrecognized learning disabilities. When a teen gets into the more challenging curricula of high school, disabilities that did not seem obvious in middle school can begin to undermine confidence and grades in high school.

  2. Depression or other psychological issues. Discipline is not the way to snap a teen out of clinical depression. Treatment is critical. In fact, untreated depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders or other clinical issues can mean more serious psychological problems during adulthood. These teens need appropriate clinical intervention, not marching orders.

  3. Substance abuse or addiction problems. Military schools largely expect their teens to be motivated to achieve. They will not tolerate illegal behavior or activities that could influence other students. If your child has an active substance abuse problem, they will need suitable treatment before a traditional military school education can be considered. True substance abuse issues need more than a solution removing the child from the negative peer environment. The child will need therapy and tools for recovery.

If your teen does not have a behavioral/emotional issue or substance abuse problem but merely seems to be unmotivated and lazy, military school may help them get on track. Remember that most military schools do expect some 'buy in' from a healthy, relatively well adjusted student - they are not juvenile detention centers or therapeutic treatment centers.

Turn-About Ranch
Turn-About Ranch is a working cattle ranch with programs for troubled teens that differs from typical residential treatment centers for troubled teens because it values action not just talk. The Ranch takes defiant teens out of their comfort zone and gets them excited about the natural environment, learning, and their physical and mental capabilities. They learn that, in the real world, rewards come through dedication and hard work. Turn-About Ranch has been featured in several European television series, including Brat Camp. To learn if Turn-About Ranch can help your teen, call 866-858-4883.