Topic : Troubled Teens

I read your quote and good luck to you.  I hope you do find or are able to start a support group in your area. 

I too have a troubled 16 year old.  16 seems to be the "magic" age doesn't it?  I'm very upset tonight and I thought this was a good a place as any to vent. 

In a nutshell, bad crowd of friends, run in with the law, found out today she's smoking pot.  There are very few resources here.  I have no insurance.  I have one blessing..a therapist is counseling her pro bono because of her arbitration. 

With everything the world has to offer today..why are our kids turning to drugs?  Okay, maybe we don't have a lot of money..but she has many things kids just didn't have back when I was young. 

I feel like such a failure as a parent.  I thought I had instilled good morals, had boundaries, honesty, discipline.  She was an essay winner for the DARE program in 5th grade for heaven's sake.

After her community service is over I am sending her to her Aunt's in North Carolina.  I need to get her away from these kids..I'm truly hoping altitude will change her attitude.  No computers, no my space, no AOL. 

I'm not sure what your child is into but I hope you can get her/him on the right path. 

If you need to vent..go ahead...at least it's a start, right?

Take Care

Ok, I have an 11 year old son (step) that I am having troubles with. yesterday, my 3 year old son told me that his brother made him pull down his pants and had the neighbor girl lick his pee pee. and then made them kiss. Now I am scared that I shouldn't allow him to stay in the same house as our other children. I have an 8year old daughter and 1 year old son as well. My oldest, hass ADD, and I'm sure emotionally issues. His Biologicial mother pretty much abdoned him around age 4. She first gave custody to my hubby, and gradually quit seeing him all together. Over the last several years, she will  contact us every once in a (great) while. Although she hasn't tried for about 2-3 years now. I know it bothers him, how could it not. We live in a very rural area, and I have tried taking him to a counslor here, but it was a joke. She told me she used to be a math teacher, so she is learning as she goes. A lot of help that was! Anyway, back to my currant situation, does anyone know what I can do to ensure that all of my children are safe?

Just a brief history of my child.  I am the mother of a 16yr old boy.  He gets good grades, helps around the house however he is severely spoiled by his great-grandmother since birth.  I have tried to stop the spoiling to no avail.  Now I am stuck with this monster.  The child is moody, withdrawn, rude to everybody it doesn't really matter if it is me, his step-father or teachers or doctors.  Now when the problems started.  About two years ago my son started babysitting during the summer months for a reletive.  Upon his arrival home the child was rude, and nasty and in general not a pleasure to live with.  We later found out that this family member had many discussions about his family life and how much of a control freak I his mother was.  His stepfather and I squashed any more babysitting adventures.  We bounced back into normal family routines until christmas of the same year.  Once again he was asked to sit for this family member and my husband and I along with my son discussed the situation and it was agree'd that he could sit as long as we did not go through the same problems as the last.  HA it was worse.  My son and I fought for three weeks and this included over x-mas.  Never the less that holiday was a disaster.  Now it brings us up to now.  My son went to babysit for the same family member and was caught by me drinking with his friends.  I told my son that under no circumstances was he to get his drivers licence as once again he proved himself not responsible enough to get one.  This started world war three in the family.  The family member and my son spent countless hours speaking illy about me, spread nasty rumors that I was a drug addict and even cornered my mother in law in a grocery store to tell her how I had never paid a bill, I control every situation between my husband and myself and in general a total lousy mother.  All while this family member was enjoying family dinners with us, over to visit with her family etc.  The kicker was this family member took it upon herself to apply to the court system for custody of a 16yr old.  The affidavit was a joke.  Third party information based on conversations she had with my pissed off teen. 

My son is old enough to decide where he would like to live and has decided her home is the perfect place for him to reside.  She lives in a 13 x 60 foot trailor with her, her husband and now 5 children.  The woman laughs that her sons have found and played with her sex toys.  She finds it rather amusing that her 4yr old daughter has turned on the vcr and was caught watching her porno tapes.  She is also has no control over her boys.  One boy has been placed on medication for adhd however he doesn't exhibit symptoms.  Her other boy is not allowed to play with the other children in the park due to inappropriate sexual talk with the girls.  The adults in the household speak openly about their marital relations in front of the chldren and I have on many occasions have had to tell them not to speak like that in front of my children. 

I have since found out my son has been steadily using drugs is drinking in the home, ( she supplies the alcohol ) and is having sex in her home in her children's bed.  I would love any advice possible to get through this.  I have two girls who are the complete opposite of their brother.  THey are polite, helpful, enjoy being with my husband and I and are straight a students.  For the longest time I thought perhaps I was the problem and have learned to let the chld go.  Eventually he will find his way home.  However my husband and I have spent alot of time getting this boy back on track only to have him brainwashed.