The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Summer programs and camps can be an excellent time to give your teenager a boost of self-esteem as well as helping them with  grade recovery  if they have been underachieving during the school year. If your teen has been making bad choices for a while, chances are good it will take longer than 6-9 weeks to undo this negative behavior. However since making the decision to leap into a  residential treatment center or therapeutic boarding school  is not only an emotional one, it’s also very expensive — starting with a good  summer program  can sometimes be a way to determine if your teen is a fit for the longer-term program. After attending a summer program, you can determine the following: 1. They come home and go back to school in the fall. 2. They continue with the residential therapy educational program. 3. They come home, go back to school and if things don’t go so well, you know that he/she can go back to that program and finish it. ...

The world of technology is consuming many of us. Parents and teens alike are rarely without some gadget in their hand or very close to them. When do you know that it's become harmful to your health? Teen Internet Addiction Warning Signs: You suffer from anxiety. You may use the internet to distract yourself from your worries and fears. An anxiety disorder like obsessive-compulsive disorder may also contribute to excessive email checking and compulsive internet use. You are depressed. The Internet can be an escape from feelings of depression, but too much time online can make things worse. Internet addiction further contributes to stress, isolation, and loneliness. You have any other addictions. Many internet addicts suffer from other addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex. You lack social support. Internet addicts often use social networking sites, instant messaging, or online gaming as a safe way of establishing new relationships and more confidently ...

Summer programs can be an excellent time to give your teenager a boost of self-esteem as well as helping them with  grade recovery  if they have been underachieving during the school year. If your teen has been making these bad choices for a while, chances are good it will take longer than 6-9 weeks to undo this negative behavior. However since making the decision to leap into a  residential treatment center or therapeutic boarding school  is not only an emotional one, it’s also very expensive — starting with a  summer program  can sometimes be a way to determine if your teen is a fit for the longer-term program. After attending a summer program, you can determine the following: 1. They come home and go back to school in the fall. 2. They continue with the residential therapy educational program. 3. They come home, go back to school and things don’t go so well, you know that he/she can go back to that program and finish it. Summer programs c...

It is the time of year when many parents will contact us and ask about  summer programs . Depending on your teenager, sometimes a good summer program can be the answer you are looking for, but let’s talk about some things to consider. If your teen has been making these bad choices for a while, chances are good it will take longer than 6-9 weeks to undo this negative behavior.  Remember, first the program need to fit the root of them issues – then work through them and help your teen start to make the better choices. Many youths when they reach this point are usually failing or on the edge of failing in school.  Most summer programs, especially Wilderness, don’t offer a grade recovery program.  Finding a sound residential therapy or summer grade recovery program with emotional growth might be a better option.  There are exceptions if you are dealing with a teen that is an addict, has an eating disorder or a mental disorder that is more serious. Summer ...

Have you discovered your teenager failed a class or two?  Are they missing credits? There are programs that can help them acquire grade recovery this summer.  Maybe your teen is struggling with defiance, they disrespect you or are engaging in risky behavior.  You are not convinced that they warrant a full-time residential therapy. Summer is a perfect time to explore a therapeutic boarding school that offers a summer program to determine if it is a fit for your teen.  It is important that it offers academics - since chances are likely your child is behind academically.  This can be part of their stress that brings on low-self-worth which feeds into making bad choices. If you need resources please visit www.helpyourteens.com and fill out a quick form for a free parent consultation. 

Don't get scammed because you are desperate for help. You are searching for a program for your struggling teen.  You have reached your wit's end and bumped into websites that seem to promise to help you.  After being stunned by the sticker shock, you start surfing the web a bit and suddenly realize everything isn't want it seems. Yes, River View Academy (Utah), River River Academy, Youth Foundation, Cross Creek, and even those sales people. Sigh.... And who am I. Well, if you ask these teen help "sales reps" they will tell you that I am a disgruntled parent that attempted to manipulate their referral system.  Okay, funny a jury trial didn't find that.  There has been many lawsuits filed against this organization, though many have been settled quietly, mine was the only one to go to a jury trial - in Salt Lake City.  I was not taking this sitting down. The Internet is a very deceptive place.  You see, there is Internet fact and Interne...

Summer is almost here and the calls are coming in from parents that are struggling with what to do with their at-risk teens. Some issues we are hearing: Failing some classes, when they are more than capable of getting passing grades, if not straight A's. Dropping out of their favorite sport or activity. Smoking pot -- occasionally - though parents may blame it on the friends, please keep in mind, it is your child making the decision to inhale that joint or pop that pill.   Drinking - again, it may be the friends you want to blame, but are they holding the bottle to your teen's mouth? Sneaking out of the house. Defiance, lying, stealing...... Maybe they have changed their peer group this year? Let's face it, with a combination of any of these above, you could be traveling down a negative path.  Chances are very good a short-term summer program will not address a long term solution. It can irritate me when I see parents get sucked into these very expensive W...

Parents talking about their teens: My daughter is so smart, she is highly intelligent. My son is extremely handsome, very athletic and always had lots of friends. My daughter is beautiful, was the captain of her cheerleading team etc.... My son has an IQ of 170, yet is failing. My daughter wants to drop out of high school. My son wants to get his GED and is not attending school. My daughter made the varsity team and yet dropped out. My son was swim captain and now was asked to leave the team. (He was caught with pot, but said it was his friends. My daughter smokes pot, but it is only recreational. My son likes to drink beer, but it isn't all the time. Excuses for parents: It is the friends he/she is hanging with. The teacher doesn't like my son/daughter. The school has zero tolerance. His father isn't around enough. The coach expects too much. If it wasn't for this one neighbor, we wouldn't have these issues. HelpYourTeens.com Okay, these l...

Casual underage teen drinking? Not legal. This is the time of year parents are calling - their teen is failing, hanging out with the wrong peer group, possibly using drugs or drinking, and even running away. Over the past few weeks the increase of calls relating to teen runaways is disturbing.  Many of these parents believe that finding a good two-week summer program will fit this issue.  What parents don't understand is it took longer than two weeks to get to this point, it will certainly take longer to determine where this is stemming from. Are you a parent that is considering a Wilderness Program for the summer? Think twice again.  This can be a very, very expensive camping trip and a band-aid that will soon fall off once school opens again. As a matter of fact, Wilderness programs will tell you about 4 weeks into it (usually at $400 a day or more) - that your teen will need a longer term program following this camping journey.  Seriously - parents, yo...

Summer is almost here, is your teen failing in school?  Hanging out with less than desirable peers?  Smoking pot or worse?  Do you see your teenager going down a negative path ? Maybe it is time to find a good, positive Emotional Growth Summer Program to help stimulate your teen in a positive direction.  Build their self-worth to make better choices.  Help them to determine where these negative actions are stemming from.  Being a proactive parent can help you prevent your teen from spiraling out-of-control.  Just say NO to Boot Camps , as many parents believe that beating a child into submission will scare them straight.  In many cases, this is simply false.  It is about building your child back up again. For more help and assistance, please visit www. HelpYourTeens .com - for over a decade, Parents' Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.)  has helped thousands of families.  Whether we are there to let you know you are not al...

Wow, Danielle Herb (check out her video) offers an amazing program for kids with ADD/ADHD as well as helping kids overcome their fears. Since I am in Florida, I am always asked about programs here and honestly, there are not that many. Well, not many in my opinion - if you know my story and my organization , I am a bit on the picky side. Attention Children (Aged 10-16) With ADHD/ADD: Horse Kid Scholarship 2009 for Danielle Herb’s ADHD Horse Level 1 Master Class 21st - 28th June 2009- Visit http://www.adhdkidsscholarship.com/ Start Your Summer In Florida With Danielle Herb, The ADHD/ADD Natural Horsemanship Coach WHAT: The ADHD Horse Level 1 Master Class is an exciting new weeklong program developed by Danielle Herb and Drop Your Reins to help you manage your ADD/ADHD using natural techniques and without the need for prescription drugs. WHO: Children Diagnosed with ADHD/ADD Aged 10-16 WHEN: June 21-28, 2009 WHERE: North Florida - Cheers Ranch The Master Class will allow you to teach o...

Camp Finders® is a free service which matches children ages 6-18 with appropriate overnight summer camps and teen programs. Since 1994, Camp Finders® has personally visited approximately 175 sleepaway camps and various teen programs. During this time period, Camp Finders™ has been placing children in overnight camps and in the following teen programs: teen tours; wilderness camps & outdoor adventure; college enrichment; community service; sailing, SCUBA, & marine biology programs; foreign language programs and more… Overnight camps (all visited by Camp Finders) - these are generally on the East Coast of the USA, in states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina & Florida. Camp Finders® has also visited sleepaway camps in other areas - N. Wisconsin & Colorado. Teen programs - these are located all over the USA, as well as in Canada, Europe, Australia, Central Ame...

It is the time of year that many summer programs are actually filling up! Finding a good summer programs, such as Leadership Programs , can help your child build their self esteem to make better choices as well as motivate them to reach their highest potential. If your child is starting to struggling in school, whether it is peer pressure or other issues, you may want to consider summer alternatives. If you are looking for a variety of summer programs - visit Camp Finders - a fantastic free service for parents. They will give you options to fit your child's interests. Visit http://www.helpyourteens.com/

Are you strugging with your teen or pre-teen? Are they good kids, starting to make some bad choices? Summer is almost here and summer programs are filling up fast. With many teens a good positive summer experience can help build their self esteem and help motivate them academically. There are many great summer camps - http://www.campfinders.com/ is one service that has helped hundreds of families for many years. For more information contact Parents Universal Resource Experts .

It is the time of year that many summer programs are actually filling up! Finding a good summer programs, such as Leadership Programs, can help your child build their self esteem to make better choices as well as motivate them to reach their highest potential. If your child is starting to struggling in school, whether it is peer pressure or other issues, you may want to consider summer alternatives. Visit http://www.helpyourteens.com/