Learning how to let go and let your teen learn from their mistakes it difficult. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you are abandoning your teen. For example, if your child is using drugs and stealing money from you to pay for their habit, you can make sure they deal with the consequences while still being there for your child. Let them know that the behavior has to stop. You may want to have them get involved in a drug treatment program before they are able to return to your home. You are there to help them get beyond their struggle without enabling their bad behavior.
Of course, letting go while still being there for your team can be a delicate balance and it will depend upon the individual situation. The challenge for you is to find the balance between hanging on to your teen and letting go so they can learn from their mistakes and improve their behavior. When it is tough to let go, remember that hanging on to your teen too tightly can end up increasing the problem, resulting in more rebellion from your teen. Continue to be supportive of your teen, but it is time to let go and find the balance between letting go and hanging on.
Sometimes your options are limited and you will need professional help. Choosing therapeutic treatment or a residential program for troubled teens is difficult. Many of these schools and programs, being non traditional aren’t going to work for you and they won’t suit your purposes. But one of them may. When choosing a school for your child, you’ll want to be very open minded. One of the first things that you need to do is to visit the schools that you have in mind for the boarding school for your child. They are not going to stand up to your preconceived notions in many cases.