Troubled Teen Boarding Schools Troubled Teens

Tipton Academy is located in Tipton Kansas; it was opened in spring of 2005.
Tipton is unique from many other schools in that it operates on principles of a Positive Peer culture. This means that the boys are given a lot of freedom as they move through the program. Troubled Teen boarding schools have come under fire in recent years because of abuse that has happened at a few schools. Tipton has worked hard to see that students are not abused, but given the opportunity to make the changes necessary in their lives. Mike McClendon is the Program Director at Tipton Academy he has 10 years of experience working with troubled boys. His experience has been the catalyst of success for Tipton. His sincere love for the boys and determination to see them succeed is at the core of the Tipton Academy success.

Tipton’s remote location also adds to the entire experience of the boys. The country lifestyle and honest work ethics from the people of Tipton are an example to the boys in the Academy. The Tipton Community fought to keep their own middle high and elementary school’s in town. As a community they built an elementary school in 30 days with volunteer help and donated funds. Tipton is truly a remarkable town and Tipton Academy feels fortunate to be located amongst such great Americans.

Tipton Academy is unique in that it has a dog training program for the boys which allow them to assist in training dogs to assist the handicapped. They work in conjunction with CARES a non profit organization in Kansas. CARES provides dogs to people with special needs. The boys are also able to present the dogs to their new owners. This is an emotional event when the boys present something they have become attached to; to another person is a life changing event. The person in need is very appreciative and new owner and old trainer share a very positive experience.

Tipton Academy also offers the boys opportunities to work while they are enrolled. Tipton is home to some of the finest bird farms in the area. Many people come to Tipton each year to hunt pheasants and other game birds. This industry gives the Tipton Academy boy’s opportunities to work in the game bird industry when they invoke enough trust from the program staff.

Tipton Academy has truly become a positive place for change. Many boys have made drastic improvements in their lives graduating high school and going on to college. Like any school Tipton has also had students that didn’t make the best of their stay at Tipton and some have gone back home and fallen back into their old ways. Overall Tipton is an effective option and positively affected the lives of many young men.

The typical teen of today is being bombarded from every direction.  They are under pressure to perform academically, to complete responsibilities at home, to compete athletically, and the list goes on.  It is not a widely known fact that the teen of today is more up to date on current events than generations past.  Today’s teen is aware of global problems and conflicts, the economic devastation, and the political separation that our county is currently working through.  When you add the typical teen issues to the increased information that today’s teen is receiving it is no wonder today’s teen finally reaches a boiling point.   

The teen implosion can manifest itself in many ways.  Some teens will become withdrawn and possibly work themselves into a full blown depression.  Some teens will begin to look for ways to relieve some of the pressure they are experiencing through drug abuse.  Very few will seek out a parent for help and advice.  The most frequent form of help sought by a teen comes in the way of advice from their peers.  If a teen asks a friend that is abusing drugs for advice the advice they give will obviously be to try some drugs.  The teen may begin to experiment in sexual activities.  The best advice and help is obviously the teen’s parents but if the parent does not have a close relationship with their teen they will never come to them with their problems.  It is important that a parent is vigilante to their teens changes in attitudes and moods. 

Even a good teen left unassisted will begin the downward spiral until they earn the label of troubled teen.  The troubled teen may not have a Mohawk or any visible signs of rebellion.  It is usually not until the troubled teen has hit rock bottom and is basically crying out for attention that they will begin to display extreme hair and clothing styles.   One warning signal for parents for a child that is moving in a negative direction is their choice of friends.  If you observe that your teen is hanging with kids with radical hair styles or clothing choices, it is usually only a matter of time until your child begins to dress and act like the peers he is “hanging out” with.  It is naïve to think that a teen is associating with a group of troubled teens and not engaging in the same activities the negative peers are engaging in.

The youth of today are faced with many different challenges and pressures on every front.  They are pressured by peers to experiment with drugs and engage in sexual activities.  It is difficult for the youth of today to stand up to the pressures of their peers they “hang out” with.  Some teens can experiment with drugs a little and decide if they like the experience.  If they decide they don’t like the way they feel when they are high they quit and move on.  The problem is some youth are unable to stop after their first experience.  With Meth such an affordable drug and so readily available many teens are unable to break the craving to continue to use it.  It is a fact that many people become a Meth addict after one experimental try of the deadly drug.   For more information on this popular drug follow this link to Meth information.  The link will take you to a site entitled Teen Success.  The site is very informative and can give you suggestions on how to help your teen succeed.  You can also find information on boarding schools for troubled teens.

Tipton Academy is one school that Teen Success refers to.   Tipton Academy is an all boy campus using positive peer pressure and a unique dog training program.  The boys are able to train a dog and then help the recipient, a physically challenged person learn to utilize the animal.  This method has proven very successful, and has assisted many teens in turning their lives around.  The positive peer pressure is very effective in helping teens learn how to motivate each other and how to receive constructive criticism.  The teen is much more likely to respond to direction from a peer than an adult.  This is why the positive peer culture has proven so effective.

Meadowlark Academy is another program the Teen Success refers to.  It is an all girl’s facility also using positive peer pressure combined with the dog training program.  Girls are able to train the dogs very effectively and the dogs respond very well to them.  The girls are also responsive to the positive peer pressure.  In many cases the problems troubled teens have in life are tied to following the crowd mostly because of the peer pressure that drives the crowd.  Once a teen learns to be free thinking, independent, and not so worried about what their negative friends think they are well on their way to success. 

One of the troubled teen boarding schools that we refer to is Tipton Academy.  They have been helping families for a little over three years.  They use some unique techniques to help young men make changes in their lives. 

Tipton Academy utilizes Positive Peer Culture along with a dog training program that allows the young men to train/foster a puppy while they are making changes in their own lives. 
 Programs have successfully used animals for many years to help youth make changes in their behaviors.  It is impressive to watch the impact it has on a boy when he sees that his outbursts scare his dog.  At the very least the dog’s reaction initiates the young man to stop and think about how he is speaking to others, leading him to learning ways speak rationally to those he is in conflict with.  Another advantage of this program occurs when the boys are able to train the new owner of the dog they have been training.  This is an emotional event has a positive impact on both the recipient and the trainer. 

Tipton Academy is fortunate to have competent leadership with years of experience in helping troubled teens.  Michael McClendon is the Director at Tipton Academy.   Mike, or Big Mike as the boys call him has 10 years practical application using the positive peer techniques.  In Mike’s words, “It takes more patience to use this type of program because the boys actually prove to themselves that life is easier when they behave properly.  This happens when a student is forced to face the “natural consequences” of his choice and actions.  The best example of this is when two boys arrive at approximately the same time.  When one boy making appropriate choices advances and the other student who arrived at approximately the same does not advance, the natural consequences are explained to the boy.   Once he is able to clearly see he is his own worst enemy, the one who controls his own progress he will usually begin to start make better choices.  This lesson also has true life applications; when someone makes good choices they achieve positive things, just as negative choices and actions reap negative rewards and consequences”.

Troubled Teens And The Economy

Today’s society presents many different challenges for the youth of
America.  As adults we get caught up in how the problems with the economy is going to affect us.  The typical teen of today is very aware of what is going on in the world, and even the world economy.  Discouragement and despair can take a teen into the dangerous path of “I don’t care” and “what’s the use”.  Left unchecked the teen can end up in the troubled teen category simply because they think the world is coming to an end.  With no hope of any kind of future, a typical teen starts to exhibit abnormal behaviors.  Their once positive attitude it replaced with doom and gloom.  They may even gravitate toward friends that have found an out by abusing drugs and alcohol.

Who is This Child and What Have You Done With Mine? 

This new behavior brings with it a host of problems that you and your teen may have not faced previously.  Once the teen begins to abuse drugs or alcohol their grades will begin to slip and their attitude toward the home and family will also change.   They will typically be less willing to help around the house or even be found at the house.  Their appearance will diminish usually along with their personal hygiene. This new path will usually include encounters with the law.  The now troubled teen maybe caught shoplifting, intoxicated in public, getting in fights, and possibly even driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Some families have found help with a child who has given up by working with their religious counselor.   

Communication is the Key 

It is imperative that the parent develop an open line of communication with the child.  This is easier said than done.  It will take sincere interest in your child’s life to get them to open up to you.  This must be done without becoming a friend to your teen, they don’t need a friend they need a parent, an adult who can help them figure out how to deal with the stresses they are facing.With your teen facing the spiral downward it may be necessary to look at alternatives outside the home.  There are many options for parents to consider we recommend two such places www.tiptonacademy.com for boys and www.meadowlarkacademy.com for girls.

When you look at the numbers of random public shootings carried out by troubled teens in the past few years, you have to wonder what’s going on. Is it drugs? Is it nutrition? Is it really a chemical imbalance of some kind? Is it social stress?

February 12 of 2007, hit too close to home for me. That was the night that an 18 year old troubled teen went on a shooting rampage in the Trolley Square Mall of Salt Lake City, Utah.  When I turned on the news and heard the coverage I think my heart stopped for a second because I knew my husband was suppose to be at that mall that evening. Within seconds of the news footage I received a phone call from him. He had apparently left within minutes before the shooting. When I looked at the timeline I realized how truly lucky we were. Earlier that day he was planning on taking our 6 year old with him to the mall but at the last minute decided not to. Taking kids always makes things twice as long and he just wasn’t in the mood for a longer trip.  I am thankful for that because if he had taken our son that night, they would have still been at the mall during the time of the shooting. They could have been shot!  Even if my child had not become a victim of the shooting, imagine the mental trauma he would have to deal with seeing people get shot or simply knowing he was in the mall when something that horrific happened. He’d be scared to go anywhere! 

If you know of any troubled teens, regardless of the kind of trouble, don’t ignore it, get them some help before something like this happens.

A father from the snowy mountain west region of the US cautions teens about the consumption of energy drinks. He recently lost his 16 year old son while on a ski trip after consuming too many energy drinks in one day. Apparently his heart simply stopped. He’s not alone though. There have been many energy drink related deaths, especially when mixing them with alcohol within the past couple years.  Since then some companies have put warnings on their drinks.

Ever notice the warning labels on them? You’d have to wonder about the safety of a drink when you read “may cause hyperthyroidism, psychiatric disease, spasms…”  What about the ones that say “do not drink if you are pregnant, have asthma or are taking asthma medication, or if you are being treated for high blood pressure”? Does that make you wonder why it would be on there and what other problems it could cause?

These drinks are loaded with unnatural caffeine, sugar and potentially harmful chemicals that could cause serious health problems. These kinds of energy drinks are also believed to cause sleep and behavior disorders, depression, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

Today’s troubled teens blog isn’t intended to slam energy drinks, but is more of a word of caution. Be sure to read the labels before consuming.

You can find numerous articles on this subject by going to: www.energydrinkwarnings.com

Yesterday’s troubled teens blog told the success story of a mother who completely changed the eating habits of her family, resulting in a remarkable difference in her troubled teens’ behavior.  Today I thought you may want to know some specifics that she included or excluded in her families diet.

Please don’t take this as a medical claim or medical advice. This blog is simply sharing what one mother did.

• Stayed away from food with refined sugars. (used natural sweeteners such as Yacon, honey, real maple sugar, organic sugar cane).
• Avoided foods loaded with sugar period (ie. Soda)
• Foods high in Omega’s (eggs, etc.)
• Used 100% Olive Oil vs other oils
• Avoided anything that was partially hydrogenated (chips, etc)
• Used organic foods whenever possible and affordable
• Consumed hormone free milk, chicken, etc. 
• Consumed foods high in antioxidants (cherries, pomegranates, etc.)
• Consumed food high in naturally occurring B12
• Consumed a Marine Phytoplankton drink (contains over 66 naturally occurring and bio-available vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, etc.)

As complicated as it sounds, it really isn’t. She basically stuck as close to nature as possible. Back in the day, it was easy to do because there was no other option. Now we have prefabricated foods of every kind, which is great, we just have to look what’s in it.

Hope this helps you and your family.

It’s no big secret that nutrition and exercise affects us physically, mentally and yes, behaviorally. More and more studies are showing this to be true. That’s why Carol, a mother of two troubled teens completely changed their entire families lifestyle, especially in the food department.

Carol actually had five teenagers at that time, three of which were fine and two that were behaviorally and emotionally troubled.  They all grew up in the same environment and there was never any favoritism played, so why would those two have these problems? What made them different than the other three? Carol understood everyone has different personalities, but mothers’ intuition went deeper than that. Desperate for answers, she spoke with many health practitioners, studied numerous articles and even went as far as having the two teens evaluated by a psychologist.  The psychologist came up with nothing.

Just when Carol thought she had hit a brick wall, she happened upon an article and study that discussed the link between nutrition and teen behavior. At that point that’s when she realized that was the main difference between the two teens and other siblings. These two teens ate junk in comparison. So she actually sat down and prepared meal plans with specific foods that are believed to help regulate the neurochemicals, which are linked to brain function and problems such as depression, etc. There were lots of fresh fruits and veggies that are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. In addition, she knew she couldn’t control everything her kids ate but realized she needed to stop bringing home junk foods like soda and chips.

Although it was not an easy change, according to Carol, there was a remarkable change in her teens’ behavior and attitudes towards life. The kids themselves claimed to notice they could think clearer (no more brain fog). So folks, the kind of foods we eat really make a difference in our daily lives.  Give it a try.

If only us parents could get a sneak peak into our kids lives when they think we’re not looking. Well that wish came true for some parents courtesy of Youtube.com.

In this first situation, a mom received a phone call from another parent regarding something she found her teens and friends watching on Youtube.com. The concerned and informative parent (also a very good friend) thought this mom may want to see what her daughter was up to and provided the link. Apparently her 15 year old daughter had gone to a party, gotten a little tipsy and did some very embarrassing things. By the time the girls parents were able to track down the person who uploaded the video and get them to take it down, the entire school had seen it and the whole town was talking about it. Her parents were completely shocked because they had no idea about this part of their daughters’ life.  No one did really, except for select friends.

In another situation, a concerned friend had tried numerous times to seek help for her friend, but no one believed the concerned friend. Parents and other adult authority figures refused to believe this troubled teen could do what the concerned friend was claiming. They even tried to accuse the concerned friend of jealousy.  As a last stitch effort to save her friend, she secretly video taped her at a party and sent an anonymous email to the troubled teens parents with a link to the uploaded video. They sure believed her after that and the troubled young lady got the professional help she needed.