Parent Choices For Struggling Teens

Guests: Cat Jennings, cjennings@lakehouseacademy.com, Executive Director of Lake House Academy in NC and Brooke Judkins Ph.D., bjudkins@lakehouseacademy.com, therapist at Lake House Academy, a Junior Boarding School for young girls ages 10-14. Cat and Brooke talk about the three intervention foundations they have found that their young girls need to grow up healthy: Therapeutic Interventions; Ability to make healthy connections and Academic Success. They explain the main enemies of girls growing up healthy are permissive and rescuing parenting, lack of boundaries, and no self confidence that comes from lack of real accomplishment.

Guest: Sharon Stricker, Head of Whetstone Academy, a Junior Boarding School in South Carolina. One month after opening the doors of Whetstone Academy, Sharon shares her thoughts and experiences of what needs to be done to create a brand new therapeutic Boarding School. She talked about defining the projected student profile, importance of communication among staff, with students and with parents, Building a positive culture and program elements to match the needs of the students and the importance of developing good relationships with the surrounding community.

Guest Beth Black, Founder of Cherokee Creek Boys School-SC, imbblack@mac.com, talks about how the modern village (community) is failing our children and what we can do to provide the limits and boundaries children need to grow up to be healthy adults.

Special Guests Bob Kantar-VT, RKantar@aol.com, and Larry Stednitz Ph.D.-CA , larry@woodbury.com, are long time Independent Educational Consultants starting in this work in the 1970s. The discussion revolved around when children have behavioral/emotional problems and need some kind of intervention. It is very important that the right match is made between the child and families needs and the strengths of the school or program. This can be a very refined process and a well trained and experienced Independent Educational Consultant can save the parents and their child unnecessary heartache and expense. The Consultant is not bound by contract limitations that most public entities are bound by and have the freedom to suggest what they feel is the best for the child rather than just places the agency has a contract with. Finders fees, that is cash for kids or money paid by a school or program to a referring agency for an enrollment, is considered unethical and a conflict of interest. A professional consultant