Boot Camps for Children

Types of Boot Camps

There are several types of boot camps referred to on the Internet. The first, and most common type of boot camp is the military boot camp associated with the United States Military. Each branch of the military has their own style and intensity level of boot camp. Another activity that is often referred to as a boot camp is the computer boot camp. In this context the idea is that a person will be able to learn a lot in a weekend, or how ever long the camp is scheduled for. The reason the experience is associated with the term boot camp seems to add a feeling of intensity to the experience. There are also fitness boot camps designed to give the participant a military style work out. There are also boot camps associated with some Juvenile Systems. Another type of boot camp is the troubled teen boot camp. Finally there are even some boot camps that will accept children younger than teens.

Boot Camps for Children

Boot Camps for Children under the age of 12 are relatively new and are limited in number. The boot camp experience seems a little extreme for a younger child. Some parents have reached their boiling point and are ready to send their child away from home. The distraught parent usually expresses that they have tried everything to help their child, and nothing is working. Some are desperate to make the move and actually have their child sent away from home. Frustrated parents will many times say, “I am done, I don’t care where he goes”. The parent that has reached this point is usually not interested in any type of self help program, they want someone to remove the problem and take the child from their home.

The question most people have is, “how can a parent be so willing to give their child away”? It is never a good idea to judge the person without understanding all of the life events they have experienced, and obtaining all of the facts. There are two sides to every story, and making a quick critical opinion of the parent is not a good idea. With nearly half of the marriages in the country ending in divorce, the discouraged parent is usually a single parent.

Single Parenting

The parent seeking help is usually a single mother that is trying to provide for her family, and possibly better herself by going to school. Children require a lot of time and energy, and there are only so many hours in a day. The single mother may be lonely and wanting the companionship of a man in her life. The child realizing that the limited amount of time he has been receiving is going to be reduced by the new boyfriend, begins to intensify his misbehavior. This has a tendency to drive the new boyfriend away or push him until he gives the single mother an ultimatum. The single mother may rationalize that the boy’s father is out having a good time and she is forced to take care of their child. The list of possible scenarios goes on and on, making a quick judgement of the parent impossible to make. That being said, it is ultimately the mother’s choice to have a baby. Agree or disagree, this decision was made when she had unprotected sex, prior to marriage. Once a child is born it is both the mother and father’s responsibility to provide and care for it the next 18 years. It is unfortunate that many father’s do not recognize and accept their responsibility. Parenting is very difficult even for parents that have a good marriage and are still together.