Not quit up to the 'We Are Spartans!' level, but 200 posts is something I guess. I almost missed it in fact - I was checking the URL for someone (hoping to get that elusive third reader!) and realized I was at 199!
Time to reflect a bit I guess.
It has been a little less than four years since the troubles really began with Katie. Therapy, three inpatient trips to local hospital teen programs, the summer with her mother, and then moving her to the school. Ups and downs there, but most of it being her resistance to the program - she is nothing if not stubborn.
Diane and I were given a great gift in the adult seminars, graduating Discovery, Focus, and the Keys to Success to become Keyholders, though because the actual 'keys' are now given out only at PC IV we will never receive ours. Giving her brothers the opportunity to go to Discovery, and Focus for the younger ones (coming up next month at the Youth Leadership Camp they will be attending) will, I hope, help them as they get older.
I do believe that Katie would have only have gotten in more trouble had we not sent her to the program. I do fear that she would have gotten pregnant, and probably gotten into drugs, as well as much more alcohol. And she could have ended up dead.
Have we stopped that? I dunno. Postponed it definitely. We have tried to give her tools to live her life, and she has fought us on that. She will not graduate the program, but that is her choice. She will have spent exactly 34 months there when I pick her up - not the longest stay by any means, but way past any 'average', if that existed.
I hope that someone has been able to benefit from my ramblings here. I have tried to be open and honest about what we are going through - just for other parents who might be going through the same thing. I plan to continue to update this, though I don't know the frequency (and eventually she will be on her own, one way or another, and there will be nothing left on my part but the worrying).
So thanks to anyone who has joined us for this journey, and it continues on.
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This is our online journal of getting back to a healthy family. In September of 2005, we enrolled my daughter Katie in a specialty boarding school for troubled teens. It was one of the most difficult decisions we have ever had to make. As part of that I attempted to find information - and all I got was marketing. So we decided to start this to help other parents - a way to share what we have gone through, and are going through.
We hope to keep this updated at least weekly - but possibly daily as things happen that affect Katie and the rest of the family.
1 comment:
Hi - I found you on here. Yeah - it's been a long journey, but you've given her the gift of a chance at something else. It's up to her to use the gift. Take care of you and Diane.
Maggie
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