It worked for some friends of ours and it did for Rags. Makes them focus on school and gives them structure. Also, takes them away from their friends and any other bad influences. I have told my son if he ever starts screwing up I will take a 2nd mortgage and send his ass to one I found. Thankfully he is a great kid...But, I do think the threat made a difference early on.

I actually drove him up to the gates of one outside of Milwaukee when he was about 8 and told him that if he gave me problems as a single mom (dad had died) that I would send him here to live. I would miss him, but it was to make him a better man. As we were talking, they came marching past the gate. His eyes were so big. I think he took me seriously...Straight A's and has never given me any real problems.

Good luck and let us know how DH takes it.

There are alternative military schools also. A friend of mine's son
just couldn't get it together. He wasn't ever going to finish high school so he went into a program voluntarily and he finished in about a year. He just was a problem. He lived there and it helped him get his life together. He is even in Jr college now. We live in Florida but I am sure there are some in your area. It taught him self discipline. I went to his graduation where he received his hs diploma and certificate for finishing the program. I could tell he was proud on himself.

Truthfully he was glad to go. He was sick of being at home. He knew his life was not going well but really didn't have any direction.

Look up in your area under yahoo or google

Alternative Boarding Schools
Alternative Schools in
Alternative Military Schools

Yes, Military School absolutely works.

It worked for me. I had just come off of a disastrous Sophomore year of HS where I flunked every class but one at a very ritzy high end liberal arts boarding school. My parents sent me to Military School for my second Sophomore year and the rest of my HS career. From that point on I was a national merit scholar, National Honor Society, Society of Distinguished American HS Students, Presidential Classroom, Hugh O'Brien Leadership Seminar award winner, Salutatorian of my class and Outstanding Graduating Sr.

It also worked for my father. I attended the school he attended after he had a similar adventure at a previous school.

Worked for my younger brother also. Very similar experience to the one that my dad and I had.

All three of us went to Military School following a poor performance year and ended up as academic, military, community honors graduates and senior leaders in teh Corps of Cadets.

We all went on to successful college and professional careers, high incomes and are successes in our respective industries.

It also worked for my son (SS) at least until his SpermIdiot got involved, hooked him up with a pre paid WOW account then helped my son hack the school fire wall. After that, the kid stayed up all night every night gaming and flunked all of his classes the first semester of his Sr. year. His Jr. year he was a honor student, decorated JROTC leader, sports Letterman, etc, etc, etc......

Yes it works and I can provide some advice and guidance on good schools in a variety of price ranges. Send me a PM and I will be happy to help in any way I can.

I’m trying to find a similar solution for my SD15. But she is a very poor student and does not participate in sports.

From my research online, all of the military boarding schools only accept students who want to be there and are highly selective with college prep programs and many do have top sports program. I don’t see the point of sending kids without discipline problems to a military school, but it seems like most are just expensive prep schools with a military facade.

If anyone knows of one that will take students that don’t want to be there, please let me know.

I thought military school would be the perfect solution for her. She lacks discipline and motivation. She talks back, cussed me out constantly and does not think rules apply to her. Because of the situation we’re in, my husband does not want to discipline her. She can cry and whine like a five year old and get her way.

At school, she’s refuses to do just about anything - homework, assignments even tests. She even failed an art class.

She has been trying to get kicked out of school, but its a public school and as long as she isn't violent, they won't expel her.

I wish I could find a summer boot camp style program, but all there seems to be now is wilderness programs that seems to be summer camps with therapy. After all the negative press of some of the stricter programs, I guess they’ve all had to shut down.

Financially, I’m not sure we can afford boarding school, but the price of having less problems with my SD and her truly ruining our home would be worth it. We’ve been looking at several therapeutic boarding schools for girls, which may be our only resort.

But the problem is that if a kid doesn’t want to be there, there are plenty of ways she can find to get herself kicked out and then there’s tens of thousands of dollars down the drain. She would do it out of spite.

My suggestion than is to send them to one of these camps and see what that does for them. It may start them thinking about what path they are headed down and then be open to an alternative type of education. May not work, but you have to try something if it means a possible divorce for you or kicking them out of the house and walking away from the kid.