Did anyone watch "Brat Camp" last night?

[SEAlla]

All I can say is... WOW

I only watched about an hour and a half of the show but those kids scared me.

My DH and I are trying for children now but after watching that show I am thinking twice (j/k). Seriously though, the parents seemed to be pretty good and makes me wonder how their children turned out that way.

I wish there was some money back guarantee that my future children won't be that bad.

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

I took it the other way. First, I didn't thing the kids were that bad - more acting up for the cameras. Second, I thought the parents were all pretty clueless and trying too hard to be "friends" to their kids.

 

[SEAlla]

Really...

You think they were acting it up for the camera? I sure hope so.

I am not a parent yet so it is hard to see the parents from that standpoint yet.

 

[questioner]

The show had to be a fraud because there was no way legally that parents could fool their kids into appearing on a TV show without their approval. I suspect that they were all actors playing a role.

Though each of the kids remined me of children that I know in my home town. The teenage years are tough for both kids and adults!

 

[CEDmom]

I didn't see the entire thing but a few of the kids are dealing with some real issues that I don't know whether they got help for when they happened. One girl lost her father at age 12 or so and another was molested. Also, there's a boy who is ADHD but won't take his meds. I do wonder about some of the parents particularly those of the 15 yo girl who lies and who's mom said she sleeps at some boy's house and is sexually active. It's almost like before this boot camp the parents were resigned to let their kids do whatever they wanted. It'll be interesting the watch this unfold. I think there's just a lot of buried anger that needs to come out.

 

[vettechick99]

Really...

You think they were acting it up for the camera? I sure hope so.

I am not a parent yet so it is hard to see the parents from that standpoint yet.

I definitely think they were laying it on thick. You didn't see some of the real emotions til Intake or their first or second night in the rough.

BUT

All I can say is that this is what happens to kids who should have been on Supernanny 10 years before. They go from unmanageable 5-yr olds to disrespectful 16-yr olds who lie, cheat, drink, steal, sleep around....

A good dose of structure and discipline will really help these kids...especially that 14-year old ADHD boy. You can tell his mother and father don't have a clue and aren't hard on him at all. I think he'll turn out great by the end of the show. His behavior shows he is begging for structure.

But I won't lay total blame on the parents..sometimes parents do all they can and kids just take the wrong track.

 

[hentob]

My heart broke for the 14 y/o boy with ADHD. Why the heck would you send him to such a drastic camp when he needs medical attention? Why expose him to all of the other teenagers?

I hope it is fake......

 

[CEDmom]

The show had to be a fraud because there was no way legally that parents could fool their kids into appearing on a TV show without their approval. I suspect that they were all actors playing a role.

Though each of the kids remined me of children that I know in my home town. The teenage years are tough for both kids and adults!

The kids are all minors so if the parents signed all the waivers I don't see the problem. Also, after the kids found out what was going on they may have been asked to sign something. Perhaps some refused and aren't on the show.

 

[SherryNC]

Those letters the parents wrote were some emotional stuff.

 

[live4christp1]

I watched part of it and was shocked as well. The 15 yo girl who was doing cocaine (not a cheap drug people), the 14 yo boy who tried to stab his twin........I agree with one of the above posters. Seemed the parents were to much wanting to be kids friend. Now don't get me wrong, I want my children to be able to talk to me about anything and we stress that with our DS, (DD is to small to understand yet) but we are still the parents, the authority.

My sister did her kids this way, they were more pals than parent/child.......my nephew who is 27 lives with MY parents, has two illegitamate kids (both by different girls) neither of which he takes any financial responsibility for. He spends all his money on video games, computer stuff, drinking with friends, a a total wreck. My oldest niece dropped out of high school in her senior year, got married, got involved in an affair, got divorced, got involved with another guy (an abuser), had a little boy, and bounces back and forth from his house to her moms (my sister). Youngest niece is just 16 but I fear that she will have bigger issues than this.

 

[experiment626mom]

I watched it. Does anyone discipline their kids anymore?? Even at 17 I wouldn't have talked to my parents like any one of those kids were.

 

[Keggy]

I DO NOT think the kids were acting it up for the cameras. I was VERY leary of this show, because I worked for a very simliar program on the East Coast -they are the Eckerd Wilderness Education System or Eckerd Youth Alternatives. I was surprisingly impressed with the show. Eckerd's program gave education to the parents as well and I hope that Sagewalk does the same thing.

Kelly

 

[live4christp1]

I watched it. Does anyone discipline their kids anymore?? Even at 17 I wouldn't have talked to my parents like any one of those kids were.

Me either, I'm in my 30's and still wouldn't talk to my parents like that, not out of fear now but out of respect. Sure when I was a teenager I thought all their rules, etc. were stupid and old fashioned. Looking back now, I am so thankful they had rules and curfew and held me accountable.

Thanks mom & dad for teaching me to be a responsible adult!!!!!

 

[PoohnPglet]

No - we missed it. However, my son (14) and did see some of the promos. My son (Boy Scout) loves all that hiking, rock climbing, camping in the freezing cold snow stuff and so after seeing the promo told me that I could send him to Brat Camp because doing all that for a whole 60 days would be "cool".
I guess everything is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Kirby]

I watched it. It made me thankful that I have the children I do.

 

[lecach]

Wow - I just went to their website - its VERY expensive@!!!!!!



Family Reunification Program - provides an experience designed for students that are returning home following graduation from SageWalk. This track includes an intense family component that aids the student and their family in healing. The focus of this track is to ensure that the student's growth and progress is sustained upon returning home. Specific clinical strategies are developed based on the strengths of the individual student and the family.


A minimum of 60 days in the Wilderness
2 sessions per week with a Masters level therapist
An intense family component that aids in family healing
Weekly parent communication with the therapist
Parental participation in the SageWalk "Choices" Program
SageWalk Rite-of-Passage Program
SageWalk Primitive Skills Program
Parent workshop upon graduation
Six months of Coaching and Aftercare Services
Two year re-admittance policy
Academic credit through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
Certificate of Graduation

Total for Tuition and Gear Fees: $22,440.00

 

[SillyMe]

I watched the show and I made dd14 watch it with me. She asked me if I'd ever send her there (she's a good kid). I told her if she ever starts doing drugs, yes I will. She gasped and asked me if I was serious. I told her I was serious. Hopefully that'll be enough to scare her into not doing drugs.

I thought Jada was acting quite a bit, whether it was for the camera or just for attention, who knows. She seems very melodramatic.

The kid who has the huge anger issue really needs an attitude adjustment. I'm anxious to see how he turns out by the end.

 

[summerrluvv]

My heart broke for the 14 y/o boy with ADHD. Why the heck would you send him to such a drastic camp when he needs medical attention? Why expose him to all of the other teenagers?

I hope it is fake......

I don't think the show is fake at all. I do think they did make a poor choice of putting a child with ADHD on it though. Obviously the child needs his meds, and the mother admitted to that. Surely if he was on his meds, he wouldn't act like that because the mom said he was okay when he WAS on the meds. The mom seemed like a clueless idiot though.

 

[SEAlla]

Total for Tuition and Gear Fees: $22,440.00

Holy Moly! I knew it was probably expensive but WOW!

 

[CEDmom]

Wow - I just went to their website - its VERY expensive@!!!!!!



Family Reunification Program - provides an experience designed for students that are returning home following graduation from SageWalk. This track includes an intense family component that aids the student and their family in healing. The focus of this track is to ensure that the student's growth and progress is sustained upon returning home. Specific clinical strategies are developed based on the strengths of the individual student and the family.


A minimum of 60 days in the Wilderness
2 sessions per week with a Masters level therapist
An intense family component that aids in family healing
Weekly parent communication with the therapist
Parental participation in the SageWalk "Choices" Program
SageWalk Rite-of-Passage Program
SageWalk Primitive Skills Program
Parent workshop upon graduation
Six months of Coaching and Aftercare Services
Two year re-admittance policy
Academic credit through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
Certificate of Graduation

Total for Tuition and Gear Fees: $22,440.00

It's a lot but it's still cheaper than what a good defense attorney will cost when one of these kids gets busted. I give the parents credit for finally admitting they couldn't handle things on their own. I realize the parents may not be 100% at fault for the way their kids are but if this doesn't convince other people to start dicipline, rules, limits etc. when kids are barely crawling I don't know what will.