ABUSE Magazine
Photo Sources: capitalregion.ynn.com
Photo Sources: www.telegraph.co.uk
teen attending camp to learn new skills and
ways of approaching family conflict, and
family members doing their own work at
home.
There is no better way to make constructive use of free time than learning
something new – a new skill, exploring an
unfamiliar place, meeting new people.
Therapeutic wilderness programs offer
a unique opportunity for troubled teens
to explore the wilderness on foot, learn
primitive life skills, and participate in challenging group activities. When stripped of
the comforts of home, like television, computers, and video games, teens connect
with themselves and others on a deeper
level.
Wilderness camps emphasize responsibility, self-awareness, teamwork, and communication, and challenge teens to achieve
their personal best. Teens are introduced to
a new group of peers and learn to relate
to people of all backgrounds. They live in a
structured, highly supervised environment,
which helps teens gain perspective on life
at home and build self-confidence and hope
for a brighter future.
If summer camps and wilderness programs aren’t right for your teen, consider
getting him or her involved in volunteer
work. Animal shelters, halfway houses,
nursing homes, churches, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and other organizations
can keep teens occupied while developing a
sense of purpose, self-confidence, and personal responsibility. In addition to teaching
teens the joy of giving back, volunteer work
looks great on college applications and
resumes.
Another activity to keep teens busy this
summer is a part-time job. Many parents
find internships or small tasks for their children to do at their place of employment, or
you can help your teen apply to local grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores, local
car washes, or pet care facilities. Teens can
also earn extra money babysitting, doing
yard work, house-sitting, and other odd
jobs. Part-time work helps teens budget,
make friends, comply with authority,
develop a strong work ethic, and learn the
value of a dollar.
Of course, keeping your child busy for
the sake of being busy, in and out of day
camps, sports, and miscellaneous activities
that don’t really have an impact on their
lives, can be as disastrous as doing nothing.
Your teen may rebel against the cluttered
schedule and seek out more interesting
people and places on his own. Your money
would be put to better use in a summer
camp with a clear, focused goal, such as a
wilderness camp or weight-loss camp.
Parents who are seeing early signs of
behavioral or emotional problems in their
children have an excellent opportunity to
get their kids back on track during summer
vacation. Waiting to address these issues
until the summer has started or problems
become serious would do a disservice to
your teen. Start talking with your teen at
least a month before the start of summer
vacation to make plans, reserve a place at
camp, and coordinate schedules.
Don’t just get by this summer, counting
down the days until September. Wasted
time is a wasted opportunity. A bold and
exciting summer vacation can be a lifechanging time of continued learning and
personal exploration for teens.
We are proud to support gun
safety & responsible gun
owners in our community.
Tom’s Gun Shoppe
894 S. Seminary St.
Galesburg, IL
309-342-0044
Mercer County
Coroner
Aledo, IL
309-582-7756
“I am proud to support ABUSE
prevention in my community!”
Rock-N-Roller
Rink
“We are proud to keep our kids
skating towards a drug free future.
We care & get involved.”
405 N. 11th St. • Monmouth, IL • 309-734-8045
abusemagazine.org | Illinois Spring/Summer 2013 |
17