Outdoor activities are considered therapeutic for troubled teens.
Teens become troubled when they feel they are worthless.
Outdoor activities give them a sense of self worth that starts the process of turning their life around.
Outdoor activities with family will help a withdrawn teenager come back to his or her family fold.
Hiking, biking and gardening are some of the inexpensive outdoor activities that families can do together and help their teen get over his or her problems.
Volunteering for charity sponsored outdoor activities as a family can help the teenager focus on something more than negative thoughts.
When families are unable to manage the teen on their own, inexpensive wilderness and other outdoor camps specially tailored for troubled teens will help them change for the better.
These camps have experience field instructors who teach troubled teens new skills while weaning them away from negative habits.
The number of teens recruited for these camps are few and the instructor can deal with specific problems on a one to one basis.
Troubled teens work as a team with other troubled teens.
They help themselves and others to change their ways for the better.
The camps involve outdoor activities work and discipline that are proven therapeutic methods to help troubled teens.
Some camps are sponsored by grants and charge a low fee or help teenagers for free.
Troubled teens are argumentative, defiant, disobedient, and unmanageable and lack motivation.
Outdoor programs like wilderness camps teach them to work against the elements with others who have the same issues.
They are cut off from society and learn to fend for themselves with other teens.
They learn new skills and this increases their self confidence.
Wilderness camps include many activities like hiking, mountain climbing and river rafting.
These camps sometimes offer a troubled teen an outdoor interest that endures for life.
Some camps address specific issues that trouble teens like ADD/ADHD or weight loss.
Troubled teens turn their life around while participating in group physical activities.
They learn responsibility, cooperation, participation and to deal with consequences of their actions.
They learn to take responsibility for their actions, to overcome hurdles and to solve problems.
The instructors are usually experienced counselors.
They help the teen find goals and values at the camp.
They organize workshops to increase the communication skills of the troubled teen.
The group setting helps teens understand that they are not alone and they have peers who want to change their ways just as badly as they do.
Before sending their teens to these wilderness camps, parents need to check the credentials of the organizers and the qualifications of the counselors.
The organizers should have a reputation of helping teenagers.
They should not be a vehicle of abuse.
Parents should check the testimonials of those who have attended the camps.
Parents should also check if there are any complaints about the treatment of troubled teens at the camp.
The object of camps should be to help teenagers and not demoralize them.
Parents should encourage troubled teens to participate in outdoor activities to help them focus on activities that have a positive effect on their behavior.