madameblogalot

Last week my son’s district track meet was in the town where I was born and lived for the first nine years of my life. I went down to watch since my grandparents said they’d like to come out and watch him run. I pointed out to my daughter where we would go pick up pecans and where the Little League fields were. I took my her by the houses where my grandpa and his second wife had lived, next door to each other. Then we went down to the high school. As I was looking for a place to park, I was hit with a memory. I told my daughter that I was sure I had been to an Easter egg hunt in the field between the high school and the track, but it looked a little different, but yes, I was sure I had. (My mom later confirmed that yes I had done that, but it was before there was a track there.) After watching the two mile race, my son would not run again until late afternoon. So we sat in the stands and visited a little longer, then went to the Dairy Bar to get a hamburger. I wasn’t sure it would still be good. When I drove into the parking lot, it was empty and looked a little “old”. But then I started noticing folks going through the drive through and the older people going in for burgers. I knew it must still be good. And the longer we sat there, the more crowded it got. And yes, it was still a good burger! Afterward, I made a quick stop by my grandmother’s grave then headed home. It was a pleasant morning and glad we got to make the trip.

Seeing how much stress my son has been going through this school year has really given me more empathy for how hard it is to be a kid these days. Kids from every walk of life are facing some really tough things. It doesn’t matter if they attend public schools, private academic schools, or even homeschool, there is a lot to face growing up in today’s world.

There are many places to help kids get through these tough issues. I know for my son, it’s been hard for him to find somebody to talk to. When he has faced certain things he has tried to talk to a neighbor or a youth minister who used to live in the area. (It’s hard when your own youth minister is your dad.) But many kids may have a hard time finding a trusted adult to whom they can turn. And it seems more and more kids are screaming for help by acting out in wild behavior.

There are many programs being designed to help out these struggling teens. One I came across, EvangelHouse, works solely with troubled teen girls. It is a boarding school with a Christian based focus. They are reaching out to girls with mild drug and alcohol problems, social problems, difficulty in school, depression, anxiety, and a host of other behavior, family and legal issues. The school offers an alternative for parents who are looking for help for their daughters in a Christian based atmosphere. The website offers information, a printable brochure and admissions application.