Online cruising high school options?

[Tatheelrod22]

I’ll start with the question and then fill in with a bit of detail which may influence some of the answers you kind forum folks might be willing to share. What might you suggest I research as to an online finishing of high school option for my teenage son? He is just a bit more than his senior requirements away from getting his diploma.

He is 19. We have had quite a bit of trouble with him over the last few years. Making poor decisions on who he spends time with, doing drugs and drinking, and not taking his schoolwork seriously. He has spent some time in juvenile detention. We have tried very hard to get him to go to counseling since he was 15, but he refuses. Although he has said “the right things” before he is saying them again and there does appear to be at least an initial desire to put his life on a better path. About a year and a half ago my wife and I offered him the option of going cruising on our 40 foot Schooner for a few months or even a year or so while he finishes school on board and he thinks about what he would like to do next. At that point he had no interest in doing so but now possibly out of not really having many more viable choices he would like to do it. My wife isn’t much for offshore sailing nor extended periods of being on board. We both think it may be a better idea anyway if we attempted this as a father and son thing with him knowing she would join us every few weeks or so in different ports. I should note he has basically the same relationship with each of us, meaning neither of us are better suited in our eyes or his regarding how we parent and communicate with him.
I’m going into this eyes wide open and realize that just by casting off there are not Magic changes taking place however such a change to a completely new and exciting if he will allow it to be environment could be what he needs, especially since he sounds more ready now than he has in the past. There will have to be specific rules that are followed and they will be laid out in detail with him. I’m going to also admit here that we’ve tried many things including home school and boarding schools that in the past haven’t worked. If he isn’t ready for a change in his life’s direction and this doesn’t work at least we will know we tried yet another way to help him.
So back to my initial question are there curriculums any of you would point me to, and have any of you been through similar situation and would offer advice?

[jzk]

Originally Posted by Tatheelrod22

I’ll start with the question and then fill in with a bit of detail which may influence some of the answers you kind forum folks might be willing to share. What might you suggest I research as to an online finishing of high school option for my teenage son? He is just a bit more than his senior requirements away from getting his diploma.

He is 19. We have had quite a bit of trouble with him over the last few years. Making poor decisions on who he spends time with, doing drugs and drinking, and not taking his schoolwork seriously. He has spent some time in juvenile detention. We have tried very hard to get him to go to counseling since he was 15, but he refuses. Although he has said “the right things” before he is saying them again and there does appear to be at least an initial desire to put his life on a better path. About a year and a half ago my wife and I offered him the option of going cruising on our 40 foot Schooner for a few months or even a year or so while he finishes school on board and he thinks about what he would like to do next. At that point he had no interest in doing so but now possibly out of not really having many more viable choices he would like to do it. My wife isn’t much for offshore sailing nor extended periods of being on board. We both think it may be a better idea anyway if we attempted this as a father and son thing with him knowing she would join us every few weeks or so in different ports. I should note he has basically the same relationship with each of us, meaning neither of us are better suited in our eyes or his regarding how we parent and communicate with him.
I’m going into this eyes wide open and realize that just by casting off there are not Magic changes taking place however such a change to a completely new and exciting if he will allow it to be environment could be what he needs, especially since he sounds more ready now than he has in the past. There will have to be specific rules that are followed and they will be laid out in detail with him. I’m going to also admit here that we’ve tried many things including home school and boarding schools that in the past haven’t worked. If he isn’t ready for a change in his life’s direction and this doesn’t work at least we will know we tried yet another way to help him.
So back to my initial question are there curriculums any of you would point me to, and have any of you been through similar situation and would offer advice?

If you can get him to go, sounds outstanding. Options for finishing high school are minor details.

[LittleWing77]

He is 19 years old and now an adult in the eyes of the world. From your own description, he has repeatedly squandered all the chances you have provided him. Are you sure you and your wife want to continue to enable this behaviour?

Sorry,
This must be agonizing for you.
LittleWing77

[thomm225]

If you actually do go cruising with him be sure and go some place he will like where there are young girls etc otherwise he may become quite bored with being anchored or sailing in the middle of nowhere.

One thing that I have seen help my son and his friends after I basically forced them to go sailing and stop laying around the apartment was that the Sun, the Sailing, and the young girls changed them and their attitudes completely. They were visiting from Memphis, TN.

By that time my son had been racing with me as crew since age 10 so he knew sailing. I just had to keep reminding his friends that if he falls off some how throw him a PFD and loosen all sheets

My son and his friend were 15 and 16 at the time and they would sail one of our Hobie 16's across Pensacola Bay to Pensacola Beach and basically stay all day. I can remember seeing them through binoculars on their way sailing home as I was headed out for the night

I was separated from my wife and so were many others so all the kids would be down visiting the other parent during Summer.

My son and his friend continued the sailing all Summer to Pensacola Beach. Once I was in a meeting and saw them sail out Pensacola Pass and go to the beach on the outside which put them sailing/beating into the wind to get back home. They made it at dark and I was freaking out but they got home safe.

I did see them one day though get swallowed up by a storm with tons of lightning. They had tried to make it home but fell short. That was another scary time and again I was watching from the mainland through binoculars as the storm came thru and blocked my view. They were probably sailing at about 20 knots plus when they disappeared. There was a lot of wind.

By the end of Summer, they were all tanned and had muscles they never knew they had. (and they had good attitudes)

Picture is from the Fall of that year 1997 at a Hobie 16 Regatta at Sardis Lake, Mississippi

We won that regatta also but he couldn't have cared less. That was my thing but his sailing had improved so that helped and he called a couple key tacks on headers when I was hesitant

[boatman61]

I would suggest this if he can meet the minimums...
https://www.open.ac.uk/

Unfortunately in the US there appears not to be a credible equivalent. The OU attempted to create something in the US but due to the very poor reputation of US pretend degrees on the internet the OU in the US withdrew from the US. Look at existing Academic institutions and see if they have started online qualifications.

[PirateFoxy]

We aren’t on a boat but our teenager is doing online right now and we just use study.com with appropriate classes chosen - they have a range including some college level which allowed us to find the right amount of challenge for him for each subject. If necessary our kid will just do the GED at some point to ‘prove’ he has completed high school.

[psk125]

This might be a good question to put to the High School. Our district (and many others) have alternative schooling options that are available to students who need them. They are individualized to fit what each student needs. There must be a Guidance Counselor or Administrator who would be able to help with suggestions for you and your family to figure out how to end up with a diploma a year or so from now.

[PirateFoxy]

Originally Posted by psk125

This might be a good question to put to the High School. Our district (and many others) have alternative schooling options that are available to students who need them. They are individualized to fit what each student needs. There must be a Guidance Counselor or Administrator who would be able to help with suggestions for you and your family to figure out how to end up with a diploma a year or so from now.

Our local one uses Edginuity for their online school and it is *awful*. You have to watch little videos and you must watch the entire thing without fast forwarding even if it’s something you know, and then there is some busywork to ‘prove’ you watched it, and no mechanism to ask questions or discuss with the teacher or other students. So I’d advise sitting with your kid to see what the online option is like before fully committing.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by psk125

This might be a good question to put to the High School. Our district (and many others) have alternative schooling options that are available to students who need them. They are individualized to fit what each student needs. There must be a Guidance Counselor or Administrator who would be able to help with suggestions for you and your family to figure out how to end up with a diploma a year or so from now.

They are morons. School admins can’t do anything right. Case in point, the systemic degradation of sholastic output. Bunch of TV watching Karens.

You’re on the right track, but junior needs to do it without you. Have him join an offshore sailing experience. This is what gave a friends kid the chance to be independent while maturing.

[tbodine88]

I have a friend in the Caribbean running a sailing High school. Its been running for a while. He bought and refurbished my Ericson 32.



www.UltimateAdventureAcademy.com

Capt. Scott

[BoydHorn]

Originally Posted by thomm225

If you actually do go cruising with him be sure and go some place he will like where there are young girls etc otherwise he may become quite bored with being anchored or sailing in the middle of nowhere.

One thing that I have seen help my son and his friends after I basically forced them to go sailing and stop laying around the apartment was that the Sun, the Sailing, and the young girls changed them and their attitudes completely. They were visiting from Memphis, TN.

By that time my son had been racing with me as crew since age 10 so he knew sailing. I just had to keep reminding his friends that if he falls off some how throw him a PFD and loosen all sheets

My son and his friend were 15 and 16 at the time and they would sail one of our Hobie 16's across Pensacola Bay to Pensacola Beach and basically stay all day. I can remember seeing them through binoculars on their way sailing home as I was headed out for the night

I was separated from my wife and so were many others so all the kids would be down visiting the other parent during Summer.

My son and his friend continued the sailing all Summer to Pensacola Beach. Once I was in a meeting and saw them sail out Pensacola Pass and go to the beach on the outside which put them sailing/beating into the wind to get back home. They made it at dark and I was freaking out but they got home safe.

I did see them one day though get swallowed up by a storm with tons of lightning. They had tried to make it home but fell short. That was another scary time and again I was watching from the mainland through binoculars as the storm came thru and blocked my view. They were probably sailing at about 20 knots plus when they disappeared. I saw what was written about in the book the shadow lines and what I later wrote about on a resource https://freebooksummary.com/category/the-shadow-lines with free summary samples for students. There was a lot of wind.

By the end of Summer, they were all tanned and had muscles they never knew they had. (and they had good attitudes)

Picture is from the Fall of that year 1997 at a Hobie 16 Regatta at Sardis Lake, Mississippi

We won that regatta also but he couldn't have cared less. That was my thing but his sailing had improved so that helped and he called a couple key tacks on headers when I was hesitant

I like the way it's written.

[Shrew]

What you're contemplating is removing him from his social circle and having him travel frequently enough to not fall into a similar social circle in a new location.

You're proposing a very elaborate means to run from the root of the problem with no guarantee of the results.

I do wish you the best of luck, and my heart goes out to you for the struggle you've dealt with. The military might be a better path for him.

[Drek4]

Your son needs discipline, if he cannot follow a reasonable structure, then this is the path he must follow, you must give him a "last chance", if this doesn't work, then military school is the only alternative I can see.
My relationship with my father as a youth was like fire and ice, my mother was submissive towards him, so he was king of the hill, the only thing that saved me of my destructive path, was an extended stay in the military, ever since my life has been clear and focused.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Tatheelrod22

I’ll start with the question and then fill in with a bit of detail which may influence some of the answers you kind forum folks might be willing to share. What might you suggest I research as to an online finishing of high school option for my teenage son? He is just a bit more than his senior requirements away from getting his diploma.



He is 19. We have had quite a bit of trouble with him over the last few years. Making poor decisions on who he spends time with, doing drugs and drinking, and not taking his schoolwork seriously. He has spent some time in juvenile detention. We have tried very hard to get him to go to counseling since he was 15, but he refuses. Although he has said “the right things” before he is saying them again and there does appear to be at least an initial desire to put his life on a better path. About a year and a half ago my wife and I offered him the option of going cruising on our 40 foot Schooner for a few months or even a year or so while he finishes school on board and he thinks about what he would like to do next. At that point he had no interest in doing so but now possibly out of not really having many more viable choices he would like to do it. My wife isn’t much for offshore sailing nor extended periods of being on board. We both think it may be a better idea anyway if we attempted this as a father and son thing with him knowing she would join us every few weeks or so in different ports. I should note he has basically the same relationship with each of us, meaning neither of us are better suited in our eyes or his regarding how we parent and communicate with him.

I’m going into this eyes wide open and realize that just by casting off there are not Magic changes taking place however such a change to a completely new and exciting if he will allow it to be environment could be what he needs, especially since he sounds more ready now than he has in the past. There will have to be specific rules that are followed and they will be laid out in detail with him. I’m going to also admit here that we’ve tried many things including home school and boarding schools that in the past haven’t worked. If he isn’t ready for a change in his life’s direction and this doesn’t work at least we will know we tried yet another way to help him.

So back to my initial question are there curriculums any of you would point me to, and have any of you been through similar situation and would offer advice?

I feel for your plight. Tricky times.

Without knowing either of you I would simply remark that a boat is a bit of a pressure cooker at the best of times and I feel it would make things worse, not better.

Your son needs to find his thing. At that age it is unlikely to be the slow pace of a sailing boat.

His journey is likely to take some unexpected directions and I believe the only thing you can sensibly do is to be there to pick up the pieces and put him back on his feet again until he finds that direction.

I am speaking from the position of someone who had a slightly rocky start from about 15 and for whom it all turned out OK in the end. My parents were sorely tested from time to time but I think both would say now that it was worth the hassle.

But really, no to the boat journey

[Fore and Aft]

Tatheelrodd I agree with Gilow and Little Wing. You're a man at 19 and being stuck on a boat with your Dad is going to suck unless you have friends around. Which brings me to my second point. There's plenty of drinking and partying to be had on the water when you're young. I had my first 30 foot yacht before I was 20 and the fun we had.
I really feel for you. My brother followed the same path as your son and became a career criminal. 27 year's of lies and jail time which has caused my parents endless stress. All you can do is try and try again.
Cheers