What does Mumsnet think of programmes such as those televised in Brat Camp?

[BattleCuntGalactica]

NB: My posting about this doesn't mean I'm condoning those programmes, I'm just wondering what the consensus is here. I would also like to add that I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely interested in what parents think about these things.

They usually seem to take place in the middle of nowhere with folks who have absolutely ZERO TOLERANCE for teenage bratty shenanigans. What's your personal opinion on them?

(Please and thank you).

[ApplesinmyPocket]

There were things I liked about Brat Camp - eg sometimes the kids had to work with horses or similar for a week, and it was rare for them not to slowly become engaged in a way you suspected they hadn't been for some time - given responsibility for animals it's hard for even disaffected teens to remain aloof.

The stories followed a particular narrative - awful teen, swearing at harassed parents. Teen shipped off to camp. Teen rebels and swears at staff. Slowly improvements happen. Teen goes home and tells parents s/he loves them and has seen the light, and the relationship looks as if it might improve, going forward. I'm quite sure that was a very shaped and edited version of events and that it wasn't always so effective.

But in general hard work and a purpose and seeing things from a different perspective are not generally bad things for teenagers to have to confront.

[BattleCuntGalactica]

Bump

[BattleCuntGalactica]

@ems137 I was in two minds during the episodes I'd seen. I could see that the teens really did need a metaphorical kick up the arse, but I did kind of wonder what they would do if something really bad happened. I also wondered how'd they'd handle menstruating teens in the midst of a long term desert hike over weeks at a time, or if any of them got genuinely ill.

[BattleCuntGalactica]

@Thatsnotmybody I saw one of the episodes from the first series, that sounds like Jemmy Henley. She really was a horribly spoiled brat, and her parents were truly at their wits end. I think she was one of the seriously hard ones to crack. I imagine her parents thought boarding school might have been a chance at sorting her out, but she rebelled a lot.

[ems137]

I think the train of thought is to give the teens a bit of a shock as to what other parents would expect of them. I think it's a good idea tbh but work even better if the parents could attend something similar.

[Thatsnotmybody]

I read an article recently that Gemma whatshername from cbb and ex on the beach was in the original series of brat camp. She explained that her issues basically came from being neglected by her parents and sent off to boarding school, and that brat camp just made her feel more betrayed.

[BattleCuntGalactica]

@TeenTimesTwo

The kids on the Brat Camp series are all British. Their parents sign something to give the programme leaders consent to act as they need to. They usually take them to the airport and hand them over to whichever organisation is running the programme.

[TeenTimesTwo]

The capturing of teens to take them there wouldn't be allowed in the UK.

They seem very brutal.

Parents should get counselling too (I'm sure I have seen it in some programmes).

But sometimes teens/people need a wake up call, and time to think properly. Also to escape consumerism. Especially these days with social media online 24hrs a day, constant music, I don't think people get enough chance to think , it's all noise everywhere.

[BattleCuntGalactica]

@jaimelannistersgoldenhand apparently in the fifth season of Brat Camp, both mothers and daughters were sent on the programme. The idea was that they were camping in the wilderness for two weeks, walking towards one another after being separated.

I think it was the first series that actually involved the parents on that level. I've only ever seen an occasional episode but have always wondered what folks thought of it.

[jaimelannistersgoldenhand]

I always wonder why the parents aren't put in a parenting camp while their child is in brat camp. I'm not saying it's 100% the parents fault but there are probably things that they can do better