Young Marines -- Is it A Good Program for Kids?

So as I have shared in previous blogs, my sons are having some struggles. My middle son deals with anger issues that I believe stem from living with an abusive father for 8 years of his life and having said abusive mans genes. My oldest son is just a little on the lazy side when it comes to school. So I have been turning over every stone trying to figure out the best ways to help my sons become productive members of society.

So far I have both boys in Taekwondo and in the Young Marines. I also have my middle son in counseling to help learn anger management. I think that learning self control is one of the most important skills a human can learn. Both taekwondo and the Young Marines are based on self-discipline and self-control.

There is a large body of people who think military type programs for kids are too harsh. This is what the Young Marines website says about their program:

The Young Marines is a youth education and service program
for boys and girls, ages 8 through completion of high school. 
The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical
development of its members. The program focuses on character
building, leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
The Young Marines is the focal point for the U.S. Marine Corps'
youth Drug Demand Reduction efforts.

So far both boys have been in the program for four weeks. They attend every Saturday from 9 to 2 pm. The program starts out by having the kids go through a boot camp type recruit training that ends after 12 weeks with a very big graduation ceremony. I have already seen my boys self-esteem increase as they are able to overcome the physical and mental rigors of the program.

I think that this program will be a positive investment in my sons' futures. What do you think? Am I wrong? Is it to harsh? I am interested to hear your opinions. I will keep you updated on their progress in both programs and their behavior at home as well.

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