Yesterday

My internship yesterday was pretty uneventful. We had an issue with some of the boys during group therapy because they did not want to participate. When the kids don't participate in group, they are not allowed to go outside for rec because they did not follow instructions and were off task. All of them eventually ended up participating in group because they knew that they were not going to be allowed to go outside. When it was time to actually go outside, there was some conflict with a couple of the boys because they did not want to wear their coats outside. Eventually they all had their coats on and proceeded to rec without any problems. Dinner was another issue. None of the boys could follow any directions, which resulted in a few of them not being able to watch a movie later on at night. During showers, I was responsible for sitting outside of the bathroom to make sure that there were no fights and that the boys were showering in the amount of time allotted to them. I ended up having an issue with on of the kids because he took 15-20 minutes longer then he was supposed to. This resulted in him telling me that he was going to punch me in the face. I told him to do it and see what happens. He laughed and said I wouldn't ever hit you.

I feel like these boys say stuff like that to see if you really care about them or if you are there just to watch them. During these times, you have to let them know that you are not going to back down and show them that you do care and you are not going anywhere. These kids have been through so much that they will do anything for attention and see who takes it or who just leaves. I am there to let them know that I am in it for them and not for any other reason.