My son refuses to go to DAEP... anyone know what to do?

My son has 22 days left in DAEP and he’s just refusing to attend. He insists on going back to his regular school. Anyone dealt with something like this? What can I do to get him to attend?

Ugh, that’s tough. My son went through the same thing. It’s hard to get them to see reason at that age. Have you reached out to the school to ask about the consequences of skipping DAEP?

Quinn said:
Ugh, that’s tough. My son went through the same thing. It’s hard to get them to see reason at that age. Have you reached out to the school to ask about the consequences of skipping DAEP?

Good point! The school might even give you something in writing saying that if he shows up at the regular school, it could be considered trespassing.

Quinn said:
Ugh, that’s tough. My son went through the same thing. It’s hard to get them to see reason at that age. Have you reached out to the school to ask about the consequences of skipping DAEP?

Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. If it’s written down, he’ll take it more seriously. Make sure to get everything in writing!

When I was in DAEP, I couldn’t attend my regular school either. But if he goes, it could lead to him being fined. Have you looked into the legal stuff around trespassing?

Chen said:
When I was in DAEP, I couldn’t attend my regular school either. But if he goes, it could lead to him being fined. Have you looked into the legal stuff around trespassing?

I heard there’s a fine for trespassing, but I wasn’t sure how it works. Do you know if there’s anything else to worry about?

Chen said:
When I was in DAEP, I couldn’t attend my regular school either. But if he goes, it could lead to him being fined. Have you looked into the legal stuff around trespassing?

It’s usually just a $500 fine for a Class C misdemeanor. So nothing too serious, but still something to keep in mind if he decides to skip DAEP and go to his regular school.

That’s a tough one. I think once the DAEP days are assigned, there’s not much you can do to avoid them. Have you tried talking to him about the consequences of not going?

Rowan said:
That’s a tough one. I think once the DAEP days are assigned, there’s not much you can do to avoid them. Have you tried talking to him about the consequences of not going?

Yeah, but he’s really stubborn about it. He just doesn’t see why it’s a big deal. Any advice on how to get him to understand?

Rowan said:
That’s a tough one. I think once the DAEP days are assigned, there’s not much you can do to avoid them. Have you tried talking to him about the consequences of not going?

Maybe try explaining it in terms of long-term consequences? Like, doing the DAEP days now could help him avoid even worse consequences down the road.

Have you tried asking the school for more clarity on the DAEP rules? It might help if you have clear written information on what could happen if he skips out.

Ben said:
Have you tried asking the school for more clarity on the DAEP rules? It might help if you have clear written information on what could happen if he skips out.

I’ll reach out to them again, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already got all the info. Just need to get him to show up.

At 16, they really think they know better. But if the school assigned those days, there’s no getting around it. Maybe the school can give him a warning about the consequences of going to the wrong school?

@Afton
That might work. I’ll check with the school to see if they can send something official. Thanks for the suggestion!