Lost Boy

Dave Peltzer the author of ?The Lost Boy? tells his story from the time he left his
abusive mother and alcoholic father, through his experiences in five foster homes and
juvenile detention, and how he eventually made it into the Air Force. He was a defiant,
rebellious boy who, despite his background and personality, managed to endear himself
to many guardians, social workers, and teachers. Pelzer writes in an honest, sometimes
rambling, style; he is never bitter, and his story will find many sympathetic readers. The
main purpose for Dave to write this book is to show at what lengths children and
adolescents have gone to over come the unmentionable hardships of and abusive family.
The three most valuable things I have learned from this book are very hard to
choose. The book was full of many things to help me in my everyday life. Ranging from
how to deal with kids who have be through abusive situations to how kids of abuse act in
general. The first one has to be, Dave was very tactful in how he handled his thoughts and
feelings. Many children his age are running around chasing girls and hanging with the
guys. Not him he was studying hard and trying to be better than his parents were. He
would always squander away what he had, so no one could take what was rightfully his
and that includes his life. The second thing that was useful was how Dave was never
angry with his situation he would just look at it as another challenge. Many times through
out the book Dave would have to change foster homes after being fairly settled in the
way of living there. Most teens his age can’t handle a great deal of change but Dave
would just go with the flow and never bat an eye lash. The third most valuable thing has
to be his willingness to help. I would think that since no one would help him he would
not help anyone else. On the contrary, Dave was always helping with chores, making
dinner, and doing little extra things he didn’t have to do. I later found out through reading
the book that Dave’s willingness to help stems from his need to feel loved and wanted.
I can honestly say that I could never have gone through the painstaking trials and
tribulations Dave went though while he was in his teen yes. It take a special person to do
that and Dave is that special person.

PARENTING TECHNIQUES
Dave’s mother was a very troubled woman who for some unknown reason liked to
target Dave and blame him for any and all bad things that happened. His mother was and
Authoritative and neglectful at the same time. Some may say how can one parent be on
both extremes of things but there are a few instance with in the book which shows both.

For example Dave’s mother would make him do all the chores and never was aloud to
play. For some reason even if Dave finished what he was told to do in the time he was
told to do it he would not be fed or worse he would be part of his mother ?Games and
Test?. His mothers ?Games and Tests? range from putting him in freezing cold water for
5 hours at a time to making him sit on the garage steps with his hands under his bottom
head strait a head for up to 36 hours at a time no food, bathroom, shower or other needs to
live. Dave was saved from this horror when he was 15 but he was in foster care and the
parenting techniques ranged from authoritarian to indulgent, but anything was better than
what he had endured at his mothers house.

DELINQUENCY
Dave in his teen years was for the most part a very well behaved boy. He was
working hard in school and kept to himself for the most part. Although Dave did have a
small problem he like to take things with out asking or stealing. Dave’s stealing habits
stem from his basic survival needs that he instinctively put up when his mother would
make him go with out food, water, and basic sanitation. Dave at times would also lash
out at his foster families so that they would not get to close to him. In some cases when
Dave would lash out he would be put into another foster home and have