Some times parents can get confused between consequences and punishment. A consequence always relates to the issue at hand
There are two types of consequences:
Natural: These consequences are a result of nature.
For example:
Johnny does not eat his dinner he will get hungry.
If Sally goes outside on a cold day without her jacket she will start to get cold.
These are sometimes the hardest consequences for parents to let happen, but for children learning these types of lessons on their own is great for their development and to learn how the world works.
Logical: These consequences are limits, which are set by parents or society.
For example:
Kristen rides her bike into Shawn, he may not want to play with her again. Or Kristen's parents may not let her ride the bike for a period of time.
Logical consequences have some guidelines to help be successful in setting boundaries and giving choices.
• They are related to the misbehaviour, you would not send your daughter to bed early if she wondered outside the boundaries of the yard. You could tell her that she may play in the house if she wants to cross the boundaries of playing in the yard. If she crossed the boundary again she would stay in the house longer.
• They separate the deed from the doer, a logical consequence doesn't imply that your child is bad; it sends the message that although I do not like the behaviour, I still love you.
If your child has thrown his food on the ground, instead of spanking or yelling, you could assume that he is finished and excuse him from the table.
• They are concerned with what will happen Now, Your child wants to have a friend over to play with, but the last time she was over the two of them seemed to fight. You could say that she may have the friend over if they are willing to play nicely but if there is fighting the friend will have to go home.
• They are given in a friendly way instead of saying "go to bed now or else", amother or father could state in a friendly but firm manner, "You need to go to bed now. Would you like to walk or would it be fun if you were carried".
