Parenting Skills Blog ~ How Logical Consequences Teach Self-Discipline to Kids

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Tip comes from our Logical Consequence List:

Child discipline is easier when you use logical consequences. When a child needs disciplining, it's important to make sure the punishment fits the crime. If it does, the punishment is logical. If it doesn't then the punishment doesn't make much sense.

If your kids run out to play after leaving their toys scattered throughout the house, the logical consequence is to call them back to pick up their toys. If they do it frequently, they could lose their toys for a week. In our house we had a Saturday Box. The toys went into the Saturday Box and could not be emptied until the kids did their chores on Saturday.

If you chose to have your kids pick a bucket of weeds for leaving their toys around, it wouldn't make much sense because the punishment didn't fit the crime. The punishment wasn't a logical consequence.

Consider using logical consequences the next time your child messes up or needs to learn the results of his behavior. You'll be teaching your child self-discipline, to think before he acts, and to be logical. You'll be building character too.

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Here's to your parenting success,

Jean Tracy, MSS