How to Give Creative Consequences

Logical Consequences

• Logical consequences have the benefit of fitting the infraction or misbehavior, so they can be creative in nature. It̵7;s often helpful to present a logical consequence to a child as a choice, to enable him to choose between the desired behavior and the consequence, advises a booklet published by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. For example, a child who refuses to put his toys away may need to select one or two toys to give away to someone else to learn how to be responsible for his belongings. A child who won̵7;t go to bed at bedtime may miss an activity planned for the next day because the child won̵7;t have gotten enough rest to attend.

Consequence Jar

• Approach discipline in a cooperative way by involving your child in the selection of a consequence. Many consequences can be both effective and creative, especially if you and your child brainstorm together. Make a ̶0;consequence jar̶1; filled with consequences written on slips of paper. Use these for some lighter disciplinary issues, such as laundry on the floor or dirty dishes left out. Creative consequences could include performing an odd job or writing a few paragraphs about the infraction and what was learned from it.

Creative Twists

• Depriving your children of items they enjoy is a common consequence used by parents. However, you can add a creative twist to this consequence by allowing your child to choose the item she loses. For example, if your child misses curfew, allow her to choose whether she loses her cell phone or access to a home computer for a few days. Another twist on an old standby ̵1; instead of sending fighting siblings to their bedrooms to separate them, sentence them to stick together for a period of time to give them an opportunity to work out their differences amicably. Alternatively, consider giving them a task that requires teamwork to complete. It may help them work past the issue that caused the fighting.

Using Positive Consequences

• While consequences are often a result of misbehavior, you can also use them as incentives for desired behavior. Think about your child̵7;s interests and desires and offer special privileges or activities if he behaves according to your expectations or does something extra to earn the privilege. For example, a child struggling with completing homework on a daily basis might have the motivation he needs to succeed if you promise an afternoon at the movies after a week of successful homework time.