Consequences often...

...outlive the moment of decision. It's such a hard lesson to learn and often even more painful to watch unfold. We have parented with "natural consequences" front and center in our repertoire of parenting tricks. I am the parent with the children shivering on their way to the van because they chose to not listen and put on a coat. I am the parent of the kids who wear sweatpants a few times in the summer because they are sure they know better than the we do. I feel like it is important to teach them that they have the power to make the decisions but also have to deal with the consequences those decisions result in. Now, I don't allow them to play in traffic or swim with sharks because they've chosen too. However, I think natural consequences, within boundaries, builds character. Our children are young now and the consequences for their actions is, at most, mild discomfort. As they grow so does the potential for the repercussions for their actions. Watching consequences unfold that cause my children discomfort is tough! They are little now but eventually they will be grown and hopefully responsible. Hopefully we are teaching them how to look around corners and anticipate end results. Or we are totally jacking them up and they'll end up on Oprah....I wonder if I'll get to sit on stage with them or be in the audience.