Kids & Consequences - Helpful Advice for Parents

(The print in italics are my thoughts. I have inserted quotes from the article I am recommending. Any mistakes are soley mine. )

Kids Who Ignore Consequences: 10 Ways To Make Them Stick
by James Lehman, MSW
http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/kids_ignoring.htm

~~ I found this article to contain great advice on teaching consequences to children.
Many times we are frustrated by our kids' attitudes when we are trying to make them understand the consequences for their behavior or actions. I know from experience that sometimes we spend more time trying to make them say they are sorry, that they understand and will not repeat a behavior than actually teaching them a valuable and useful lesson. According to this article, that is a fruitless waste of time. :

"...To put it another way, if you're looking for your child to surrender, forget
about it. A consequence is not designed to make your child say, "I'm sorry, Mom, I was wrong." Rather, it's there to help your child change his behavior.
Think of it this way: the consequence for not following the speed limit is that
you might get a speeding ticket. You may shrug and say, "Whatever," to the
police officer when he pulls you over, but that won't stop him from giving you
that ticket. And if you say, "I don't care," he'll say, "Well, here you go,
sir. Have a good day." He won't argue with you; he'll simply hand you the ticket and walk away."...

~~ The article goes on to list ten effective ways to teach your child about consequences, which also touches on what NOT to do, such as:

9. Some Things Should Never Be Used as Consequences

"In my opinion, there are certain things that should never be taken away from kids. For instance, you should never prohibit your child from going to the prom. Not ever. That's a milestone in your child's life; personally, I think that milestones should not be taken away. Your child is not going to learn anything from that experience-he's just going to be bitter. I also believe that sports should not be taken away. I have no problem with kids missing a practice if that's part of a consequence, but taking the sport entirely is not a good idea."...

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/kids_ignoring.htm