Natural Consequences

We believe in Natural Consequences in our home.  We have tried the spanking route.  It's extremely ineffective with Hunter.  It doesn't phase him when Lincoln spanks him and told me the last time I did it that "it didn't even hurt", so what makes more sense than letting the natural consequences take place (as long as it won't truly hurt him of course...)?  

My ability to stick to this method was truly tested last night when Hunter decided to take a black permanent marker and draw two lines almost the entire length of his white bedroom carpet.  Then he drew a picture on the hardwood floor in the hall way and several nice lines up and down the white door frame to his bedroom.  

He initially tried to use the "blame it on my baby sister" move, until I realized that the marks up the door frame were much too high for Graysen to reach...  He was caught, and he knew it.  I gave him a "re-do" and gave him one more chance to tell me the truth rather than lie.  We talked briefly about how telling the truth is always the better route to take, and he confessed.  

Me:  Hunter, you are almost 5 years old, what made you think that you could do something like this?

Hunter:  Mommy, (pause), well, the truth is, I wasn't thinking about you when I did it, I was only thinking about myself.  

Me:  Now that is an honest answer...thank you very much baby.

So, the natural consequences were that he had to use the Magic Eraser to clean the hardwood floor and door frame, and he is no longer allowed to play with markers without asking and having and adult get them down for him to color with.  

Me:  Hunter, you realize that you are going to have to live with those lines across your floor now because I can not get them up.  They are going to be there forever.

Hunter:  That's okay Mommy, I LOVE artwork in my bedroom!

:0)  What a sweetheart.  He truly does always see the good in a bad situation.  I'm so very blessed to have an honest, sweet baby boy.