As a homeschool teacher you are aware that every action you take has a consequence. In fact even not taking any action can have consequences. This is something that children do not always know. It is a necessity to teach them about consequences.
Natural Consequences
This is the type of consequence which would naturally follow whatever action or choice the homeschool student makes. For instance if the child is running on the sidewalk and trips and falls, he will end up scraping his knees. Or should the child go out into the backyard without wearing a warm coat in the winter, he is likely to end up getting exposed and probably developing a cold or fever.
These are the consequences that came naturally into the child’s life following their actions and does not require the homeschool teacher to administer it. In most cases the consequences are the same when the actions are repeated and the child will eventually learn not to take that particular action of the consequence results in pain or hurt. The parent can point out the natural consequence when the child is doing something questionable.
Logical Consequences
These are the consequences that are related to the action and administered with the purpose of teaching the homeschool student a lesson. They are usually provided by the parent or other authority figure. For instance if the child writes on the wall with markers, the parent will make them clean up the markings with a bucket of soap water and a wash cloth. This teaches the child not to repeat the behavior. It also shows that the house must be cared for.
If the homeschool student leaves the cycle out in the snow, logically the homeschool teacher may take away the privileged of riding the cycle for a week. Teaching the child that taking care of the cycle is a responsibility that goes along with the privilege of riding the cycle when they want to. The consequences must always match the action and teach the child a lesson. It is to help them make wiser choices, not to indulge in punishments to help ease the anger of the homeschool parent.
