After this month’s newsletter, Dr. Brooks’s monthly newsletter will resume in September. Please note that other articles by Dr. Brooks may be found on his website (www.drrobertbrooks.com) as well as on the website he maintains with Dr. Sam Goldstein (www.raisingresilientkids.com). Additional articles of his are posted on the website of the Center for Development and Learning (www.cdl.org) and LD Online (www.ldonline.org). In my two earlier columns about discipline I discouraged the use of spanking and I recommended an approach that focused on preventing or minimizing the emergence of misbehavior in our children. I noted, however, that even with a heavy emphasis on prevention there will be numerous occasions when children fail to act appropriately. We must help them to learn that there are consequences for their behavior. Without experiencing consequences, it is almost impossible for youngsters to become responsible, caring, thoughtful individuals. If we want our children to develop these admirable qualities then we must use consequences that are appropriate, fair, and thoughtful. But what are appropriate and thoughtful consequences? While they may vary from one child to the next, they should be guided by a couple of principles I highlighted in my first article about discipline. The first is…
