A Risk Too Great [One Minute Feature]

Should natural consequences be the only teacher? When should we step in, instead of allowing our kids to reap what they sow?

What Lessons Are Not Best Learned From Consequences

We hear a lot about not being overprotective parents, and that lessons are best learned from natural consequences. Generally, I agree, but there are times when we can’t be protective enough. Would we not grab the car keys from a drunk? Not all lessons should have to be learned the hard way.

“But the drunk is impaired, you say, and the lesson too costly.” And that’s my point too. Like the drunk, a teenager’s executive brain function isn’t optimal. It’s still years away from being fully developed. I’m all about natural consequences—and there is a myriad of lessons to be learned. But funerals, wheelchairs, or unwanted pregnancies, in my opinion, are too great a risk.

Photo via: Pixabay