Freedom Without Consequences

Is your teenaged child not getting everything done that they need to in the day? Are they slacking off on their duties and assignments? Are they overwhelmed with their list of things to do? I had a mother present me with a similar situation, concerned about her 16-year-old son and his lack of productivity. She couldn’t quite determine whatwas going on and wanted some advice.

The son told his mother that he wanted freedom. But did he really know what freedom was? His view and understanding of freedom was slightly skewed. He didn’t have a clear knwoledge of what he wanted and how to achieve his desires.

The mother’s question to me was this:

I let my son know what the expecations are. But, because I let him choose the time to do his work, it is often missed for the day. He’s 16 and wants “freedom.” So I was trying to let him make some of his own decisions. The consequences have been grounding, extra chores, missed opportunitites, etc… What next? He hates to be grounded, but doesn’t correct himself.

There were quite a few things I had to expain and expound on, one of them being the different phases of learning and how they apply to different ages and learning styles. But also some rudimentary things that can help children to become more free and more involved in their learning.

To access the whole answer to this question, click HERE.