Why Behavior is Only a Symptom

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 Ask me to recall the offense and I couldn’t tell you. My eldest, then five years old, earned herself a consequence. In an effort to get her to “think twice,” I thought of a consequence that would get her attention, albeit not necessarily related to the offense.

“No desserts,” I emphatically pronounced to the kindergartener.

Around the midpoint of her term, I overheard one of her classmates gushing about the cupcakes they had in class. What five year old could resist? I didn’t need to ask. She sat quietly while I tried to extract a confession. Continue reading