Natural or Logical Consequences
Natural consequences are those that follow a natural progression. They are reactions that are appropriate for the crime. They logically follow a mistake.
Natural consequences happen because of an action. These consequences tend to be ones that you as a parent can't control. While they may be immediate, they can also be harmful. An example might be putting your hand on a hot stove: doing so has a tangible consequence, and while you can try to prevent your son from touching the stove in the first place, the consequences are out of your control once he puts his hand on it. As a parent, you strive to spare your son the most painful consequences. There are times when your son will have to learn for himself, but sometimes there are ways to get the point across without putting him in danger.
Using natural consequences is not always possible because such consequences are not always immediate or appropriate. If your son chose to have sex without a condom, he may or may not get someone pregnant, or pass on or contract a sexually transmitted infection, but the consequences or lack thereof don't make the action appropriate. Such situations are not a time to depend on natural consequences because of the danger he is in.
Essential
Your goals must be well defined. If you say your son's grades have to improve, define what that means. You might require a GPA no lower than a 3.0 with no single grade below a C every semester.
Logical consequences are thought through before they are applied. They usually have something to do with the problem. Let's say your son doesn't write down his homework, so he can't remember what it was that he was supposed to do. As a result, his homework doesn't get done or is done improperly. He then earns a poor grade for that homework assignment. The consequence — a bad grade — follows a logical progression.
When setting up the consequences, keep in mind that your goal should be for the consequence to send a message. That message should be related to the infraction. Let's say your son misses his curfew. He comes in about thirty minutes late. Without screaming or yelling, you already have the consequences in place — he loses thirty minutes off of his next venture. He knows it, and you know it. The next time he goes out he is forced to remember why it is he needs to come home earlier than usual.
