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[quote=Anonymous]OP, you need to make your son face the consequences of his actions PRONTO. If that means he's banned from this camp in the future? If that means there are changes pressed (doubtful)? If that means you are too embarrassed to send him again? If that means you lose out on a little money you've paid for camp so he can be properly grounded? GOOD.

My grandmother shielded her two youngest daughters from consequences with similar excuses (oh, it'll be a hardship for me, oh, it's embarrassing, oh, it'll mean they will have fewer opportunities in the future). The elder two siblings had been punished and faced consequences because my grandfather was alive -- he'd died by the time the younger two (much younger) were your son's age. Guess what? Both of them were getting prosecuted for things like shoplifting, drunk driving, vandalism, etc by the time they were in high school.

Neither has done anything productive with their lives (one is on SSD and one works at a truck stop) because they were shielded from consequences early on when punishment and facing those consequences would have made a difference, and subsequently "learned" that they could get away with whatever they wanted. Well, that's all well and good when you're a minor, but someday you'll be an adult who will end up in jail, and then you won't ever get a good job, and then your whole life -- poof! -- down the toilet.

These are girls who started out doing things like stealing small amounts of money from neighbors or "borrowing" someone's bike without asking, etc. Could have been nipped in the bud at that stage with some discipline and higher expectations of doing the wrong thing.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be out some money for a week of non-refundable camp than be out the bail money when my undisciplined kid is prosecuted for worse crimes, all because he learned you would protect him from the consequences.[/quote]

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