Season 5 Episode 113

Vanessa: Where do you suppose he took him?
Rudy: Jail!
(Cliff enters the house)
Vanessa: So dad, where's Theo?
Cliff: Away!

In this episode, Theo has the house to himself and he decides to invite some friends over. The party quickly gets out of control and the house gets trashed. Theo and his friends try to clean up the mess and repair the damage, but it is just too much. He confesses to his parents as soon as they get home. Cliff’s first reaction is to have Theo drop out of school and join the army. Ultimately, Theo’s consequence is to work at a mission every morning with his friends.

I had two thoughts about his episode…

1. Even though Theo confessed to his parents right away, he was still responsible for the consequences. My boys were a little surprised by this…they thought his confession should have been worth something. It did not help him avoid the consequences, but it did keep things from getting worse.

2. Cliff’s initial reaction was emotional, but Theo’s ultimate consequence was more appropriate and natural. I wish I could master the concept of natural consequences.