I found an interesting article that discusses the idea of having kids make restitution instead of punishing them as a way to have them TRULY learn the lesson we want them to.

Here's an excerpt...

"The Difference Between Punishing Teens and Having Teens Make Restitution Punishment is like jail. Making restitution is like community service. Punishing teens requires that teens simply endure the time. Making restitution requires that teens take a proactive role and pay back for their mistake or misbehavior. Punishment may make parents feel better but it doesn’t hold children accountable for their actions.

"Parents may want to ask themselves the following questions when exploring ways to discipline teens:

• What responsibility skills is my teen learning by having to do without a privilege?
• What responsibility skills is my teen learning by spending time and energy to make restitution?

"Learning new skills requires active practice. Teens will learn more about responsibility by actually "practicing responsibility" through making restitution."

Read the rest of the article here:
"Teach Responsibility Instead of Punishing Teens"