Thank you for your comment. I think children should learn about consequences rather than punishment. If they break an object they have to fix it, or pay for it to be replaced from their allowance. If they make a mess, clean up. If they hurt their brother, help make them feel better. This way they can see that all actions have consequences, and get involved in repairing their own damage. This is a crucial lesson for the future, since we want our children capable of fixing their problems when they grow up. Punishing, taking away objects, sending them to 'time out' are unrelated to the 'mistake' they made and instead of helping, it makes them upset, angry and more likely to go wrong again. A child who feels 'bad' cannot be 'good'.