A threat or a consequence

So Connor was in a weird mood yesterday. Our DVD is broken and the girls wanted to watch a video on his PS2. He wanted to play golf on his PS2. I said the girls could watch a video. He pouted. and cried. and stomped his foot and said, "Well I'm going outside where it's hot and I'm going to run and run and run in the field and I'm not going to drink and I'm going to dehydrate and it will be your fault Patti!" At this point SB starts crying and begging Patti to go get him. I say, NO! He will be okay (it wasn't hot and he had just had an icee). About 30 minutes later (with SB biting her lip and fighting tears and watching out the window and totally not having any fun watching the video) he returns inside. "OKay, I'm not coming in to watch that movie. I want to play cards and if you don't play cards with me, I'm going to go back outside and run and I might run away." Sarah Beth dissolves into tears and Patti is laughing into the couch cushion. I am mad so I grab his arm and say, "Oh no. you are going in your room because that is the 2nd threat you have made and we do no threaten people in this house!" SB cries, "What's threat?" and I reply, "A threat is when you tell someone they have to do something you want them to do and that if they do not, you'll do something they will not like. A threat is very very bad!" So I turned around and marched himto his room and said, "You will not make threats in this house. You need to be kind to your sisters and share and you need to apologize for your behavior and since you are not doing those things, you now get to sit in time out!" As I was closing the door, I heard him mutter, "I thought we didn't make threats in this house!" hmmmm I wanted to blister his behind but I had to admit he had a point and how do children distinguish between the two? So, I waited until time out was over and he had cried and cried and when he finally opened the door and asked for me, I went in and he jumped in my arms and said, "I wish there was no satan and I could be good all the time like Steven and Heavenly Father." We rocked for awhile and had several good conversations about age of accountability, repentence, baptism, the sacrament, prayer, how good he almost always is and how much I love him and at last...the difference between a threat and a consequence with the main point being only parents can hand out consequences for actions...oh yeah...and grandparents and the Bishop and sometimes big brothers and sisters but not same age siblings or ones that are making wrong choices...yeah, parenting can be complicated! But worth it...so worth it! (and we love Steven dearly and agree he is great but somehow Connor thinks he is perfect like Heavenly Father??? Go Steven!)