And to get back to the original subject...

Choices and natural consequences have no effect on my (reasonably bright but probably not gifted) DD4. She will systematically pick option Z (whichever one the parent doesn't want) and letting it go to natural consequences immediately impinges on other people or gets into abuse territory (I am mostly unfazed at one skipped meal but are limits to the number of times food can be withheld). Clearly she can outthink her (supposedly gifted) mother.