At what age do they start understanding the consequences of their decisions/choices?

[QueenOfAllBiscuitsandMuffins]

My son is 4 in July, yesterday we went to a local park which had some fairground rides (I weren't aware they were going to be there). I had enough money for either an ice-cream (original plan) or a fairground ride. DS said he wanted to go on the fair ground ride, I made it plain (more than once) that if he wanted to go on the fair ground ride he would NOT be getting an ice-cream and that it was his choice whether he wanted ice-cream OR fairground ride.
I asked him 3 times if he was sure but he chose fairground ride, I told him that his younger sister would still be having an ice-cream as she was too young for the ride. He still chose the ride.

He went on the ride.

He came off the ride crying, I thought he had hurt himself, no. He was crying because he wanted an ice-cream. I explained he had made the choice and he couldn't have an ice-cream as well. He had a tantrum so I took him home.

Is he old enough yet to understand the consequence (no ice-cream) of deciding to go on the ride?

weren't??? weren't??

WASN'T.

Apologies.

Ah bless, I think he's way too young. Its one thing deciding to do something, but its another thing feeling the result of these decisions. I think it might be a little unrealistic to expect a young child not to feel upset, even if they understand.

My almost 3 year old can understand very straight forward choices and consequences (like the ice cream/ride conundrum) but that wouldn't stop him changing his mind half way through or being genuinely upset because he wanted both or trying it on to get an ice cream, depending on his mood! I think what you did was right though, because they won't be able to learn unless there are actual consequences, but maybe it's good to practise this stuff on less exciting choices

I'm so sorry I didn't come back to say thank you for your replies. I do appreciate them, I think I agree with both of you he is old enough to understand but maybe I was unrealistic to expect him not to feel upset when the other choice was ice-cream!

what age to accept consequences of choices? ohh, about 20.

what age to have to lump it and START learning to accept, about 3 or 4. Well done on carrying through. Yes he is old enough to understand, but he is young enough to not like it and say so loudly.
my 6 year old still wants to do "both" of an either or, and we still have occasional tears over it, but tantrums have eased off.

I don't have an answer because my DS is only 17 months old. but I thought your story was really quite sweet - that he went on the ride and then started crying half way through it because he realised he wanted an icecream. Bless! Good on you for carrying through with it though. I think that is the only way for them to learn consequences. But I thought it was quite a touching story! I don't know why!!

I think from about 18 months they can understand but I don't think they are capable of controlling or preempting their emotional response until much older.