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Stealing

One thing that many children will do at one point or another is to try to (and possibly be successful) steal something. Not all children do this, but many will, and it is usually something little, like candy or a toy, that the child has asked the parent for, but the parent wouldn’t get it for the child.

This isn't referring to when your child is so young that they don’t comprehend the concept of having to pay for everything taken out of a store. Instead, it is when your child is old enough that they know it is wrong and they make a conscious decision to steal.

Luckily for parents, young children aren’t as sneaky and deceiving as they would like to believe, so they almost always get caught rather quickly. You may catch your child in the process of trying to take something, or they may get it home without you realizing it, but most likely you will catch them in a rather short period of time.

The first thing for parents to do is to try to prevent it from ever happening by teaching their child early about how everything must be paid for and that there are severe consequences for taking something without doing so. You should teach your child that adults who do this go to jail, and that children can also get in severe trouble for doing it. While it might seem a little extreme to put such a fear in your child, fear is the best motivator for abiding by the law and the rules.

Then, if your child ignores what you have taught them and steals something one day, you should realize that many children do this, and it is no reflection of how you have raised your child, or what kind of person they are. Children simply want what they want and don’t always think through what the consequences may be. Or they may think them out and decide to go ahead and test it anyway. The key is to put a stop to it the very first time it happens, and there is one tried and true method that has been used for generations:

As soon as you realize that your child has stolen (or has tried to steal) something, you should take them to visit the manager of the store where they took the item. Whether you are still in the store and catch them slipping it in their pocket, or you are at home two days later and see that your child has a new toy, you should take them immediately. Then, make them tell the store manager what they did or tried to do. This will be very difficult for your child, and most store managers have had to do this several times before, so they will make a big show of telling your child about the possible consequences. Some will be nicer than others, and there is a possibility that they will really scare your child with the list of punishments your child could face for doing such a thing, but this is the purpose.

While it is very difficult to stand there and watch someone (especially a stranger) berate your child, even possibly making them cry, it is very necessary. Your child has to know that when they do something like this they have to face other people's consequences, not their parents'. And, while this may not prevent your child from ever taking something without paying for it again, it will definitely ensure that it doesn't happen in the near future.

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