A shoplifter in the family!

LOL! There were two occasions, one recent one not so recent. When my daughter was 2, she had reached over and grabbed a pack of gum behind my back and I simply didn't see it when I was paying. I would have paid for it had I known she had it, but I didn't, and I didn't see it until she had gotten the pack open in the car! The recent time we were in a store and I was helping her and her friend pick out some candy - it was one of those bulk candy stores. She found this little stuffed creature and was showing it to me, I told her to put it back and I guess she didn't put it back lol. We were about 4 stores down in the mall when she goes 'mommy look.... I forgot to put it back, uh oh.' I just took it back. I did wonder why the store employees didn't notice but then again I didn't notice either until AFTER we had walked out lol.

Most of the time they won't prosecute at that age. My daughter was 5 and came home from a shopping trip with candy, I packed her back up, and made her take it back in and tell them what she did. She gave it back and I made her get into her piggy bank and take enough money to pay for it. So she did not get the candy and lost her money too. As far as I know, she didn't do any more.

Now maybe I shouldn't laugh as this is a serious discussion(?) but that phrase 'At least he's stolen things we like' had me in fits! I don't think thatmy son shop-lifted when he was young but maybe he did it so well that even I didn't notice him. I know thathe was very much aware that shops had security systems set up so he maybe was to scared to even try. When he was small we actually had a shop of our own so we did not go out shopping as often as many would. I can't help wondering, after reading this, at what age a child becomes aware that what they are doing is wrong? When do they actually do it to see if they can get away with it rather than just doing it because they shouldn't (if you get my point).

My husband and I don't have children yet, as we just got married. I am sure this is something we will have to worry about some day, though I think most shop owners or shops know that it is an honest mistake and accident, and that the parents can't watch everythign the children do, or monitor them even when they supposed to be putting the stuff back. I think I've shoplifted when I was younger. There was one time that I picked up a penny from the floor, and was yelled at for doing so. I'm not sure why, but I remember it vaguely. I actually think that's the "shoplifting" that I am remembering.

hi Sandra^^;; it happened to my younger sister when she was 3 (we have 19years gap) my mother needs to go somewhere so i need to do the shopping with her. I normally asked her what she like so that time she chose and put it in the shopping cart. I knew that when we reached the cashier, she wasn't holding anything. i finished paying and went out with bags with my right hand and grabbing her hand with my left then i felt she was holding something, it was a roll of mentos candy...waahaha! there were some candies displayed near the cashier and maybe she picked it while i was busy paying the groceries. I told my mom and we were both laughing..it never happened again though.

Actually I think a lot of people have had this happen when their kids are younger and it is hard for them to understand that this is wrong. The thing to make sure and teach them that this wrong so they will not be doing it as they get older and eventually get caught and get themselves and you in Big trouble as well. It just amazes me sometimes how most of the time especially with Candy most kids who do this never think anything wrong because it is candy and it's sitting right there for you to grab.

Oh my I would bo totally embarassed if my kids stole sometihng from a store! When they ask for something I don't want them to have, or that we can't afford I simply tell them we don't have the money for it. Thanksfully it has worked this far lol My four year old son did come home from school last week with some magnets in his pocket, why that would be a treasure I guess only a four year old would know! lol OH I forgot, he did come back from my parents house a few weeks ago with a new game for his Nintendo DS. He wouldn't admit to me where it came from but he did tell his sister! I couldn't help but laugh...they were both so excited to have a new game it was ridiculous! Bad way to get it I have to admit thought!

Hello Sandra, fun story. 'Fraid I can't give you any here though. The only thing is wondering how to get the paid for by others things through the checkout sometimes. The headmaster is shopping at the same time always insists on buying a large bar of choclate for my son and he pays for it and tells the person on the till, but then leaves before us, and sometimes they try to charge again for the choclate. Not really the same.

If my son wanted something and I told him know and to put it back he always did. I know this because I always watch him to make sure he put it back or I would take it myself and put it back. When kids are just 2 or 3 they do not know that you have to pay for things. You can tell them but they do not understand all they know is that they want it.

My son did this just the other day, on the day before he had his third birthday. My sister-in-law and her two daughters as well as myself and my two children went out shopping. Paul was in the stroller because we'd been out earlier in the day and he had been all over the store and I refused to go through that again. We had picked out his Halloween costume and he refused to let me take it out of the stroller with him. So, I handed the cashier the tag from it and didn't think any more of it, I'd paid for the costume at least. Well, when we went to get in the car, I discovered that he also had a shirt in the stroller with him that I hadn't chosen. Then, when we got home, I realized that in our bag was an extra hat that I hadn't intended to buy. He'd chosen a hat while at the store and it didn't have a tag on it, so I'd grabbed another for the cashier to scan and she'd handed Paul back his hat after she'd scanned the other and then put the one that she'd scanned into the bag. I honestly think all kids do shoplift at some point or another when they are too young to realize that they are doing something wrong.

Hi sandra, My mother has always been on a sari sari store business since our childhood days and even up to now. I have two nephews and one niece, the youngest boy was 3 years old at the time when he was caught by my aunt eating chocolates inside our bedroom. At fisrt she noticed that the bottle of chocolates from the shelf is gone and she thought that somebody from outside had taken it when she opened the small window wherein she hands on the goods and takes the money from the customer. After a while she went inside the bedroom to take something and find my nephew with the big bottle of chocolates half finished. She did ask why he did that and he answered, "if i'm asking you won't give me so i take it out without your permission". It was really awful, but we laughed on the thought of how a 3 year old kid can think of such. But my aunt had explained to him why he ought not to eat chocolates, he's front teeth is all rotten and it's because of eating candies. Good Day!

I think in a 2 year old child it is ok, but older is bad and cannot be tolerated. It is ok in a child to do that because she doesnt know what she do.

Its nothing to be embarassed about, as long as you go back and pay the people! I'd feel less guilty knowing that it was a young child who didn't know better.

my daughter did that when she was 3 too. i am sure she didnt realize it that taking things that dont belong to you is bad and we did take her back to the store and explained to the owner what had happened. i am sure she doesnt even remember the incident at all! (she is now 16).

We have no shoplifter in our family. Because we know that is against our customs. We are educated by our parents not to shoplift or to rob. That is really bad my friend most especially when parents know about that and they are not warn the kid that doing such thing is bad or evil...Have a nice day!

My parents always told me that when I was a kid I was always trying to steal chocolate from both stores and people's houses lol I used to hide everything in my pockets but eventually gave it up. My teacher of children litterature said that it takes a long time for kids to learn to distinguish between what's good and what's bad, so I wouldn't worry too much since your Chloe is only two :)

My friends son shop lifts,but she says it is his friend doing it.If i caught my child doing that i would take the child back into the shop and make them return what ever they had taken as well as make them say sorry,that way perhaps they would never do it again.They must be taught from an early age as when they get older they will carry on shop lifting.

hello sandra, The only stuff that i used to steal was my moms pocket money to buy big robotsbut that was long ago, i wasn't busted officially but my mom was giving a hint that she'd capture if i do it again. with regards to your discussion, i have encountered several temptations about me looting on the store, but i always resisted, because i don't wanna have it in my conscience.

I don't have children but my younger sister has done this. She has done it a lot to the point where my mother would have to put all her shopping bags down and take my sister out of the pram and search her before they left the store. My sister stole sweets and chocolate and once a magazine. She got into so much trouble that she hasn't done it since.