I'm sure this has been addressed in this forum before, but I don't have the time {or the energy...I'm sure you all understand} to read through all the posts to find what I'm looking for. So please indulge me...
All of my children {ages 4 to 7 1/2} have been stealing. They get into my garage where I keep things I don't want them getting into. They take things from my purse {including money}. They take special treats DH or I have been saving for ourselves. They take things from friends' houses without asking. It's so bad that DH and I don't feel like we can even trust what they tell us about where things came from. Stuff just keeps appearing in our house that doesn't belong to us.
My 7-year-old DD even tried to take some lip gloss from Wal Mart today. The only reason she didn't get out of the store with it is that I saw her zipping up her purse and figured she had stolen something. I made her take it to an employee and apologize for trying to steal it. I explained that if she had made it out of the store with it, they had every right to call the police and that people who steal go to jail. {Scare tactic, I know, but my arsenal's a little bare right now.}
How have you all handled stealing? I'm just not sure what will get through to them because I feel like we've tried a few things and nothing seems to work. I need some fresh ideas!
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Janet
All of my children {ages 4 to 7 1/2} have been stealing. They get into my garage where I keep things I don't want them getting into. They take things from my purse {including money}. They take special treats DH or I have been saving for ourselves. They take things from friends' houses without asking. It's so bad that DH and I don't feel like we can even trust what they tell us about where things came from. Stuff just keeps appearing in our house that doesn't belong to us.
My 7-year-old DD even tried to take some lip gloss from Wal Mart today. The only reason she didn't get out of the store with it is that I saw her zipping up her purse and figured she had stolen something. I made her take it to an employee and apologize for trying to steal it. I explained that if she had made it out of the store with it, they had every right to call the police and that people who steal go to jail. {Scare tactic, I know, but my arsenal's a little bare right now.}
How have you all handled stealing? I'm just not sure what will get through to them because I feel like we've tried a few things and nothing seems to work. I need some fresh ideas!
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Janet
