I shoplifted...

[iPanda]

I was in a large grocery store and there were these large, clear, plastic containers filled with all sorts of miniature candies. I lifted the lid and shoved candies into my jacket pockets without shame. After I came home, I pulled out a candy to eat but my aunt interrupted me;

Aunt: "Panda! Where did you get that?"
Me: "From the store."
Aunt: "Did your mom buy it for you?"
Me: "Um... no?"
Aunt: "Panda!! That's stealing!! Give me all the candy you have with you!!"
Me: "No! Mine!"
Aunt: "Panda, give me the candy, you cant just take things without paying for them!"

Eventually, my mother and my aunt made me empty my pockets. My aunt took the candy back to the store to pay for them.

And that is the story of when 3 or 4 year old Panda shoplifted for the first and last time. Yep.

I remembered this randomly the other day and decided to share it.

[PepperElf]

i did it too as a child
although not really on purpose.

i put some thread in my pocket cos i was afraid it was going to fall through the cart holes. then i forgot about it until we were on our way home

i was MAD. wanted mom and dad to turn around RIGHT NAO so we could pay for it.

they refused, took me home, i probably got spanked, but i don't remember much else except that mom was pissed off. we did go back later though to make amends for the item.

[Cazzi]

I dare say that happens with a lot of little ones at some point or other
My daughter sneaked something into her pocket when she was about that age, but we found that before we left the store so I made her go and give it back to an employee and say sorry.

I did a good one this week though, almost shoplifted from an online grocery store!

Order came, I started putting it away, including 2 packs of kitchen paper towel which I lifted out of the bag with 2 hands & wedged onto the worktop while I tidied the bags up.
Then noticed... hmm, no toothpaste.
Got onto the phone, had the toothpaste refunded (that online store is very good over stuff like that) and went to put the kitchen towel away,
Moved the first one & heard a soft clunk. oooh! THERE's the toothpaste

Needless to say, I was straight back on the phone to call myself an idiot & could they stop that refund please

[depechemodefan]

I remember when I was maybe 3, my babysitters (they were teens) took me to Walgreens and stuffed my pants with gum or ballons (uninflated, of course). So of course next time I went to Walgreens I stuffed my pants with uninflated ballons. My mom found them and whipped me.

REcently I went with mom to Orange-themed hardware store and started to pick up stuff to buy. Then we decided not to buy anything and when I was in the parking lot I noticed I still had in hand a pack of paintbrushes! So I ran back in the store and dropped them on some display.

[fireheart]

I once shoplifted 5 packs of t-shirt paper. I'd grabbed a pack of paper, assuming that I was getting 30 pieces of t-shirt paper for a great amount. I scan it and pay for it. Then when I get to the mental health place, I double-check and realise "oh shit, I've grabbed 5 and only paid for one". I only needed one anyway.

So after my appointment, I sped right back to the store and explained what I'd done to the lady behind the counter. It took them a while to understand just what I'd done exactly and were very amused and appreciated my honesty.

[Zaiida]

I was a huge shoplifter as a toddler. I just didn't understand the concept of money and ownership and if I wanted something I just took it. It took Dad years to break me of that behaviour because everyone else in the family spoilt me rotten and never said no to me. I was a really sucky kid, thanks to dad I didn't turn into a sucky adult.

Mind you I had horrible taste. Last thing I remember swiping was a leopard print bathing suit when I was 7 and carrots with the bushy tops because I wanted to be like bugs bunny.

[Argus]

I also have an accident story from when I was little. We'd picked up something from the bakery section of the store in a paper bag. That section didn't have it's own register; they wrote the amount on the bag to be paid at the normal register. Mom handed it to me to carry (probably to keep it from getting squished in the cart), and we were outside before she noticed that it was still in my hand and therefore not paid for. It was no trouble to walk back in and pay for it.

[auntiem]

I shoplifted ballons when I was a kid - Mom caught me when we got home and she made me go back to the store, hand them over and confess to the cashier. I was so embarrassed! I'm sure the cashier was trying desperately not to laugh out loud.

[Aethian]

I'm sure I told the story before on here but one time when I was working at a grocery store we had a Mom come in with a crying boy. Apparantly he had taken a few cars and was getting yelled at by Mom but she wanted him to come in and talk to one of us about shop lifting. I held up a hand and told him I knew the perfect person for him to talk to. Cue Mr. 3/4 year old coming to the knee of our 6'4" built like a mack truck Security guy. He sat down and listened to the boy stammer through his apology and after the boy was done told him that he had done the most perfect thing by coming back and apologizing.

I think the boy was ready to cry with relief after being told that he had made himself a good boy again by atoning for his mishap.