My niece's first crime (long)

[mariamousie1]

I don't know if this is off-topic or a sighting, but I think it's a bit more off-topic, in my opinion. Yesterday my mom and I took my four year old niece to the dollar store to buy Halloween decorations as a reward for having a good week in school. Everything went fine until we were in the car driving away and my niece, Eve, says "guess what I have in my pants!" When we asked her what was in her pants she said "I don't want to say because I'll get in trouble." After that we were quite interested in what she had in her pants. I personally thought she had had an 'accident'.

When we got to our second destination she screamed when we tried to take her out of the car seat and held on to her pants for dear life. My mom finally got the item out of her pants- a lollipop. She had taken it from the dollar store. Needless to say, my mom and I were not very happy with her. We were already at the supermarket so my mom put her in the cart and told her to stay there while we shopped. She just cried all through the store and at one point asked my mom if she had stopped loving her. (Eve's a real ham.) My mom told her she would never stop loving her but she was not impressed by her behaviour or attitude.

After the supermarket we went back to the dollar store and my mom went in and returned the lollipop, explained what happened and apologized to them. The clerk's reaction was "wow! Most people aren't that honest!" I don't understand what this means at all. Do most people find out their kids stole something and do nothing?

While my mom was in the car, Eve asked me "Will Grandma respect me if I say I'm sorry?" I said "it would be a good start." Eve said "When she gets in, tell her I'm sorry." I told her "well, it would probably sound better coming from you." Eve goes "But what if she punches me in the face?" I assured her that my mom has never punched anybody in the face, but she kept arguing and saying that Grandma would punch her in the face.

When my mom got in, I said "Eve has something to say to you." and Eve said "I'm sorry" and my mom said "it's all right, but don't do it ever again". Eve said "I will never ever ever do it again and I want 3000 kisses!" My mom gave her two to start with. I told my mom about the face punching and my mom promised her she would never punch anybody, especially her.

I told my sister in law about this when I got home, and she said that probably Eve did it on the spur of the moment, but realized later it was wrong, and that's why she told us there was something in her pants. I think her conscience was conflicting with her desire to not be punished, and that was why she tried to hide it even after telling us she had done something wrong.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that (I was bored). Eve is such a crazy kid. Her parents have some problems with her because she doesn't listen very well and is extremely strong willed- she goes ahead and does what she wants, although she's a good kid generally. Not to mention smart- she reads everything, especially books about animals. It's like she's intelligent for her age but not so much mature. Still, I bet she'll be a biologist someday. She has a little brother, Darwin, but he's a total angel. He's 2 and absolutely adorable and well-behaved, no problems with him! I'll have to put up some pictures of the two.

[Summerfly413]

Do most people find out their kids stole something and do nothing?

Most likely. I know some parents will open up a case of juice boxes right on the shelf and give one to their kid to keep them quiet and think it's ok, and don't think of it as stealing.

That girl kind of reminds me of myself when I was younger. I stole a pack of gum when me and my mom went to the corner store. I could've waited until I was home to do anything, but i decided to open it in front of my mom. She saw, and made me go back in and give it back and apologize. Haven't stolen anything since

[Sableonblonde]

When my younger brother was a little kid, my mom found out that he stole a dollar or something from someone at school. She took him to the school and made him apologize and even confess to the priest. (Catholic school).

Still, that didn't stop him from stealing regularly from my mom all throughout his teen years and, last year, stealing her identity and racking up $15,000 worth of credit card charges.

[BookstoreEscapee]

When my brother was about 7 (I think, I don't actually remember the incident; I have just heard the story) he stole a little toy mouse from the store my mom worked at (anyone remember Jamesway?). My mom took him in and made him give it back to the manager and apologize.

[CoffeeMonkey]

When I was little, I tried to steal buttons from the fabric store by putting them in the folds of the fabric my mom was buying. Of course they dumped out when the bolt was being measured and I caught it then.

I don't think I was quite old enough to understand stealing from a store, though. I don't remember thinking that I had to hide the buttons from the store. I was hiding them from my mom, because she said I couldn't have them.

[mariamousie1]

I was such a boring kid- I never stole anything. Although I did once try to clean the walls with toothpaste.

[fireheart]

Most likely. I know some parents will open up a case of juice boxes right on the shelf and give one to their kid to keep them quiet and think it's ok, and don't think of it as stealing.

We have a rule with that at work, which 99% of the customers with kids follow and that's "as long as the item in question is presented at the checkout and scanned, it's fine."

Only exception to the rule was the kid who grabbed a lollipop and opened it in full view of all of us. Her mum was more annoyed at her than at me and paid for it but oh holy fark....(she lectured the kid repeatedly about it)

[protege]

Still, that didn't stop him from stealing regularly from my mom all throughout his teen years and, last year, stealing her identity and racking up $15,000 worth of credit card charges.

Holy shit!

My brother never did anything like that, but he did steal from me. The last time was when I still had the paper route. He'd smashed open my cash box, and helped himself to whatever was in there. Needless to say, he got caught, and not only did he get royally reamed out by my mother...but I beat the shit out of him. Never had that problem again

[taxguykarl]

Still, that didn't stop him from stealing regularly from my mom all throughout his teen years and, last year, stealing her identity and racking up $15,000 worth of credit card charges.

That's one that warrants a thread of its own. Tell me your mother brought those shenanigans to the attention of law enforcement. OMG!

[Jester]

Do most people find out their kids stole something and do nothing?

Short answer: yes.

Being a member of this site, haven't you figured out yet how many rotten, shitbag people are strolling around? Does it really surprise you to know that many of them would do precisely nothing if they found out their kid stole a lollipop, a steak, a stereo, or a car? Personally, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

[AdminAssistant]

Now, I remember vividly going into supermarkets, getting a little box of animal crackers, eating them, and then Mom paying for the empty box. I was always extremely bored and whiny in stores, so it was a small price to pay for keeping me occupied.

[mariamousie1]

Short answer: yes.

Being a member of this site, haven't you figured out yet how many rotten, shitbag people are strolling around? Does it really surprise you to know that many of them would do precisely nothing if they found out their kid stole a lollipop, a steak, a stereo, or a car? Personally, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

I guess I still have some lingering hope for humanity, because it really surprised me that she said that. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get over it.