Real Life MMD: Should I tell on the little girl shoplifter?

Mollie-rose8_2

Can't believe some of the heavy handed replies on here!, "Punish" "say loudly" others suggesting to let it go! The best reply was 'Oops, mine did that once' then follow it up with with a jokey 'I had to tell her to ask first and and Mummy would see if she had enough pennies, because we have to pay for things in shops".

This is a real life MMD so please bear in mind the MoneySaver in question will read your responses:

Please give this MoneySaver the benefit of your advice...

Should I tell on the little girl shoplifter?

I was queuing in a shop and the lady being served had a little girl of about four with her. While Mum and cashier were occupied I saw the girl slip a chocolate bar into her pocket. No-one else seemed to have noticed.

I gave the girl a warning glance which she clearly saw, but in the end they left the shop with the stolen chocolate bar. Would you have said something? What do you say and to whom?

Click reply to have your say

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fatal1955

The moral dilemma should be the mother's, not yours. So I'd tell her in a such a way that the shopkeeper heard. Something like, "excuse me - did you realise your little girl has just taken a chocolate bar and put it into her pocket?" That then puts the responsibility onto the mother - either she puts it back or pays for it and she either teaches the little girl not to steal or or defends her in front of the shopkeeper, in which case the shopkeeper can then keep an eye on both mother and daughter in the future. After all, it might be that the mother is herself a thief who is training her daughter to follow in her footsteps or she might be horrified at what has happened. Either way, letting the little girl get away with it teaches her the wrong life-lesson and it is the mother's responsibility to handle it.

MrGumby

Yes, for the girl's own good, so that it doesn't become a habit that could get her into serious trouble one day. Hopefully the situation would be dealt with sensitively by the mother/shopkeeper.

Apart from anything else, this probably isn't a one-off and probably isn't confined to shops. A friend of my daughter, at that age, used to steal from the classroom and even her friends' bedrooms. The sooner she learns that she can't get away with it, the better - for her as much as anyone else.

angeltoad

She needs to know that it is wrong. if it becomes a habit then who knows where it will end when she is older and she may well find herself in prison one day. For the sake of her future, it is best to point it out to the parent or even speak directly to her, but in a kind way as she may well not have understood what she was doing. "Do you want that chocolate bar honey? Look, it has to go up here, first, to be scanned... your mummy will show you how.".
There are ways of bringing things to light without being confrontational or condemning.

BLT_2

Follow the girl home to find out where she lives and then post a blackmail note through the door, tell her unless she gives you half of the shoplifting proceeds in future you will report her to police and she can expect a 20 stretch with shaven headed lesbian inmates.

That will either stop her shoplifting or you will make a serious profit on the chocolate front, whichever it goes you win.

sagolily

Perhaps it is only a chocolate bar and not murder but surely it is the principle that counts. it is never too early to start teaching your children right from wrong and at that age they are old enough to think it is alright to steal if they are not corrected.

hamzramz

Shoplifting is serious, but I wouldn't get the kid and their parent arrested over this. Tell the parent what the kid done, and I guess it is up to the parent to act, this really is a moral dilemma so it depends on whether they take the kid with the chocolate back to the shop and apologise to the shopkeeper/assistants or forget it.

I wouldn't go and shop them to MI5 or the CPS as others seem to say...

System

Tell the parent, My little sisiter had a habit of doing this when younger, it was only when my mum kept stopping her and taking it back and making her apologise (and telling her she's go to prison!)that she got the message it was wrong.

Red*Dragonfly

I work at checkout and am quite used to kids picking things up, i woundn't judge the parent (i've seen some parents 'frisk' a baby in a pram before leaving every shop they go in because they're uaed to the kids picking things up).

i think its best to let the parent know discreatly BEFORE leaving the shop (its not theft untill you atempt to leave the shop). and i don't think many people would appreacheat having to go back into the shop when it could have been sorted out at the till. Yes, some parent do encourage kids to pinch things, but even these parents would 'play dumb' and make the kid put it back if they were seen.

i would NOT recomend telling the child 'off' in frount of the parent, this would provock the parent, and you might make the situation worse than it would have been.

Philycheesesteak

When I was young (don't know by how much but possibly near 5) I stole a load of signs from a TV rental shop. Don't know why, they were like the price per month signs. My mom didn't know until I got home. She went bolistic, took me back to the shop to return them and made me apologise to the shop manager. It was a good lesson for me and I've never stolen anything since... the problem with many parents these days they let their kids get away with murder, and even if you told their mom you'd probably get a mouthful of abuse and told to mind your own business...

Gone are the days when anyone could punish a child and if they were right their parents would support them.