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

leezuk1

Yes I'd definitely say something as best addressed there and then rather than after they got home - otherwise do you throw the chocolate away or eat it??

Funnily enough the other day my 11 yr old said theres a whole load of kinder egg insides on the shelf over there... I had a look and obviously while a parent had been in the queue for the post office - I can only imagine a small child carefully unwrapping about 4-5 kinder eggs, eating the chocolate surround but leaving the wrapper and inside plastic egg with toy on the shelf - it was hilarious to think how long the child must have sat there with noone noticing! We did tell the shop keeper - not quite so amused!

[Deleted User]

I would defanatly say something to the parent outside the shop (you dont know what response you will get) my 3 year old did the same thing with a teddy and we didnt realise till we were outsid the shop, I took him straight back made him give it to the shop keeper and say sorry to the embaresment of both my and the shop keeper (why he was embaresed I dont now) kids have to learn and it is upto all adults to look out for them and tell the perants wene they do thing that are toataly out of order such as this or who nows were it ends.

Onemeanbaby

By not saying anything you are condoning this theft. At the very least you could have said something to the till operator.

Tricia_^^

I would be very wary of any child that can look you straight in the eye and put something in her pocket...... maybe the child looked younger than she actually was. The other scenario is that the child was taught to do it, we have all seen the programmes on shoplifting ~ the parents start them young !

I would fear a smack in the mouth outside ~ which is a terrible thing to say, but some people behave like animals.

Pellyman

Yes, but don't tell the shopkeeper. Take the time to follow the mother and child out of the shop and tell the Mum what happened without expressing an opinion (remember the child is ONLY four).

Hopefully the mother will use the experience to take the child back into the shop and make her return the stolen item and say 'sorry' to the shopkeeper in front of other customers - that should make the kid realise she has been naughty and won't get away with doing that type of thing.

If you get the opposite reaction or even abuse, then I see no reason why you shouldn't return to the shop and warn the shopkeeper to watch out for that particular customer, especially the child, in future.

marvalous

sounds terrible but some of these kids are shoplifters in training. I saw a five year old in the queue ahead of me take a toy from the near the checkout. His mother shouted at him to put it back and he did. She said to him" I am going to tell your dad" and he said "What's he going to do about it?". 2 seconds later, he put something else in his pocket. At that point, I growled at him to put it back which he did reluctantly.( I did it low enough so his mother couldn;t hear me

At that tender age, he was already on his way to being part of the "ASBO" generation. Really sad.

Part of the problem as well is that children should not be given stuff to eat off the shelves and then pay for it at the tills. They have to learn patience and discipline from an early age. When I take my 2 year old son to the shops, he gets a snack before or after we leave so he is not in the habit of expecting things in the shop. Also, if I do pick up anything for him, I always say to him loudly and explicitly, "Mummy has to pay for that and then you can have it" so that they understand the shop is not a free for all. Imprint things like this on an early age and then they will not develop the sense of an entitlement that leads to shoplifting and theft.

At the same time, children are children and I think each situation should be evaluated on its own merit.

Pee

I don't think you shgould say anything to the mother, as you don't know her character and the responseyou may get, but saying something to a store manager whilst slightly overkill is probably a good thing. She won't get into any trouble, but getting away with this minor incident might make her more inclined to repeat it.

I say this as someone who at the age of six was spotted stealing grapes by a market stall trader whose firm words to me terrified me and made sure I did not repeat that behaviour.

jamespir

id just take the bar off the child and tell them that its wrong to steal seeing as the mother isnt disciplining her

The_Grocer

As an ex supermarket manager I would recommend you definitely tell the parent what you think you saw..

A note for parents who find themselves in this position

The most effective way I came across in dealing with a child stealing was the parent who brought the child to my for reprimand with the offending item. Often the reprimand from a stranger has far more effect. The parent then made the child purchase the item (stating it would come out of his pocket money), and after that made the child GIVE THE ITEM AWAY to another person !!!!

I think that really was a lesson learnt

Hotter

This has actually happened to me and I shopped the little lad instantly.You don't want that kind of stealing becoming a learned habit.Nip it in the bud.