Things going missing

My son did from daughter of childminder when he was about 6. I took him to the local police station and told them I had come to report a theft and had brought the culprit with me. They were brilliant, took him to see the interview room, cells etc. And explained what happened to people whom were ‘naughty’. Son looked somewhat ashen at the end of the, short, tour but job done! He’s in his 30s now and has a strong sense of morality,

My gd had a friend who stole from her - they were both teenagers at the time - after the 3rd time of things going missing she was never invited again

Dollyjo -Do you not think it’s time to let that story go?? Poor chap ??

Inishowen, probably buying their approval. Maybe she was being bullied by them even.

I took a dog biscuit from a local shop-they had them in open bins then. We didn't have a dog then but our neighbour did & I wanted it for him. My Mum took me straight back to return it & I never dared steal anything again. I found out years later than Mum & shopkeeper had a good laugh about it.
My younger son went through a brief phase of taking things of ours & putting them in his room- pens, a watch etc. He just said he liked them & wanted them but it soon stopped when I took one of his favourite cars for my room as I 'liked it'!
I think it is very common.

Our daughter, aged six, stole quite a few small things from her classmates, erasers, pencil sharpeners, etc. I was teaching at the school and my colleagues and I could not work out why she was behaving this way. We ended up seeing a child psychologist as a family and it turned out that we were being too fair as far as our treatment of our two children went. There was not enough differentiation between her and her brother! We changed bedtimes, pocket money and chores and it did the trick. Simples! Still an enormous upset for us all!

It's really tricky isn't it? When my daughter was eight, she had a friend from school who came over to play after school . This girl's mother wouldn't buy her Barbie toys so the girl helped herself to odds and ends of ours. In the end I set a trap and a Barbie, a new one, went missing. There was no doubt she had taken it I. With much trepidation I approached the mother, who was very understanding . All the items were returned but the friendship between the four is wasn't .

That's really interesting Bennan! You usually hear of kids getting disturbed by UNfairness, not the other way around! :D

When I was a little girl, I stole some dolls clothes from my cousin by hiding them in my knickers. My auntie obviously realised the clothes had gone and had a quiet word with my dad. My dad said to me that aunty nearly called the police today because my cousins dolls clothes had gone missing and he believed that I had taken them. I owned up and have never stolen anything to this day. The threat of calling the police put the fear of god in me.

Speaking of myself who would do this very thing until about nine years old,I thought my reasons would help people understand what was going through my head at that time.

I was the youngest of four ,born in 1964, we were very hard up and us kids knew that ,and knew not to ask for things,even clothing ,which were growing out of,and as a girl at that time was aware of pretty things and being attracted to them ,but also knowing I would never have it or anything like it.our mum was never at home as she worked long hours at a supermarket and our dad was mentally ill and had low paid work ,which he would lose by acting odd.
I know I felt left out ,of mum being there,and trying to compete for attention with my older siblings.

When visiting friends if they had a pretty item ,or something I admired ,I would take it , then hide it,and then feel guilty,but I couldn't stop myself.
I would secretly look at this for hours and put it back into its hiding place,of course I was eventually found out.
Please don't stop this child visiting, children do not steal or lie if they are happy,this is a sad child!

I became a secondary school teacher and also found this to be true,what I found works is...
When the child is over,have a loud conversation between yourselves along the line of " it's very funny but some things have gone missing,we will have to be extra good at keeping a eye out to see what happening,address this to all ,this will indicate that you are aware of bits going missing.

I am sure that this will work ,it would a shame to part a good relationship,try to not cross with her,
Having experienced this myself and taught children from 5 to 15 ,it's mostly lack of something that makes a child do this.

I know kids these days have more,but they can still lack,time, patience,love,or Indeed pretty things.

My youngest granddaughter did a lot of 'stealing' I once picked her up from school..her Bob hat looked a funny shape..I took it off her head and there was a book inside it.."oh how did that get there" she said!!!
The problem continued until she was about 8yrs old,

I wouldn't say anything to her mum. When the friend comes round again to play I would say to her nicely that so and so has gone missing and can't find them anywhere and by any chance has she seen them. This will make her aware that it's been noticed that things have disappeared and maybe she will sneak them back in one at a time. If she does that just announce cheerily that they've been found and say I wonder where they were hiding.

farmnanjulie excellent advice.
I think that telling this girl ( when she is with your daughter)
That things are going missing and they will have to be detectives to find out who is doing it, should do the trick.
She is then aware that it’s been noticed.
Most children take the odd thing that they shouldn’t, but it can be stopped in a kinder way than marching round to a parents house, a shopkeeper or the police!

My family was hard up but we used to go by train to a caravan at Rhyl every year with most other folks from our area. Little paper flags were sold to be put on sand castles but Mum and Dad wouldn't/couldn't buy any for me. . . .so I had a walk round and took one from all the castles around us that had loads! It felt very logical to me at the time when I turned up with a handful of flags! Lol! No I haven't turned into a communist and I have been scrupulously honest all my life! I was about 4/5-kids eh? Deal with it by all means but kindly.

Lynnebo - its not me that keeps the story going. it is my son. I think all families have recurring tales told at Christmas around the table. He also tells the tale of me making him eat one Brussels sprout t Christmas and to this day, he still only eats 1 Brussels sprout at a meal!

Oh please, surely some of these posts are made up?

Which ones in particular thecat ?