How do you deal with a child-stealing?? Nothing major, just little things, but it still isn’t okay!! The child is also under 8.
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Make them own it. Have the child return the item to the person they stole it from and apologize for it. Humility is a great lesson. I know some would disagree with me on that but I think it’s important for kids to learn humility.
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Make them return it and apologize for stealing the items.
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My mom took me back to the store and made me return the item and apologize. Then asked the store to ban me for a year 
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When my son took a candy from the store I went with him and made him return and apologize.
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I told my son the cops would come…(he stole a toy from his cousin) …I explained in the real world cops would be called if he stole from a store and such when he’s older…he apologized and returned it. No issues since. Hes 8
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My child stole a pack of gum from the gas station when she was about 4. I marched her butt right back in and made her apologize and return it.
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I remember stealing a pair of sunglasses from my local Walmart around this age not realizing what stealing was. My mom made go inside and give them back and made me apologize for taking them without paying. I learned from that mistake
Make them return the item and apologize to the store. If it’s not returnable then make him/her earn the money to pay for it. I stole a candle when I was 5 almost 6, my dad had me pick up our dogs mess and then I had to dig a bucket of dandelion flowers.
My son took some toys from school the other day, I wouldn’t let him play with them at home (didn’t want him thinking even if he returns them the next day that it’s okay to do) , made him take them back and apologize to his teacher the next day. She was very thankfull and he learnt not to steal.
when my child was a toddler one time she stole a necklace from a yard sale. Granite she didn’t really understand she stole it. But I made her take it back to the lady apologize and understand that she took it without permission. I honestly didn’t know what else to do and that’s how I dealt with it. I mean my child’s never done nothing like that again but at that point I made her basically own up to it.
Little things now, turn into big things later!! Nip it in the bud!
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Yup, agree with other comments. Make them face up to it and apologize.
At 8 my daughter did this as well. Chapstick one time a sucker another. I explained to her that stealing can ruin your life and put you in jail. I wasnt driving back to the store didn’t have time. She is 9 and I haven’t caught her doing it since I spoke to her. She did take mascara from her grandmother a few months ago tho. I think all kids go through this phase
Then tear that butt up
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If they are stealing from stores then I agree with the comments already posted. However if they are stealing from u or friends or family. Make them return it or do things to earn money to replace the items. If it continues consider counseling to see if there is a deeper reasoning for their actions. I had a child steal big items from their siblings and sell them. They had to replace the items and were warned if r happened again they would face charges. But this was an older child
Have her tell them she did it and make her work for money to give to them it works
I would make my child return whatever was stolen from the person/place and make them pay for it. With their own money. If they didn’t have the money i would make them work for the money to do so and would not make it easy cash.
Make them return everything. Theyll be so embarrassed they WONT do it again. Have a cop present and they DEFINITLY wont do it again
Write sorry letter to the ppl or places he stole from along with the humiliation of returning in person… make him write 100 times I will not steal. Have him understand it Is illegal a crime take him to detention center have a cop talk to him(not sure if corona season will allow) get creative he must feel he can get away with it if it’s happened often. Search his room and things every time he comes into the house until he can be trusted again
My 7 year old kept stealing little things (candy from a store, toys from friends, money from grandma) I made him return the candy and he was grounded for the other stuff. It didn’t work, we took him to the sheriff’s office and had a deputy talk to him. That was 3 years ago and he hasn’t stollen anything since
I take the money from their piggy bank, drive them back to the store, make them march in, fess up, and pay for the item!
If stolen from school or someone’s home I make them return it with an apology letter.
Make them take it back and apologize. My Grandmother made me do that when I was six and took a candy bar, and I NEVER stole again!
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My little brother was 2 and he stole senty hand sanitizer from kohl’s. He hid it from my mom until we got to the car. She made him go back in and return it to the manager
I think you gotta do more then just making them return it and apologize because it didn’t work on me
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My 4 year old stole a wrench from Home Depot. We were getting in the car when I saw it. I made him take it back and apologize.
When one of my daughters tried her hand at it I took her by the hand walked to the corner store made her return all of the candy she stole and apologized and she wasn’t allowed back there without me. She was 10 and has disabilities but I wanted her to know somehow that it wasn’t right
Have them take it back or work it off
My daughter stole a chocolate bar once. I didn’t know till we got home. I took her back with it, the money and to say sorry. She’s never stolen again. She was 7 then now 10. I didn’t allow her to have the chocolate.
My son stole £20 from his dads girlfriends purse one day and I told his dad that he was to pay it back in full so if anyone in the family even gave him 50p or £1 to buy sweets he had to hand it over and he was grounded for a month also , safe to say he never tried it again after that
My 9 year old did this in the beginning of the shutdown. He got lined and groundation. And by groundation I mean sitting on my couch that doesn’t face the tv, quietly with only a fidget toy all day except for virtual learning and meals. No books or anything. And took his tv and game system out of his room. By the end of two weeks he could voice what he did wrong and why it was wrong. And after a week of good behavior he got his tv and system back. Hasn’t stolen since.
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Maybe find out “why” the child did it, peer pressure etc. You may have him take it back to the store (?) Only you know your child and what’s best for them. Let him/her know how upset you are, but don’t go overboard if it’s been less then 3 time. If it continues and you have a police friend, maybe they could do a bit of one on one in a friendly manor. Maybe a doctors visit
I made mine return the item and apologize to whoever they took it from. If they did it again, I took them to the police station and have a nice officer talk to them about the consequences of stealing. They havent done it after that, but the next step was to spank them.
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Depends who the child stole from if it was a small town store u know the owner of see if ur kid can do chores there if it was a friend do chores at the friend’s house if not an option extra chores at home. And if he can write make him write lines and a letter of apology and make him hand deliver it. After all of that sit down with him ask him why and explain why it’s wrong to steal
My son stole money on my Amazon account and bought a watch well he got grounded and his dad has a new watch Oh and he was 10 now 16 and he will never do that again I’m against stealing from anybody !!!
When my son was eight he stole little things and we tied everything!!! Then the ladt time he stole a thing of tic tacs from walmart. I called Walmart and spoke with a manager and told her i wanted to put the fear of God in this child because i want to end here. We took him back to the store and he gave it back and apologized , he was crying so hard he couldnt speak. she told him if he doesnt stop Walmart will press charges once they turn 10. Once we got home my husband put our son in his car and took him to the police station. My husband had call previously and the office talked to him and showed him a cell. Never had a problem again.
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My neohew got mad at his mom vecause she refused for the 3rd or 4th time that day to putchase him a candy barso he tooks 8ne and thecstore where m9m worked cought him. The manager hadcseen his tantrum to get the candy and called the police. The police officer sat him in the back of the police car while he talked to the store manager and my sister. He thought he would be arrested for theft of the candy bar and the police offiekcer probably knew, so let him stew in the car for a while. When he had talked to all the adults he came back and talked to my nephew and told him he coukd go with his mother with a warning, this time but if he stole sgain he could be arrested. That scared him enough that he told me. "“I’m never taking anything from a store again.” He never did. He was a good parent and worried about his kids being good adults.
My son once took a cupcake eraser from a friend who bought it at the book fair. When he was caught and made to return it, it was damaged. I bought a new one, but then made him do an hour of chores to work off the cost of the cupcake. If he would have been old enough to have money, I would have had him buy a new one with his own money.
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My son stole a ball from a ball pit in a children’s play area. I made him take it back and apologise to the staff. Staff spoke to him and whilst they explained that if every child took a ball there would be none for anyone who wanted to play. He never again did that nor stole anything ever again. He was only 5 at the time
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One of my daughters tried stealing a princess camera at the check out at Walmart when she was about 4. I noticed and quietly told the cashier her name and asked her to help me explain what happens when you steal. The lady behind me in line actually bought the dang thing. When i was loading the car she tried to give my daughter it. I refused but told her if she wanted to she could give it to my 3 year old. She never tried it again. She cried the whole way home.
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One of my children did this and we took her back to the store and made her give it back and apologize. It humiliated her and she will never forget that feeling.
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Exactly take them back and have them apologize. And then explain to them how hard people work for what they have. And hand out your own punishment of what you think is best… Good luck…
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Many years ago, my daughter was about 8 years old. Her friend stole crayons and gave my daughter. Box. I took her back to the store, asked for the manager and made her return them and explain where she got them. The manager couldn’t believe I did that and thanked me. He told me her friend (who she could no longer go anywhere with) was the one that stole them and it wasn’t the first time. She was so scared, she never did it again.
Yeah… son stole a chapstick… brought him bk to the store, asked for the manager and said “my son has something to tell you”. She totally understood the mom thing I was doing and said he would get a warning this time but next call the police. He was 8. Won’t do it again. It broke my heart to do it to that level but I needed to nip it in the bud.
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Working in retail so long I know the true cost of shoplifting by a child or an adult. I was at a dollar store and accidentally put a pack of him in my coat pocket. I felt it when I got back home, turned right around and paid for it and apologize. I felt so bad. Then one time we had a young boy stick 3 sticks of him in his pocket. He was like in third day. I called the police and made him stay in the store. His mother finally came in and I told her he was staying until the police showed up. I even had a witness. She complained it was a school night. The police finally came and took the kid out to his parents. I never saw the kid ahain.
Have your child take the stolen item back to the owner, with you present, and have your child give back the item and tell the owner they stole it. After a few times of doing that, he may not think it’s worth stealing. If that doesn’t work, ask your local police to take them to the jail and lock them up for an hour or so.
I had three incidents with my son . He stole gum from a store after I told him could not have it . His brother told on him when we go home . He was not allowed gum for a week .
Second incident he stole comic books from the corner store . I went with him while he returned them . The cashier told him it was OK honey. I told her no it’s not ok . I was trying to teach him it’s not ok to steal anytime but she made it seem it was ok.
Third time he went to the store and asked for 100 red fish. The new owner counted them out and my son grabbed the bag n threw a nickel on the counter and ran out of the store . I took him to the store . I paid for them .He was grounded for a week no friends in no outside for 2 weeks .NO candy . He missed a birthday party , going to the movies and roller skating with his friends. It killed me to stick to his punishment but he never stole again .
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When my mean middle child was 5 she decided to heist a lollypop from the grocery store, we got out to the car and I noticed and made her March right back in and apologize to the clerk then paid for it. She has since never taken another thing out of the store.
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My older brother had friends that were in the police force. They took my little brother ( who stole gum) to the police dept. to show him the jail cells
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I agree make it back and apologize. When my took money from a child’s backpack I made him return it to the school and then took him to the police station and had them talk to him, they also put him a cell for a short time. Never did it again.
My daughter accidentally took a small toy from the dollar store… She realized in the car… She was in such a panic I told her it was ok… We brought it back to the store and she apologized… No humiliating needed. She never did it again.
My son stole a candy bar from store we got in car and I heard paper ripping so made him take in to manager and tell him he took without permission then I paid for it and he reached out to get it and I told manager throw it in trash he wasn’t getting it cause he tried steal it I told him if he wanted 1 he should asked me and he coulda had 1
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I am raising three grandchildren I had my mortgage money in my glove box of my truck well the 8 year old got in my glove box took the money to school and was giving it away thank God the kids told on him and it was returned back to me I told him it was wrong once you steal people will think your a thief and also is in the bible thou shall not steal
Made my daughter tell them what she did apologize pay for it and not keep it and had her ask if they where still going to call the police on her them when we went to store next few times i made sure before going in to remind her to keeps hands clasped together in front of her not to touch anything and reminded her they would be watching to make sure she didnt try to steal again
If its from a store, take them back in. Talk to the manager ahead of time. Tell them the child needs to be scared straight. Make the child pay for said item. Then have manager throw it away in front if them. Child gets consequences at home.
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My son stole some candy from the store I made him take it back and pay for it. He asked why? I always paid for my groceries with a check. He didn’t think of that as money. We had a long talk. No problem after that.
It works on some children but not on others I had two of mine steal making them take it back asked for store manager made them tell manager scared one never did it again the other was a lost cause
Years ago a, Iittle boy about 5 (whose mother I knew) stole something small. Mom discovered it on the way home. She took him back to the store but no big deal was made of it. In the car on the way home he was joking about it. She drove straight to the police station. An older officer there made a big deal of it and made an impression on him. Never stole again. 
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And I agree with everyone. Have your child take it back and apologize.
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Make him take it back and apologize then have him do “community service” at the place be stole from. Sweeping dusting unpacking boxes etc
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I made mine return the items and apologize to the person she stole from. Seems to be working so far…
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My daughter was maybe 7 or so when she stole a little girly necklace from a dollar store years ago. I saw it in her hands when we got to the car. I took her back inside and made her hand it back and tell them what she did. She was mortified and they were thankful. I think she learned her lesson.
If it was from a private party tell the child that you will let that person come over and take anything of theirs
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Grounding. If stealing items from the store make them return and apologize
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I mind my aunt took my cousin to police station, they showed him the cells and told him lots of things about jail!
Absolutely make them return it to the manager and apologize.
Rikki, same here but I also made him pay for the items out of his allowance and give it back to be donated to the next child that came through the line.
My daughter did that in a grocery store she was 5 and it wasn’t a major thing but I made her take it back to the store and tell them she took it and it wasn’t hers. She never did it again:baseball:
Stealing? No matter how petty or small, zero tolerance. Kid has to be told. Don’t let it be a habit or a joke.
Take away a privilege for a week or two. Then I would have them write a letter of apology and have he/she take it to whoever they stole from.
When I was that age My sister and I stole deflated balloons from the store my mom found out when we got home. She called the cops to come and talk with us
Have the child return the items. I have found that usually teaches them better than anything else.
What ever they stole make them give it to the manager & tell what they did!
This is slightly different, but the message is the same. We were living in a condo community and my daughter and another girl were caught damaging property around the community building. My husband immediately went and repaired all the damage. I went and found out when the next board meeting was and I took my daughter and made her apologize to the board. She was about 7. The next newsletter came out and her apology was in it. My daughter never did anything like that again! Side note- the other girl was not punished and she turned in to a horrible, disrespectful teenager. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up in jail. My daughter? She owns her own business and is very successful!
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Make him take it back and apologize to the manager. I had to do this when I was 5. Never did it again
Explain right from wrong and that if it’s something they want they need to ask. I did this with my oldest…
If they steal from a store. Take them back and make them pay for the item and apologize
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Solitary! Nope, 3 whacks, to the room, no games.
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I let my kids eat a candy bar while shopping but keep the package so we could pay for it at checkout. Onecday qe were with my mother and she told them to toss the wrapoer and no one would know. I really scolded her and made my kids go directly to the cashier to pay for the 3 candy bars they had eaten. I told them that they woukd know they had stolen candy by not paying after eating it. After that if they wanted to eat something at the store they were required to pay for it and have the cashier tape the receipt to the wrapper and I also said that anything was not paid for until it was rang up when we checked out. They all watched the cashier to be able to get the item they could have as soon as it was “paid for” or rang up by the cashier. I never shopped with my mom after that where my kids could get candy beczuse she never understood why I made my kids pay for a candy bar they ate at the store.
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Take the child to the police department and have them talk to an officer
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Take the child back to the store, ask for the manager, have the child return the item and apologize for stealing. If the child does it again, repeat the process, and then pop that butt with the good old wooden spoon a couple of times to drive home the point that thievery is completely unacceptable.
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My friends daughter stole something very little from my house , to this day I can’t believe the parents did nothing about it . I know she took it because when we were at their house I saw it an asked her why she took the item 
her parents just thought it was funny because she was little. Then another (friend) stole a change purse with my child’s collection of coins that my deceased father had given her when she was little an we know she took them because her child told me her mom got a little purse of money from my daughters bedroom. Needless to say those people were never invited back to my house . Stealing is never to be brushed off .
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Back in the 60’s, me and my friends wanted to go to the State Fair, we were all poor, so, we got a coffee can, slapped a unicef label on it, and went door to door asking for donations, my mom caught us, after the ass whooping, the screaming, and the grounding, she made me go back to every house, return the money, and admit that I had scammed, lied, and stole from them. Most humiliating thing I ever had to do! I NEVER stole another thing in my life!
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Good old fashioned spanking.
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Make him return the things he stole , take his toys make him earn them back
Write him a note and drop him off at a bank. Let him learn the hard way and if he gets lucky then you both got something to celebrate
Start taking away his pleasures and add extra chores.
My dad took me down to the police station and told me and my sister we would be staying the night. The police officer talked to us about stealing. We had taken a pack of gum. My mom took us back to the store and made us pay the 25 cents for the gum and give it back and the store manager talked to us. But when my dad got done with us we were scared straight, the police officer said it would go on our record were if we got into trouble again that we would go to Juvi we we 8 and 10. Found out years later my dad told the officer to scare us. It sure did because I was a good girl after that.
Make them return it…
Little things now but…
Make sure you give him money. I stole at that age because I had no money never
Beat his ass. Plain and simple. Why are people so scared to beat a kids ass? So many act like beating their ass means you beat them till they’re half dead… NO, you take a spoon or belt and smack en across their ass enough to get their damn attention!
My child stole from a store. I made him take it back. Then we worked out a way for him to work there long enough to pay for what he stole. Then when the clerk wanted to give it back to him I said no because you can’t sell second hand stuff at a drugstore so she said I was right and threw it away. He learned his lesson
We go return the item and he owns it. No passivity from the jump off
My son was 7 and he & some friends stole candy from our local candy store. I was lucky enough to have relatives and good friends on the local police department…I told them I was calling them to which I heard my son tell his friends" it will be my Uncle , he’ll just spank me" so I purposely told them not to send that officer. I’ll never forget the look on his face when another officer showed up. He was great with them and put the fear in them! They never stole again! If you have an officer you can call or someone to play the role,do it!
My daughter when she was little stole a lolly from a shop I made her take it back and apologise and even pay for it she hasn’t done anything like that again xxx
Try making them take it back. Next time try with help. I talked to law enforcement devised a plan to scare them.
Let them stay overnight in a Juvenile Detention Ctr. A wake up Call.
My son stole a key chain from cvs and I made home take it back to the store and tell the manager he stole it. But manager was not in so he had to stew over it another day and took him back to the store and tell the manager. I called ahead of time and told the manager to scare the shit out of him and he also made my son empty the trash in the store to pay for the key chain. He never stole again.