Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Not sure I would've titled this post as "Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight " he's 6 nor do I think 2 hours later I'd still be still shaken up by it. . .

I get what you did, although knowing myself I probably would've just said to him "are you getting those for Mommy?" or something along those lines and explain he couldn't put them in his pocket without her knowing.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

honestly, i would have hesitated to approach the mom as well. I have seen waaaayy too many instances where strangers go off on others- I wouldnt feel safe.

It doesnt matter who addressed the kid- he obviously learned his lesson because he got scared and he put it back .

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by DPerotti

Not sure I would've titled this post as "Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight " he's 6 nor do I think 2 hours later I'd still be still shaken up by it. . .

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by HeathKernandez

Posted by DPerotti

Not sure I would've titled this post as "Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight " he's 6 nor do I think 2 hours later I'd still be still shaken up by it. . .

I know right?! The world is a safer place without that 6 year old on the streets...

sorry but I just had to

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by HeathKernandez

Posted by cateyemm

honestly, i would have hesitated to approach the mom as well. I have seen waaaayy too many instances where strangers go off on others- I wouldnt feel safe.

honestly I wouldn't even have approached the mother... I wouldn't have told the store.. I would have just thought it was funny & figured if this becomes a "regular thing" for our little delinquent someone else will teach him his lesson.

but if I *were* too approach the mother, I would do it jokingly like "Don't mean to be a pain but I think your kid is helping himself to some candy... hehehe."

I had to pat my son down in kindergarten b/c he would CONVENIENTLY leave the school's match box cars in his pockets...

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by cateyemm

Posted by HeathKernandez

Posted by cateyemm

honestly, i would have hesitated to approach the mom as well. I have seen waaaayy too many instances where strangers go off on others- I wouldnt feel safe.

honestly I wouldn't even have approached the mother... I wouldn't have told the store.. I would have just thought it was funny & figured if this becomes a "regular thing" for our little delinquent someone else will teach him his lesson.

but if I *were* too approach the mother, I would do it jokingly like "Don't mean to be a pain but I think your kid is helping himself to some candy... hehehe."

I had to pat my son down in kindergarten b/c he would CONVENIENTLY leave the school's match box cars in his pockets...

i was a bit of a klepto as a child as well. never from a store but once i stole my BFFs mini teddy ruxbin that she had gotten from a happy meal. i felt so guilty i never did it again.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Maybe I grew up very sheltered but it was not a right of passage where I grew up to steal!

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Can I ask what had you shaken up still after 2 hours?

I think it's a little ridiculous to call a 6 year old a shoplifter. If you were that concerned about him, you could have just mentioned it to the mother and she could have used it to teach him a lesson. I don't know if I would be proud that I ratted on a 6 year old.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

I do think its a little silly to call a 6 year old a shoplifter...but...I would have done the same thing. No way am I gonna go up to some random woman and tell on her child...bishes be crazy when it comes to their children and I do NOT want that coming back on me!

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

I dont know, I guess I am in the minority but I think you overrreacted by telling on him. Anyway, my son stole tictacs from a store once, he is 5. When I got home I heard them and asked where he got them, he told me and we brought him back to the store and made him return them.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by BargainMama

Posted by HeathKernandez

Posted by DPerotti

Not sure I would've titled this post as "Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight " he's 6 nor do I think 2 hours later I'd still be still shaken up by it. . .

I know right?! The world is a safer place without that 6 year old on the streets...

sorry but I just had to

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by browneyedgirl

although i think you did a great thing, as a mom, i would have wished you would tell me first if you saw my child shoplifting. you're right, she could have put him up to it, but i still would have given the mom the benefit of the doubt. i'm sure she was mortified when she found out. i know i would have been devastated though if someone told a clerk and not me i would want to have the opportunity to teach my child a lesson myself.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Posted by browneyedgirl

although i think you did a great thing, as a mom, i would have wished you would tell me first if you saw my child shoplifting. you're right, she could have put him up to it, but i still would have given the mom the benefit of the doubt. i'm sure she was mortified when she found out. i know i would have been devastated though if someone told a clerk and not me i would want to have the opportunity to teach my child a lesson myself.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

OK, I am now reading all the comments (sorry, I was away from the computer all day yesterday - enjoying my mothers day!)
For those that agree with what I did, thank you for the support!
For those that disagree with what I did, well, it is done and I can't turn back the time. I have to say though, if presented with the exact same situation again, I would most likely do the same thing. I don't like confrontation, so I didn't approach the lady that could have possibly been the mother. The boy was no where near her so I'm not even sure who she was. I told the manager/store clerk as it is their responsibility to go further with this. The boy knew he was doing something wrong, that was why he tried to hide it in his sleeve/put it in his pocket. He was old enough to read (he started to read aloud some of the cards that were in my aisle) and apparently old enough to walk around the store on his own. He was also old enough to know that stealing is wrong. Yes, no matter if it is a dollar candy bar or an expensive piece of jewelry, it is stealing! My son is 4 and he knows that we don't take things that are not ours.
For those that said maybe he put them back? He didn't have an opportunity to as the candy is all right in front of the register where I was. It is entirely possible that he did it after I left though. If so, good for him and no harm done, right?

The clerk said she was going to talk to the mom. She wasn't calling the cops, they were going to handle it!

Again, I am sorry to those that think my actions were "ridiculous" or over the top but I felt that I did the right thing!

Happy Mother's Day!

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

It's true that the kid prob knew right from wrong (the fact he was hiding the stuff makes that pretty obvious) BUT it's such a tough situation because, well, my son is turning 5 in September and honestly he has picked stuff up and gone to walk away with it (innocently of course).

I know this child was a bit older and KNEW that it was "wrong" but 6 is still very little...who knows what was going on in his head about it all..


I was in a 7-11 last year and a kid prob around 8 or 9 put a bag of chips in his backpack. The manager saw him do it..followed him outside, opened the backpack, grabbed the chips and told him he was lucky he didn't call the police and that he was a terrible boy. The kid started BAWLING. It was awful. He sat and cried on the sidewalk sobbing...I asked him why he did it, he said he was hungry and didn't have money. Seriously..it was just so sad. I bought him chips and a drink, gave it to him and told him that it would be ok..that he was a good boy and just did a stupid thing but not to do it again...the kid prob had no one that really cared about him.

Anyway...I digress..sorry!!! Just saying..kids do stupid things and especially at 6 i feel that complete right vs. wrong this is a bit cloudy, lol..I prob would have just approached the mom, but i know your intentions weren't bad...

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

Message edited 5/9/2011 12:47:44 PM.

Re: Hopefully stopped a shoplifter tonight

I might be in the minority but you "told" on a 6 year old child????? I would've asked where his mom was and then I would've approached her and just let her know what you saw and then let his mom handle it. At that age I personally would not have sought out a store manager, that's a bit much given his age and the fact that it was just a candy bar. It's not like the store would do anything other than maybe talk to him but sometimes I think it's best to go through the parents first. I know I would appreciate someone approaching me if they saw my DD doing something wrong and I know that I would 100% be on top of the situation.

In this case, I would have my DD give the candy back to the store owner and apologize but I know as a mom, if my child did something at that age I would want to handle it as opposed to someone "telling" on her, especially at such a young, young age. If the kid was a teenager that's one thing, but 6? I don't know, I personally think you could've handled it better.