To think this as impressive as it is cheeky and naughty?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I noticed dd1 was too tall for her bike earlier, so had a look about for second hand ones for her.

By chance I found someone selling as new bikes in dd1 and dd2's size. Dd2 was overjoyed. She wanted to know when she could get her new bike. She's always wanted a "new" bike but always gets dd1's cast offs. I told her tomorrow because I haven't been paid yet. She asked when I get paid. I told her when I could be bothered to go and get my wages.

She went out to play.

5 minutes later she was back clutching £30.

She'd taken it upon herself to go to my workplace, tell my boss I had sent her and asked him for my wages. They weren't ready yet, she said, so she asked if she could have just £30 of them because she thinks bikes must be about £30.

I'm unsure as to whether to be or or both.

Dd2 is 7.

She wasn't mugged. She won't do it again, so won't be mugged in the future. She didn't realise she was doing anything wrong. I am not going to punish her on the basis of what ifs.

Yes, my boss shouldn't have given her them, but it's small family run business and they've known dd2 since she was a babe in arms. She's grown up in front of them. She's the favourite of my children in my workplace, it would never have occurred to them that she was being deceptive, because it is so out of character for her and they know that.

Haven't read all of the thread, but I love how delightfully 70s this is. Made me chuckle.

I dunno what age DD1 is but I think that you should collect your own wages. Even if she is adult, your workplace = your responsibility.
If you need your wages that much! haul your ass off the sofa
DD2 has no idea that going to your place of work and demanding your wages is inappropriate.....
I have a 7 yo. This course of action would never occur to her as she is a 7 yo

Bit ott there, Ronald - did you never run errands for your parents? Considering it's a small business and the employer and employee's families are well known to each other, and it's just up the road, what's wrong with the OP sending DD1 on occasions?

I think your DD just used her initiative, how very enterprising, saw a problem and solved it. I think you have handled it wonderfully too OP.

I don't agree with all these OTT posts slagging off your parenting. I went to the park near my house at 7 and the nearby shop. My DCs played out in the street (cul de sac with some grass) and my DS did sometimes bugger off and I had too look for him so I didn't always know where he was.

All children are different, some can't be trusted, some can, only the OP knows if her elder DD is responsible enough to collect her wages when she was hungover - NOT DRUNK (read the posts) I do wish all these Judgey MNetters wouldn't keep on about their perfect parenting/perfect DCs!

As for reading all the OP's previous post's, you must have far too much free time on your hands.

Blimey, I wish I had that kind of confidence as a child, or even as a young adult!

I would say: don't punish, but explain about what we adults call "the proper channels". She was demonstrating the quick lateral thinking that adults need, and sometimes lack! If your DD was suddenly punished for this, she might then be very confused.

I remember being punished at home and school for doing what I thought was a sensible thing (e.g. starting to pack things away because I knew it was nearly the end of the lesson, yet this was a heinous crime because we had not been told to do it yet!).

The result was I grew up with a fear of taking initiative of any sort, in case it was wrong; I felt had to get many of my actions "validated" until my early 20's.

We have all been seven and excited over getting something new. I remember being that age at a wedding and being given a bracelet for being a flower girl. At the reception I had no money to play in the games room so I tried to sell the bracelet. All the adults laughed and gave me some money.

As an adult it wasn't very nice to try and sell a gift but as a kid it made sense as the games room was more exciting than a bracelet. Especially considering I was a total tomboy and hated anything girly

I wouldn't be angry if my kid did this OP. I would laugh my head off in secret and just tell her it was wrong to go without asking.

I also remember being a bit older and a friends mum was going to throw out a load of boys clothes. I asked if I could have them and took them home. We were a family of seven and I had three older brothers. Money was tight and I was used to hand me downs from my older brothers. My step mum went ballistic and told me we weren't a charity. I didn't know what I had done wrong. What makes sense to an adult doesn't always make sense to a child.

When DS1 was little he was totally desperate for the Action Man Snake Temple Of Mild Inconvenience and when I wouldn't buy it as it was too much money he tried to cut his own hair so the 6 I would have spent on that went towards the snakes instead! It was a nail scissors in the bathroom job and looked like it had been chewed by rats! I was horrified and DP thought it was hilarious ...

He got the snakes in the end as he convinced his Grandma to give him a pound a go to peel the supper veggies for her every evening. He's just gone off to South America on a trip he funded himself by doing jobs round the village so I reckon your DD won't go far wrong, Dooin, it sounds like you handled it well!

WTF? Six pounds ... Stupid keyboard.