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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder why my teen is stealing sugar?

407 replies

Tessliketrees · 02/11/2017 20:28

One of my kids (both teens) is stealing the sugar. I don't know which one.

I noticed a brand new bag of sugar had vanished last week, I assumed it had been spilled by one of the kids who had failed to mention it. Actually that didn't really make sense at the time because neither of them is capable of cleaning a bag of sugar so well. Either way I forgot all about it.

Now a second bag has disappeared.

It's not me, its not DH. Nobody else has had access.

What the fuckity fuck is going on?

OP posts:
Wanderlust1984 · 03/11/2017 21:14

I'm thinking it's DH and your life is suddenly about to go all 'Breaking Bad' on you. It really is the only reasonable explanation Grin

JamPasty · 03/11/2017 21:14

Also, Flowers for the horrific day

Frusso · 03/11/2017 21:16

DH is at looking a bit shifty

I think you know who the culprit is

ManchesterGin · 03/11/2017 21:19

Probably in the make shift drug lab

Grin funny!

AnnabelFan · 03/11/2017 21:27

Ok..mentioned this to teenage dd and when I said about eldest ds reaction (laughing) she said she'd have laughed too! Had no idea why he would possibly want sugar (she's 16 and is quite streetwise)...so think he's not guilty! Put thoughts of hardcore drug dealing firmly away!!
This leaves youngest ds or dh...how old is youngest?

MollyHuaCha · 03/11/2017 21:57

DH took a bag to work maybe - has he by any chance publicly given up sugar in tea and coffee when with you (but secretly still adding a couple of tsp at work)?

averylongtimeago · 03/11/2017 22:37

Well after finding out rather more about drugs than I expected on a lighthearted thread about missing sugar, I still think the older teen is up to something-
But at a friends house: bonfire toffee anyone?

Skinandbones · 03/11/2017 23:03

Just caught this thread and had a good old laugh, it's cheered me up. Now does anyone sleepwalk, maybe someone's going for a bit of a walk and hiding the sugar, have you check everywhere?

5foot5 · 03/11/2017 23:31

This thread has made me re-evaluate an aspect of my childhood.

For many years I thought my mum was afraid of sugar thieves because she kept many bags of sugar in the cupboard in her bedroom. At that time there were occasional sugar shortages, probably because of industrial action from someone. This was the 70s after all. Supermarkets imposed a ration of one bag per person and at school we had soup and a main instead of main and a pudding.

Anyway, we went through quite a bit of sugar. Sugar in tea and coffee, sugar on cereal and Mum baked every week and used sugar for that obviously. So she developed the habit of stockpiling sugar. We always had at least 10 to 12 bags of sugar n the house so that we could withstand any future shortage.

For some reason I always assumed she kept it in the bedroom because she was afraid that in times of sugar rationing sneak thieves would nip into the kitchen while her back was turned and make off with her hoard. I only just realized that in fact it was probably just that there wasn't enough room in the kitchen cupboard and in any case if she had put several stone of sugar in it might have fallen off the wall.

5foot5 · 03/11/2017 23:38

This thread has made me re-evaluate an aspect of my childhood.

For many years I thought my mum was afraid of sugar thieves because she kept many bags of sugar in the cupboard in her bedroom. At that time there were occasional sugar shortages, probably because of industrial action from someone. This was the 70s after all. Supermarkets imposed a ration of one bag per person and at school we had soup and a main instead of main and a pudding.

Anyway, we went through quite a bit of sugar. Sugar in tea and coffee, sugar on cereal and Mum baked every week and used sugar for that obviously. So she developed the habit of stockpiling sugar. We always had at least 10 to 12 bags of sugar n the house so that we could withstand any future shortage.

For some reason I always assumed she kept it in the bedroom because she was afraid that in times of sugar rationing sneak thieves would nip into the kitchen while her back was turned and make off with her hoard. I only just realized that in fact it was probably just that there wasn't enough room in the kitchen cupboard and in any case if she had put several stone of sugar in it might have fallen off the wall.

5foot5 · 03/11/2017 23:40

Oh god I have never done that before! Sorry I don't know how that happened

WhispersOfWickedness · 03/11/2017 23:49

That’s ok 5foot, it was a good story, I enjoyed reading it twice Grin
My money is on DH.

Tessliketrees · 04/11/2017 01:08

your life is suddenly about to go all 'Breaking Bad' on you

I hope not, that means I will give up on it 8 hours in!

OP posts:
Shockers · 04/11/2017 01:24

Hav

WellThisIsShit · 04/11/2017 02:49

Oooh, why won’t the culprit crack under the pressure?! Enquiring minds want to know!

(Ignore the weirdly aggressive spat earlier, not exactly what you want to come home and read after a hard day!)

IAmNotAWitch · 04/11/2017 03:25

If you cut cocaine with bicarb, wouldn't it go all fizzy up your nose?

MynewnameisKy · 04/11/2017 03:49

I reckon the Dh is bringing it into the office as then it comes out of the household "housekeeping" budget as opposed to him buying it.

What does your Dh do?

JWrecks · 04/11/2017 04:47

Right, @Tess. You've only got one option remaining to you at this point: scary, threatening, TV-show-esque INTERROGATION.

Line up 3 chairs in the kitchen, or if you have one, a big, mostly empty garage. The emptier, darker, colder, more cavernous, and more echo-ey the space, the better. Turn off ALL of the lights in this room, and in the surrounding rooms. Do this at night for maximum ambient darkness.

Arrange the chairs in a row, but leave room for yourself to pace before and behind them, and room to walk between them. Arrange them so that the person sitting in the chair feels sufficiently isolated.

Gather (or acquire) 3 very harsh lights, whether torches, bendy-neck lamps, or those harsh, clippy work lights builders use. They can all be identical, but if all the lights are different, and of different brightness, that's great; use the harshest on your chief suspect OR on the suspect you believe would cave first if they knew anything. Place some sort of table or stands a metre or so in front of the chairs, leaving yourself room to pace before and behind the lights as well as around the chairs. Place the lights on the table or the stands, and aim the lights directly at the chairs - one light, one chair. If the table/stands are loose and wobble with each of your footsteps, good. Use that to your advantage.

Place a small recording device on the table or stand.

Find yourself a smart, but intimidating business suit - preferably skirt, but trousers will do fine. Featureless, one solid colour, or the closest thing you can find. Plain white shirt under the blazer. Minimal jewelry. Wear simple, but heeled, shoes with loud, clicky heels, so that every step you take echoes through the room. Pull your hair back away from your face. Find a thick stick, large wooden spoon, riding crop(!), or some other intimidating looking prop to carry in one hand; carry nothing else.

Gather the 3 suspects into the darkened room by mysteriously calling out to them from inside, in the dark. Stand behind the glaring lights as they enter, so that they're forced to look into the lights but still cannot see you. In an authoritative, emotionless tone, instruct them to sit them in the chairs. As soon as the first sits down, for no reason but to confuse them, say "No, you, sit there, you sit there" pointing with your prop, from behind the lights still, so that they can only see the prop. Then make a point of visibly turning on the recording device.

As you emerge from behind the lights and walk to the centre of the space before the 3 of them, explain to them, in that same emtionless tone, why you've gathered them there: "There has been suspicious activity in this house recently, and we are gathered here to get to the bottom of it, right now. Nobody is leaving this room until the matter is settled." Meticulously go over the series of events, pacing and waving your prop, occasionally pointing it in the faces of the accused as you refer to them.

As you question them, pace and pace, clicking those heels. Alternate between pacing (ever so slowly) in front of and behind the lights, in front of and behind the chairs, as you ask general questions of all the suspects. Alternate between bending down into their faces, and standing tall with arms crossed directly before their chair, as you ask pointed questions of each individual. Occasionally tap your prop into the palm of your empty hand, making a smacking sound, to emphasise certain words as you speak.

Pit them against each other. Use the old but reliable "if one of you doesn't confess, all of you suffer" line on them. Turn their answers around on them. Catch them in any lies or discrepancies. Drag the truth from them forcibly. Maintain that emotionless, authoritative tone throughout the interrogation.

Get to the bottom of it.

Noooowwwww, unfortunately, I just can't seem to come up with the questions themselves, or any sort of speech or opening statement! I can set the scene, but I need some other creative soul to help with a script of questions to ask, intimidating verbal jabs, jukes, ways to get under their skin, and make them believe you know more than you actually do.

Surely there's some lovely, creative soul up late and willing to help me build my fantasy @Tess get to the bottom of this!!??

AnnabelFan · 04/11/2017 07:21

Drugs aside, this thread is like a Miss Marple episode ! I'm hooked!

dancingqueen345 · 04/11/2017 07:40

Absolutely not helpful but because of this thread I’ve just put a sugar in my tea. Not had sugar in tea for years!

jobapplicationshock · 04/11/2017 07:45

JWrecks that was hilarious, hope you are writing a novel Grin

ptumbi · 04/11/2017 08:45

at school we had soup and a main instead of main and a pudding. - see, that is fabulous. I've been saying for years that we should drop the pudding at school -why do they need a pudding? A veg soup, or cheese and crackers is o much healthier.

Sugar is evil Grin

IdinaSackville · 04/11/2017 09:34

Haven't read the whole thread so not sure if it's been mentioned already but I was dropping DD at school yesterday and they had a poster up. Can't seem to upload photo but it says: "please bring a bag of sugar into school by Monday 4th December for the needy, sugar is instant and vital energy in food and hot drinks". Poster is on behalf of homeless charity Crisis. We are in East Anglia.

CatsCatsCats11 · 04/11/2017 09:35

Think it would make my day if the older teen was making and selling jam Grin

EvilRinguBitch · 04/11/2017 10:29

OMG what a twist Idina.

My personal bet is on the DH. I think he’s having a mini mid life crisis about his personal appearance and is doing light weights exercises from YouTube on the sly because he’s too embarrassed to a) join a gym b) tell his DW. The fact that it’s two bags is the giveaway.