Can’t believe someone would steal a child’s coat!

[justmakemeacuppa]

Just a rant really, I’m livid took kids out to a play area. had food then moved into play area. Somewhere from moving from one room to another it seems my 2 yo had her coat taken. I’d hoped I’d just left it on the 1st table but I actually went back to check as I had left dd7 shoes under the table and double checked I’d picked everything thing up. I do the usual and keep an eye on phone/purse the obvious things but never thought for one moment someone would take a child’s coat. We searched the pub and lost property but not handed in. It’s snowing but luckily we were in the car but imagine if we’d had to walk home with a 2 yo with no coat! Obviously I’d give her mine if we had to walk. I just keep saying to myself at least a child will be warm. The coat wasn’t a cheap one so this may be why it’s disappeared. Just waiting to see if cctv shows anything. I’m so gutted and can’t buy another as it’s no longer in stock. Not sure I’m upset I’ve lost her lovely coat or the fact it’s deliberately been taken!

I’ve always used the word paddy. Never thought nothing of it. I have an Irish friend will ask him about it lol

I like the buttons idea I think I will have a shop for fancy buttons and do this

It's an ethnic slur OP. There is a whole history to it, but it's as bad as saying "im being worked like a black". But mumsnet never take it seriously.

You know now, so don't use it.

DS1 had his new coat nicked at school. It was a very distinctive coat that his grandmother MADE him. I spotted a child wearing it and approached his mother - 'Sorry, X has picked up Y's coat by mistake' - she swore blind it was her son's coat! So I got DS to nick it back from the child's peg next day - lo and behold it had the name labels cut out, all except for the one I sewed in halfway up inside one sleeve!

He has come home with one new size 1.5 shoe on and one battered size 13 shoe in the same style, I only noticed after he grumbled his new shoes were tight on the way home! Despite an appeal , his shoe was never returned. God knows why they needed one new shoe in the wrong size.

I had my newish buggy stolen when at a fireworks display. Turned round for a minute to watch, turned back and it was gone! Cheeky buggers.

Sadly it happens often. I went to a well known animal park in my local area. At the end of the park near the exit is an indoor play area. Shoes and coats are stored in little boxes under the seating area. When it came to leaving, I had to wonder into the play area to locate my stroppy 3 year old who didn't want to come out. When I finally did locate her, I went back to where I was sat to put on their shoes and coats. But they were gone. I did the standard searching, wondered if I had gone back to the wrong area, but no. I asked at the desk and apparently "it happens all the time". I was furious! Luckily I had my car, but I had to carry both my girls (one being almost 7) across a muddy field to get to my car. On my way, I noticed another lady doing the same, children with no shoes. Some people just have no morals.

Yeah wait for school and then you’ll really know what it’s like to lose stuff!
DD put her jumper down in the classroom couple of weeks ago and then went back for it and it was gone.
Has her name in black Sharpie too along the top so even if another child took it home, the parent would see straight away whose it is but we still haven’t got it back so they’ve obviously decided to keep it as their own.
Secondary school are actually better at returning stuff.
Eldest DD has lost her PE kit so many times (we’ve had words) and the PE teacher will get all the girls to turf out their bags to find missing stuff so people usually do get it back.

Someone stole my trousers once from a hospital changing room. I had to go home in scrubs

This has happened a couple of times to my friend who is a surgeon. He was not impressed!

If they can afford to go to soft play they can afford a cheap coat from.asda.

The fact it's never old battered asda coats stolen shows there's some.degree of thought and planning and constant look out for "suitable" items.

Don't buy the desperation at all. If they were desperate they'd go to a charity shop or ask school for any unclaimed.lost property they are disposing of. Not.imflict the same misory of being cold wet and unable to afford a coat on someome else.

They are theiving bastards. Nothing less.

Many years ago my purse was stolen. I’d briefly left it on the table in a cafe. The man on the next table had been staring, but we’d put it down to looking at my friend’s very young and very cute baby.

Only, it turned out my purse hadn’t actually been taken. Several weeks later I got a phone call asking if I was Matilda. This random person (possibly the staring man) had got home and discovered my purse in his bag. He’d gone to my bank, who told him to keep hold of my purse, and they’d contact me. Several weeks went by, and he heard nothing (because the bank didn’t get in touch with me). Eventually he phoned the number on my donor card, got hold of me, and posted me my purse (still containing nearly £200).

The moral of this story is twofold. 1) Your dd’s coat may have got caught up with somebody else’s belongings, and 2) Always carry a donor card.

t was a very distinctive coat that his grandmother MADE him. I spotted a child wearing it and approached his mother - 'Sorry, X has picked up Y's coat by mistake' - she swore blind it was her son's coat! So I got DS to nick it back from the child's peg next day - lo and behold it had the name labels cut out, all except for the one I sewed in halfway up inside one sleeve!
OMG
Did you report her to the school? 😳

If they can afford to go to soft play they can afford a cheap coat from.asda.
Not only that. Plenty of cheap places, charity, NCT, I got trousers, warm vest, hat and 2 tops for £1.50!!!!
It is always the expensive or original coats that get stolen
Appalling

Not even slightly surprised, DS had his brand new Hype coat stolen from the school playground, and not a doubt in my mind by a parent. He left it at lunchtime and his class are year 6 so last in. Even his teacher said it would've been a parent when the gates were opened.
Leave it on show, expect it to go. I was livid with DS though as he's old enough to know you don't leave things in the playground. The coat had cost me £40 two weeks before and that was the 2nd time he had worn it. I bought him a truly ugly bright orange cheap Asda coat 2nd hand for school and funnily enough no one has stolen that. He has a good coat for weekends now instead.
People are thieves, they don't have the empathy to think of a child going cold, that type see a coat or a pair of shoes and steal them without a second thought.

I was distracted by a woman in a shop once and whilst she distracted me the man she was with stole my Mothercare bag with my DS's new coat in 😢

Felt such a fool as I've worked with offenders for most of my life and have read thousands of reports just like this. They even picked the only part of the shop with no CCTV.

Wankers.

You really have to watch all your stuff. If we go to anything like soft play I put DS's shoes in my big handbag and carry his coat or fleece around. You shouldn't have to OP I'm sorry bout your DD's coat.

I did report mine to 101 as it was a robbery really - they were very nice about it.

You might find that place has someone who goes in specifically to pilfer what they can. Check on ebay for one popping up in your area. Worth keep checking with them to see if it's been returned as well you never know maybe a grandma or something picked it up by mistake 🤷‍♀️

I just remembered something
Not a coat, but once we held a special Autism event for families.
Funded is so limited and we worked so hard to source materials.
We had a specific toy that was a hit for the children to turn things down a bit, quiet themselves, chill and it became so important to us.
Then a family came in as we were putting things away, not a family from the event, and they picked it up and their DC was playing with it. I said oh sorry that is our toy for the autism event, the children really need it so I have to put it away for next time.
He said oh sure we will it back when he has finished with it.

They f^}$€ took it
We never managed to replace it

Those that steal clearly have no morals, so they wouldn't see any difference between a child's or adult coat.

But if someone picked it up by accident there's would be left behind surely? It never is. Grandparents managed to keep us all alone didn't they deserve a bit more credit in their ability to remember what they came in with

And people would notice they had three shoes.

They always always have the right thing in the right size. Even if they nick one shoe they aren't walking out with 2 left ones are they.

They Nick exactly what they want / "need"

Young children may pick up.the wrong jumper at school as they are all the same. It's the parents who make the choice to not return it.

Alive

Never buy your kid anything expensive then the loss ain't so great. It happens - things get lost or get nicked. I'm not going to spend my life mourning stuff like that.

But @Femaleassassin what about the OP whose mum made the coat? Or handmade bit?

Except sometimes buying cheap means you replace more often and costs more than the more expensive item long term.

They may have just picked it up thinking it was theirs. I’ve had that happen before, especially at nursery. Sometimes it’s nit even the same item. Just a similar one,

But then theirs would be left behind wouldn't it?

Let’s just assume that they have a child who doesn’t have a coat and they can’t afford to buy one for them. You’d have to be desperate to steal a coat.

So what? The OP isn’t a charity! Maybe she can’t afford to buy a new one. Some people will steal anything that isn’t nailed down, they’re just that type. If I was that broke I doubt I’d be wasting what little money I had in a soft play. Why are there people on this site whose first reaction is always to excuse shitty behaviour?

That said OP it may have been lifted in error that’s happened with my kids’ jackets before and we’ve got them back, maybe try again and see if it’s been handed in

And wouldn't it be lovely if, on the off chance something is left behind it was nice and clean and not full of holes or battered/ripped/stained.

When did anyone.leave behind a nice clean wearable item....

They’re not desperate, they’re just thieving scum. We’ve had a couple of coats go missing. I name everything, but it doesn’t stop the thieves.