DS Stealing food

[WhatDoFlamesDoTheseDays]

DS is 4, yes, he is young, but he is old enough to know you don't help yourself to things that are not yours.

Over the last 3 days he has eaten DD1's left over easter egg, my left over easter egg, and my bar of choc that was posted to me.

The last one he knew was a gift, he knew he wasn't allowed it, and he had to climb on 2 separate things to get to it.

What do I do?

He isn't restricted any food really, just that it has to be asked for. this evening he had already had chocolate muffins before swiping the bar of chocolate (he hid the wrapper too, and I think ate it in the garden).

I don't know how I should be handling this - especially as I am now mourning my chocolate as it was nice, and I was planning to eat it when DH goes home this evening and I am feeling crappy

I tihnk a 4 year old would have to exert an awful lot of willpower to resist chocolate!

No advice, but will be watching as my DS is nearly 5 and does the same.

He will sneak down in the morning, empty the cupboards and hide the wrappers under his bed.

It isn't just chocolate - that is just this week's thing tbh

My DNs (7 and 5) recently both stole something from a shop (one did so, then the other one saw him and thought he could then do the same). My sister's DP's response was to take an Easter egg off them each with the logic that 'you stole something off someone, so now someone is going to take something off you'. It was a case of trying to make the punishment fit the crime. They were both really, really upset about this (like more upset than they would have been if someone else had eaten them by accident or they'd got lost or even if mummy or her DP had asked to have some) and I think it got through to them.

Could you try something like that? Maybe with e.g. pudding - "You took mummy's treat so mummy is going to take yours." It seems a bit 'eye for an eye' but really it is payback. He can't go out and buy you the chocolate again but he can pay you back with the things he likes.