7 year old magpie.

[TheRealDemosthenes]

Is stealing an inevitable part of the growing up process, at around 7 years old?

I am pondering how to deal with a situation.

zapo yes that is what I was thinking. BUT, i am wondering if the boy, upon being found out (he was caught with something else and asked to hand over everything else he had) that he might have been petrified of this stash, for fear of getting into even more trouble.

But that does not mean it should be left. He did take them.

How about if I asked him directly? I could engineer that easily enough. He has then on a shelf in his bedroom, and DD plays there from time to time. It was when she was there last I noticed them, but he was not in the room or else I might have asked about them. I could easily go and be involved in their playing, and notice them 'oh these are pretty where did you get them?' and then maybe how some of them look just like mine, which I can't find. Maybe give him a chance for a crystal 'amnesty' where he could give them back and we shall say no more. Then I could talk to his parents later about it.

That sounds like a really good idea Thereal. My dd went through a phase of bringing things home that she had 'found' in the school playground. It was generally rubbers and pencils but then it progressed to tiny bears that the teacher was using for counting and sorting. I found about 20 in her bedside table and asked her where they came from. She told me that Ms R had given them to her for being good. I asked if anyone else had them, she said yes lots of people. I told her I was going to phone her friends mum and boast about how many she had. She panicked and said I shouldn't so I didn't show her friend up. Eventually with a little gentle coaxing (and the threat of no TV) she admitted that she took one or two every day but Ms R wouldn't mind because she had lots. She and I returned them to Ms R the next day.