I know I dealt with this badly, what should I have done?

[lisbey]

DS2, Yr2. In the supermarket he was loitering by pick n mix sweets while I was browsing. As we moved on I noticed him stuffing his hands in his pockets and as suspected he'd nabbed a couple of sweets.

Now, I was furious and made him put them back, but now someone's going to buy sweets that have been in DS2's hands and pockets

He has been severely dealt with about the stealing, but what should I have done about the sweets?

WEll, with the benefit of hindsight, maybe bought them and binned them, but I doubt I'd have thought of it at the time either.

It was fine, I'd have done the same.

Those pic n mix sweets are manhandled all day long anyway.

All pick and mixes have been handled to a certain degree so I wouldn't worry about that side of it.

I maybe would have bought them and put them straight in the bin.

i would have done exactly that, and like you thought about the sweets afterwards when i had calmed down.

shops fault for having loose sweets

i think you did fine. agree with others that with hindsight i probably would have bought the sweets and taken teh cost out of his pocket money and binned them. but i think you did fine tbh.

Made him buy them out of his own money.

Oh yes, own money would have been fine but I wouldn't have then let him eat them if he wasn't supposed to be having them