Someone in house has been taking Christmas chocolate stash

[DrChasuble]

Bought 4 of the large celebration type tubs of chocolates a few weeks back when on offer for Halloween and Christmas. Hid them away but pretty sure all of my 3 children knew they were there. Have just got them out and found all 4 tubs have been opened and roughly half the contents of each have gone. I'm pretty sure the culprit will be oldest child - son age 14 - he has a previous track record of taking things in the house that don't belong to him - food and money, but he will also swear blind it is not him. Any advice.please on how you would handle. Feeling really upset.

Honestly you probably need to hide them better.

My DS is ASD and he would not have been able to stop himself. My hiding places get ever more clever as he is like a heat seeking radar for sweets.

I would remove them. Decant all into one or two tubs and hide them better and not say a word.

Feeling really upset 🤦🏽‍♀️ if your not a troll then simply tell the children unless someone owns up then none of them will have the chocolate replaced for them for Christmas

Group punishment then.

Although there's a reason I don't buy Christmas chocolates before Christmas week!

Mine is the same as Dogs.
ASD/ADHD and really cannot help himself, he would have emptied the whole lot though!

We have to be really clever with hiding places. I too would just remove them, say nothing and find better hiding places for them and any future treats.

Do you have a partner, because I would be blaming him first.

The other thought is check the weight on the tins. Its the old con of leaving the packaging the same size but the contents have shrunk. I've opened many a roses tin to see it only half full. Weigh it.

by the end of Christmas you’ll be able to see who looks the roundest 🤣

in all seriousness I agree just hide it better or make them last minute purchases 👌

Hide them in the attic, that's what I do (as long as I remember they are there lol)

Empty them out but put something in so they still have some weight. Leave a note addressed to the likely culprit.

Empty tub goes back in original hiding place with glitter bomb in it?

It was me (in my house).
You've got to hide them better unfortunately.

It's normal and natural for children to sneak chocolates from their parents hiding places. If you punish them it will be because you can't cope with them, it's not them that's done wrong.

To be honest what child wouldn’t sneak a chocolate?!
I did as a kid, my son would. My daughter wouldn’t.
Hide them better.

OP’s son’s a thief. Why wouldn’t she be upset? Also why should all kids get punished for the action’s of one? Great parenting that ffs. OP I do think you are going to put temptation out of your kid’s way until you get to the bottom of why he’s stealing. What are the consequences usually for theft in your house?

Of course they’ve done wrong? They’re teenagers and are plenty old enough to have impulse control! Bloody hell what sort of people are we raising if we let them think it’s ok to help themselves to money and presents?

You're Ma Mary and I claim my five ponds 😁

Thanks for interesting range of responses. Consensus seems to be I just need to hide them better. My being "really upset" was probably bit of an overstatement, but is opening all 4 tubs and eating half of them really "normal and natural"? Its not just sneaking a few chocolates which would be normal and natural in my book.

Any chance other child has done so knowing you'll blame this son?

A thief ! Really ?

in my house OP it would be my Dh ! But I wouldn’t call him a thief! He had no willpower ….. a bit like a DC

I wouldn't call it theft, to eat sweets already in the house. It's theft if you take them from a shop without paying for them. So is it theft when tbe kids eat meals?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=t95ZmlZXg8w&cbrd=1

Derry girls and Christmas cupboard.

Op also said ds has taken money, he clearly has impulse control. Of course op is upset and health wise that's a fair bit if chocolate to be eating secretly .

I would be tempted to find a better hiding place and to treat it fairly lightly. " Hey who's eaten the chocs!? I am obviously going to have to make sure that only the grown-ups have chocs this Christmas!" Unless of course you suspect your OH!!

So anything’s fair game to take if it’s in your own house? Is it ok to steal your siblings chocolates and money as well as your parents, just so we’re clear?

Your husband opens chocolates that you’ve bought as presents for other people? What an immature selfish pig?