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.

I bought 4 tubs and hid them in a cupboard ready for Halloween/Christmas - I recently noticed the quality street tubs were missing.... then I remember I have no impulse control and me and my husband have downed them over the last couple of weeks. It's a right pain!

I would be pissed off if my children had scoffed them secretly but I would reluctantly acknowledge I would have done the same given the chance. They would have had a talking too and the rest hidden better but I don't know that there's anything you can do if you aren't sure who actually did it.

This is the plan to try and hide it, it starts as a couple here and a couple there but they keep going back for more.

Ha ha. Part of the fun of Christmas is to finding your mum's hiding places sneaking the sweets and opening the presents. Surely you know this? Find better hiding places. And expect it to be an annual event.

@DrChasuble
If your son already has form for stealing food and money this clearly needs to be addressed as whatever you've said to him before he's not listened too.

Interesting how hilarious it is to make more work for the women of the household isn’t it?

And a Merry Christmas to you too you poor overworked thing. Comfort and Joy in your house. Dont overdo it.

Firstly it’s October and secondly there’s much comfort and joy in my home thanks, partly because we don’t all go around stealing off of each other.

Did he need the energy...for the poetry?

@PinkSyCo The OP didn't say anything about who the sweets belonged to. They were for the whole family. If the son hadn't eaten them now, he would have eaten them at Christmas. Taking money is different, but I didn't mention money. Hope that's clear enough for you.

labelling it theft is madness. Likening a child pinching a couple of chocolates from a box to stealing cash out a purse is madness. Mind you I vividly remember doing this as a child.
I would go for a lighthearted ‘I’ve noticed something working it’s way through the chocolate supply- I’ve put them somewhere else and if you come across them please don’t eat them as they’re for us all to share at Christmas’
Dont be blameful or overly angry. You want your kids to be able to come to you when they’ve fucked up not hide it.

Yes the OP bought them for the WHOLE family for Halloween and Christmas, NOT for ONE greedy, entitled child to scoff whenever he wanted.

It wasn’t a couple of chocolates. The kid opened every tin and scoffed (no doubt) all his favourites. He also steals money. He is a thief.

This thread is mental. I'd be pissed off if my 3 year old and 5 year old did this. They wouldn't. All sweets, chocolate, biscuits and crisps in my house live where they can reach them and they wouldn't dream of helping themselves. In fact they know better than to ask very often.

I am not a particularly strict parent and my kids are no angels but I have worked hard on boundaries.

Hiding them better does feck all to teach your children self restraint (an important life skill) or respect for things that don't belong to them!

And I agree OP... its just sneaky that they opened all of them. Presumably they were trying to reduce the chances of you noticing? I don't have a good answer for getting him to fess up.

I can tell you that I vividly remember getting caught pinching a chocolate bar when I was a kid. My mum found the wrapper that I'd attempted to flush down the toilet. She asked me if I had taken chocolate. I lied. She presented the evidence. I got grounded. Not for the chocolate but for lying about it.

On the few occasions in my childhood that I lied it was always made clear that the punishment was more severe because I'd lied. To this day I NEVER lie. Can't do it to save myself.

Get a grip HTH

FINALLY someone on my wavelength. I find it incredulous how so many posters are normalising entitlement and theft. The one’s getting defensive over the use of the word ‘stealing’ are especially interesting. I suspect it comes down to denial.

I would be annoyed because it's selfish to eat something that isn't yours and is meant for everyone so I don't think OP is overreacting.

I find it hard to have any sympathy for people who buy Xmas chocolate in October

Is it normal & natural to eat the hidden Christmas chocolates? Honestly i'd be suspicious of anyone who didn't. Anyone who has that level of self-control must be a psycho. We are already on our 2nd lot of Halloween treats 👹

Just don’t buy more. No confrontations necessary. Put whatever is left in a bowl and serve it at Christmas and apologise to the family that somebody ate the rest. They can draw their own conclusions.

Let she who has never bought some chocolate with the intention of saving it for the kids/an event, and then scoffed it down that same night while everyone else is in bed, cast the first stone.

It IS stealing in my view. I don't hide food but then no one in my household would take something that didn't belong to them in this way and I can understand why OP is upset about it. I'm surprised so many think it's OK or funny. Having no control is not behaviour I'd choose to model to my children either.

Lots of people on here are very relaxed about this. The suspected culprit is 14. Quite old enough to know he's doing is wrong. It's greedy and inconsiderate and if it were my son I would be extremely annoyed.
My children did not need Christmas chocolates hidden away. They knew some things were for the Christmas period and we would all get to share them then.

Stealing money and stuff that specifically belongs to other siblings is a real issue that deserves consequences, but I think the idea that taking communal food can be “stealing” is quite unhealthy. It’s his food as much as anyone else in the family he’s part of.

To me, it’s as immoral as the OP herself eating it rather than saving it as planned. Weak willed and not his finest moment, but not theft ffs. If you label him harshly like that over something so petty, don’t be surprised if he decides he’s not going to be able to win with you so stops even trying.