This is small in the grand scheme of things but I’m going to share here. We have a small strip of garden in-front of our front door with a box hedge. My 8 year old has created a border around it consisting of things he’s collected like pine cones, conkers, rocks from the beach, some stones that he’s painted. It’s taken him a full year to complete.
Recently I’ve noticed someone’s been taking stuff. I looked out of the bathroom window and through the privacy glass could make out a mother and 2 kids who live about 10 houses away from us helping themselves. They were gone by the time I got downstairs.
Saw them again when we expectedly home after school and when I opened the blinds, saw both kids run off with handfuls of stuff. Mum was looking at her phone the whole time. Now I vaguely know these kids but I work at the school of the eldest one.
I saw them outside my house on Friday. I said a very friendly hello and to stop stealing from us. The mum inflated and became a bit gangster saying “show me what you’re talking about” Both kids insisting that they don’t steal. I say but I seen you do it. The mother is adamant that her children don’t steal until the youngest one says “we don’t steal, we just take because I like it” 🙄
The mother just deflated and became quiet. I explained to the kids that taking something that is not yours is stealing and they need to stop. They said okay and they apologised. She never said a word.