Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

Original poster

DS steals sweets from cupboard and money from purse, what to do?

19 replies

Rochel4 · 21/01/2010 21:46

DS age7 constantly steals sweets from the kitchen and other places we try to hide them in, even tho we have a 'sweets only on weekends' rule. I also caught him taking a pound from my wallet today! I think I'm raising a thief . We have tried a consequence of no sweets next weekend, nothing works, not even talking about it.
Any advice as to what to do, and have you experienced this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

southeastastra · 21/01/2010 21:48

give him a fag

NotAPollyanna · 21/01/2010 21:50

There was a thread about this issue a week or two ago. It was an 11-year-old boy and his mum took him to the police station. It was tough love but seemed to do the trick. However, as your ds is only 7 you obviously need a softer approach on the same idea such as pretending to call the police on the phone would send the message home. Perhaps you should take a look at that thread and see if there were other experiences on there.

LynetteScavo · 21/01/2010 21:51

DS2 is a sweet fiend. He will search adn search untill he finds something. (We don't always have sweets in the house, but he has been known to take frozen cakes from the freezer and eat them under his duvet.

He also "collects" money from around the house. DH discovered a total of £20 in DS's room that he had "collected".

He's 6, but has done this for as long as I can remember.

He's finally getting the idea he can't take other peoples money, after lots of lectures from me, DH, and granny, but the sweet obsesion continues.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

cat64 · 21/01/2010 21:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

deaddei · 21/01/2010 21:54

I used to do it as a child- I remember nicking chocolates from the bottom layer in the box (as if I wasn't going to get caught!). and the odd sixpence from mum's purse. Then dad caught me- and it's the only time I remember him hitting me.
Obviously not advocating that! But don't worry too much- I think it's a stage, and I certainly didn't branch out into burglary.
Just sit him down and be very serious- maybe ask him how he'd feel if his teacher knew.

TreeTrunkThighs · 21/01/2010 21:57

Joining in with the no advice, but going through it too. DD1 is 7 too. Must be their age - and no amount of lectures have any effect.

Actually I've just bought How to talks so kids will listen.... as I feel as though 99% of what I say to her goes straight over her head - not even in one ear and out the other, that would be an improvement!

Hopefully I'll pick up some useful tips from there/here.

LuckyJim · 21/01/2010 22:00

Does he get pocket money?

Katisha · 21/01/2010 22:00

Would having absolutely no sweets in the house for a while be an option?

deaddei · 21/01/2010 22:00

Actually, my dh scavenges for goodies regularly- he obviously never grew out of it!

cat64 · 21/01/2010 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Katisha · 21/01/2010 22:10

OK is this too radical - not making anything "banned" or restricted. If he wants some cereal or a yoghurt let him have it? (Not sweets)
Do you think it's a case of you making these things seems more exciting than they need to be?

Original poster

Rochel4 · 21/01/2010 22:18

He just LOVES sweets. it occasionally has been chocolate, but cereal would not need to be 'stolen'. He does get pocket money, 50p a week, (maybe thats too little) which he then goes and spends on sweets...

OP posts:

cat64 · 21/01/2010 22:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

muggglewump · 21/01/2010 22:39

DD did this with money three tomes. She's 8 and the last time I caught her a couple of months back I took her to the Police Station.

Nothing else had worked and I was tearing my hair out. She's great in every other way, but just kept stealing money from me. I was terrified she'd do it elsewhere and I hated not trusting her.

Taking her to the Police Station was for her good as well as mine.

Original poster

Rochel4 · 21/01/2010 22:49

if i did that to my DS he would hurl insults at me the whole way, knowing full well that he was going to be embarrassed there. he would definitely seek revenge.

OP posts:

muggglewump · 21/01/2010 23:01

Really?
I didn't tell DD we were going, though I had been in myself the day before to ask if it was OK to bring her.

She was terrified and didn't want to go in, but I made her and she was clearly frightened.
I did feel bad but I wanted her never to do it again.
I was so worried she'd do it at school or a friend's house and then get labelled as the child who steals, and wouldn't get invited anywhere.
I told the school myself in case there was something there which may have been the trigger, but they were as surprised as me.

I haven't forgotten it, and I've made sure she hasn't, at least for now but so long as she shows she can be trusted over the next few months, I'll never mention it again.

seeker · 21/01/2010 23:26

Ok - I think that all food in the house is common property, so no one can 'steal" it. If you don't want him to have it, don't have it in the house. Buy sweets on sweetie day and never at any other time.

Make sure he's got enough money of his own to spend.

In our family coins found on the floor are fair game, and my ds 'collects' assiduously. Allow this and keep all other money out of his reach and sight until he grows out of it.

And don't worry - he's not a Fagin in the making!

mommymeggie · 22/01/2010 00:42

I agree with Seeker on the money bit.

My question is why deny him sweets in the week? No biscuits or puddings if he eats his dinner? I can't say I would deny my children sweets if they are good eaters. It sounds as by denying him no sweets, then he may grow up eating terribly by hiding them and being a closet eater.

Original poster

Rochel4 · 22/01/2010 08:46

the reason we started only giving sweets on weekends is because he is such a poor eater, and the sweets were making it worse. he is allowed biscuits and such during the week tho.

OP posts:

Flip