What do you do when your child steals from a store?

If you catch your child with stolen items, insist that they promptly return the stolen goods and apologize to the victim. You might help your child write an apology letter or accompany your child to the store to return the stolen items.

What does it mean when a child steals?

Stealing is taking things that belong to others without their permission. The act is common in young children because they tend to be self-centered and feel that it is all right to take what they want from others.

Is purchasing stolen goods a crime?

Under California Penal Code Section 496, it is illegal to buy or receive stolen property.

What happens if a child steals something and takes it back?

They’re worried their child will be prosecuted if he takes the shoplifted item back. They decide to give the child a consequence, such as no T.V., but they allow the child to keep the stolen item. It’s really best to require your child to take the item back to the store.

What should I do if my child steals something from a friend?

Then find a way to repair the situation — go back to the store or his friend’s house to return the stolen item. If your child is too shy, you can apologize for him (“My son took this pack of gum, but he knows now that it was wrong”).

Should I let my child take something back from a store?

If you decide against having your child take it back, make sure he doesn’t get off scot-free. Give him consequences at home—and do not let him keep the item. You ultimately want your child to learn that when you harm someone, even if it’s the owner of a store, you should make amends directly to that person.

Is it normal for a 5-year-old to steal things?

But I assumed that by 5, she’d learned not to take things that didn’t belong to her. In fact, stealing is perfectly normal for children this age, says family and child therapist Meri Wallace, director of the Heights Center for Adult and Child Development, in Brooklyn.