Good parenting

[Pixelated]

Not sure whether this belongs in "Sightings" or "Praise for good customers" as it is both.

I was working an evening shift last week and there was just me and one other cashier on at the front.

Other Cashier gets a dad and two young sons. We have those oversized buggies that look like cartoon fire trucks or cop cars or whatever, to hold young children plus items to be purchased. Both young sons were in this.

And they were NOISY.

Not cranky or whiny, just high-spirited. And for whatever reason, the transaction seemed to be taking a while, although Dad didn't seem to be upset or annoyed by it.

I, however, was praying for it to end so Dad and his two Energizer Bunnies would leave.

Finally they did.

About an hour later, who do I see but Dad and one young son coming back in. Son is clutching a small bottle of liquid hand soap. Dad marches the kid up to Other Cashier and says, "Tell the man what you did ..."

Oops.

Apparently at some point while Dad and Other Cashier were going through the transaction, the kids were grabbing stuff off the POS shelves. I think Dad saw the one kid had hand soap and bought it, but didn't see Son #2 also grab a bottle and hide it (under his jacket? I dunno for sure). However, once Dad found out about it ...

I don't know what Other Cashier said. I would've been hard put to know what to say. My first reaction would be "Oh, that's okay" but clearly it is NOT "okay" and I would not want to undercut the point the parent is trying to make.

Anyway, kudos to Dad for handling it so well.

[bainsidhe]

Back when I still worked retail, there were a few parents who did this. I agree it is great parenting, but oy vey is it uncomfortable and awkward to be the employee standing there, waiting for the small weeping child to hand over the stolen item and apologize. The child ALWAYS cried, and I wanted nothing more than to tell them it was okay (no it's not, stealing is wrong!) and to run far away.

[Pixelated]

Ugh, that would make it beyond awful. I don't cry easily but would probably be leaking a few tears myself ... the kids are obviously not hardened criminals and it really was just a stupid mistake.

From what I could see, this kid wasn't crying, although I suspect he was more than a little embarrassed.

[Luna Baby]

Never tell the child who stole that it's "ok", but rather, tell them, "thank you" or "thank you for coming back/bringing back xx item." You've given them the opportunity to say, "I'm sorry" without diminishing the severity of the theft.

[Mental_Mouse]

Never tell the child who stole that it's "ok", but rather, tell them, "thank you" or "thank you for coming back/bringing back xx item." You've given them the opportunity to say, "I'm sorry" without diminishing the severity of the theft.

Also, "apology accepted". Crying is understandable: this is one of the kid's early experiences with shame, and perhaps with not getting what they want. But those are necessary pains, for the kid to grow into a decent adult.

[Luna Baby]

Also, "apology accepted". Crying is understandable: this is one of the kid's early experiences with shame, and perhaps with not getting what they want. But those are necessary pains, for the kid to grow into a decent adult.

Absolutely!

[Nashida]

Also, "apology accepted". Crying is understandable: this is one of the kid's early experiences with shame, and perhaps with not getting what they want. But those are necessary pains, for the kid to grow into a decent adult.

Would also like to add "I appreciate you being honest" or "You made a mistake, but you did the right thing by bringing it back." I use this with the ASD kids I teach and it's amazing what a little language tweaking does.