I wish I could hear that conversation..

[Gurndigarn]

A bit of healthy fear is good.

"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that fear, for lack of a better word, is good. Fear is right, fear works. Fear clarifies, cuts through, and captures the atttention of the teenage spirit. Fear, in all of its forms; fear for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of teenagers behaving."

The four primary motivators of mankind: fear, desire, love, and respect. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and they all have their place in child rearing. Parents who are afraid of any of them hamstring their ability to properly raise a child, and parents who don't understand each of them risk teaching their child the wrong things, or at least not everything they should learn.

/soapbox

[AKWalMartCartGuy]

This happened to me when DD was 4. She stole a candy bar from the rack while I was unloading, paying, and bagging my groceries. I think she thought that she could just take what she wanted, because when we got to the car, she said, "Look what I got, Mama!" while waving the candy bar in front of me.

I was horrified and loaded the bags in the car, grabbed her with the candybar and brought her right up to the service desk, where I told her to give the candybar back to the clerk. The clerk wouldn't take it back, though - I guess health regulations? I don't know. The clerk looked at me like I was nuts for bringing her back in and teaching her this was wrong.

I ended up buying the candy bar because the clerk wouldn't take it back, but DD got a stern lecture and I ate the candy bar in front of her. She hasn't done anything like it since. I dread the teenage years.

i had the same thing happen to me when I was maybe a little older than 4. except the candy was unopened so they took it back. I thought they were free, i swear


I heard about one time my store manager caught a kid shoplifting and he made the kid cry just talking to him.

[blas]

We had tweens and prostitots stealing from the young lady's clothing store all the time. Weirdly enough, the most stolen items were redline (read: CLEARANCE) items. They'd come in with those big brown paper bags from Hollister and go on stuffing sprees, stuffing panties and tanktops into the bags.

Dumb little girls, anyone can tell the different between Hollister clothes (which are considered preppy) and Deb's clothes (somewhat slutty clothes).

The best day ever was when I walked into the store to punch in, and I saw 4 or 5 tweens sitting on the floor, huge Hollister bags empties out, and lots of redline panties and shirts galore! Security was watching them until the police arrived.

Every time we caught shoplifters, we got pizza! My manager would nail the items to the wall and we'd read the police report and laugh while eating pizza on break

[Shabo]

Dumb little girls, anyone can tell the different between Hollister clothes (which are considered preppy) and Deb's clothes (somewhat slutty clothes).

I don't know what Deb store you're talking about, but the one near my place is far less slutty than the Hollisters.

[MamaMootz]

*blinks, blushes, and giggles, in that order*
"No, honey, you can't sleep with Timmy, and, just to show you, I'm gonna sleep with him in front of you."
Yergh...

Ok no thanks to that particular scenario. Plus DH will probably have the .44 magnum all ready to go on the day DD goes out with a boy - which, according to DH, won't be til she's 35. Yeah, that'll happen.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that fear, for lack of a better word, is good. Fear is right, fear works. Fear clarifies, cuts through, and captures the atttention of the teenage spirit. Fear, in all of its forms; fear for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of teenagers behaving."

I AM very very afraid. Really. I agree regarding fear to a certain point although right now I'm at the point with DD (5) where I just have to know which buttons to push to get the good behavior and right now that button is summed up in one word: toys. Bad behavior? Take away toys. Good behavior? Trip to the dollar store for a toy - but it has to be really good, like getting top marks in conduct for school for a month or so.

I'm sure fear is going to have to enter into the equation when she hits 12 or 13.

[blas]

The Deb I worked at, the only reason I describe their clothes as slutty is because one section of the store was what I called the "clubbing" section. Backless tanktops, glittery halter tops, shirts that barely covered nipples, short skirts, etc etc...... heels that I refer to as "stripper shoes", short shorts, and the fact that and most of the shirts they sold were extremely low cut. Not complaining, because most of the shirts I wear are low cut (I wear a tanktop under to prevent mass cleavage). Slutty was a bad word, I admit I bought lots of their shirts when I worked there and some were to die for cute. But they were a bit more scandalous than Hollister clothes. Twas the only comparison I was trying to make. Not school or work appropriate clothes. Although they did have their small share of casual clothes.

[Sliceanddice]

i have to admit i was tempt as a child to steal because it was well different i only did once... on purpose. i will admit ive gotten home a few times with things i didnt buy....

[mattm04]

I have seen parents bring their kids back in the store because they found out they took candy or something small, Usually from the displays at the registers. In those cases the MOD comes down and they have a little chat. If the parents try to help the child steal, then we call the police.

[mariamousie1]

It's a special kind of idiot that shoplifts with her parents right there. Not that it would be any less stupid if they weren't there, but still.

[Cyphr]

One time when i was 15 I managed to walk out with a book, I think. Anyway i got the car and noticed it. I was planning on paying and just told my mom wait a sec i need to pay for this. Went told manager and apologized and paid him the money. He said it was good I actually came back and it restored some of his faith in humanity.

[boringscreenname]

Once when I was around 4 or 5 my grandpa and I went out to eat. While waiting on our food I noticed there were some children's books on a rack, for sale so I got one to look at while we were waiting. Apparently Grandpa thought I was planning on stealing the book, even though I told him I was just looking and planned on returning it. He felt bad and bought it.

My younger brother went through a phase of stealing when he was around 4. It started out small with stuff from my room and around the house, and the parents shrugged it off. Then he starts taking nails, bolts and screws from the hardware store, and is made to return it and gets a stern lecture.

Then we go on vacation to South Dakota, and I meet this little girl on vacation from Canada. Her parents ask me to go with her to the on-site convenience store to help her buy some things with American money. Little brother asks to come, and I say yes but he's not getting anything, because I didn't have any. We get there and buy the stuff, and brother is asking for pop and candy. I tell him no, and to leave things alone. He decides to grab a King Sized Reese's Cup and run. I catch up to him, and drag him to my parents, who then make me go back to the store to return the candy and explain to the store owner that my little brother had stolen it. Didn't make much sense to me, but I did it anyway, and the store owner appreciated the honesty.

Shortly after we got back from vacation, my younger brother stole a lighter from Grandma's purse. He proceeds to go into my room, and light papers on fire under my bed, then decides hey let's burn sister's bed down, then run out of the house and refuse to tell anyone he just started a fire.

Thank god he's a teen now, and has outgrown that, but for awhile it was doubtful whether he'd live out his childhood years.

[d962831]

sounds like she may have a problem with being addicted to it...can't remember what it's called.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

sounds like she may have a problem with being addicted to it...can't remember what it's called.

If you're referring to the addiction to stealing, that would be Kleptomania.

[Broomjockey]

If you're referring to the addiction to stealing, that would be Kleptomania.

I'm not sure if that's exactly the same thing. Kleptomania is more of a subconscious act than addictions usually imply, and is due to a failure of impulse resistence, rather than an actual need to indulge in the substance of the addiction. Though I'm talking in psych terms. Popular usage, you may be properly right.