Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Lesson In Stealing


I'll admit this is a pretty good age combination for my two kids. Z is going to be 4 soon so we seem to have fewer irreconcilable differences and SJ is 14 months which means she isn't quite to the stage of running off faster than I can catch her. In other words neither of them are at the terrible two age where temper tantrums and defiance abound.

A year ago I was scared to death to approach a grocery store with both children.
If Z wasn't strapped in he was darting off in the opposite direction of wherever I was headed. When I went to the store last week with the kids I was taking in this little window of time where they were both cooperative. Z was walking along beside me like a precious little angel, SJ was sitting calmly in the shopping cart like his precious little angel sister. Then we went to check out and I left feeling quite smug until I looked down to see that Z had an opened Kit Kat in his hands. I immediately did a U Turn (we were still in the store) and went back through the line to purchase the overpriced candy bar. The cashier had a line full of people waiting to check out, so I found an employee that looked less busy and made Z apologize for taking something that didn't belong to him. She helped by telling him that it was okay, but that it was a bad idea and she hopes he doesn't do it again. I looked at her and mouthed "thank you" because I always feel like things stick with him more when he hears it from another adult that to him is far more intimidating than his mom.
He is three and I don't even think he understands the concept of purchasing versus stealing, but he did know that he was taking without permission and I figured we might as well address the issue early on. I do not condone his actions in anyway, but if he is going to steal at least he picked a good candy bar. Kit Kats are my favorite, and I was the one who got to eat it. Can you imagine if it was an Air Head? What a poor choice that would have been. I'm sorry, I mean, stealing is a serious crime. Bad. Very bad.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL!
N.L.W.

{amy} said...

Ha ha! I think it was a good lesson, and I'm glad the employee said what she said!

Erynne Nicole said...

Gabe did that not too long ago. He swiprd a pack of bubble gum. I didt know it until after we had gotten home and unloaded sand put away the groceries. I looked over and noticed him chewing away on something. The truth came out quickly but I took him to the store To the customer service desk and made him hand the lady the empty wrapper, Apologize and pay for it with some of HIS birthday money. He has not done it again since.

Mels said...

Love these pictures of the kids! I don't know why but that grocery store picture cracks me up every time.