Child behaviour on Stealing

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "Why do kids do that? Write a poem or story (truth or fiction) about a child stealing something."


Jane was spending the day with her friend, Anna. Both had three year old daughters’ who got along very well.

Anna’s daughter Lara, took her friend Mary (Jane’s daughter), inside her room to play with toys. She showed her a toy cat which stood on a clock. A small toy though, Mary seemed to be very fascinated with it. She took the toy to play with. Finally, after a day well spent, it was time for Jane to get back home.

After a few days, Anna while dusting the house, realized that the toy cat was missing from its place. Anna searched the house high and low, but was unable to find it. She pounded over the last few days’ activities to figure out the place where she could have kept it. Then with a flash she remembered her friends’ daughter Mary playing with it. She was sure Mary had taken it with her.

Jane had told Anna about another incident of Mary stealing a pencil from a friend’s pencil box. When questioned about it, Mary had said that her friend had given it to her. When Jane had asked Mary’s friend, she said, ‘Mary has stolen my pencil. I never gave it to her.’ This was startling for Jane to digest. Mary then changed her stance to, ‘I liked it so I took it for a few days.’ Jane made Mary understand that it was wrong to take someone else’s things for even a few days. She had let it go with that without understanding the consequences of this small act.

Although Anna wanted to tell Jane about this theft so that she could make her daughter understand, Anna decided to leave the topic until touched by Jane herself.

With a few more days gone, Jane suddenly gave the toy cat to Anna, simply explaining that she had seen it in Mary’s hands, but had forgotten to tell Anna about it. It was then that Anna made Jane understand about the consequences of Mary stealing something and not being explained about not doing so. Jane understood and thanked Anna for her advice and support.

Often children tend to steal something from a friends’ house without knowing that they are not taking it to play with them, but actually stealing it. This tends to then grow into a habit of picking up anything from anybody’s house. It is a problem which needs to be addressed when a child does so the first time.

Children steal for a myriad of reasons, some of them purely unknown even to them. At the tender age of three and above, stealing takes place to either impress someone else or possess something which they don’t have based purely on impulsiveness. They steal only because they want something very badly which their friend possesses. Stealing is also possible if there is a world of mixed emotions going on in the child’s mind who wants to take control of an object which others have.

If a child is caught stealing, or is found in possession of something which does not belong to him/her, the parents should immediately:
• Show disapproval of the act performed by their child.
• Instead of whacking the child, it is important to make the child understand that it is unacceptable behaviour.
• Moral values and ethics should be explained.
• A basic attitude should be taught which is acceptable in the society; else he/she should be explained that they would be left out from the circle of friends. Kids believe in being accepted in their friends’ circle and show immense pride in the gang they belong to.
• Make the child promise and keep to his/her promise of not stealing; by making the child understand that all his/her action/behaviour are being watched upon.
• It’s important for the parents to understand if it is an ongoing behaviour or just a once/twice activity.

Jane realized her mistake of lettings things go. She was worried. But with Anna’s inputs on stealing, Jane again questioned Mary on taking the toy cat to which Mary responded, ‘I simply took it because I liked it.’ It then was that Jane made Mary understand that this was becoming an unacceptable behaviour and if done once more, Jane would not only stop talking to Mary, she would cut her pocket money as well. But she also made Mary understand that stealing was wrong. She ensured that Mary said sorry to Anna so that she would feel ashamed herself and would never do so again. Jane explained the consequences of stealing to Mary and of her friends leaving her alone. She made Mary promise that she would never do so again and her behaviour was being continuously watched.

Mary was deeply ashamed on her behaviour and since then has not stolen anything.