Stealing money from family members- anyone experiencing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also stole dollar bills and quarters from my parents. I wanted money for snacks and sodas from the vending machine at school and I knew if I asked my mother she'd say it was unhealthy and not give me anything. So I took small amounts here and there. I never took more than $1 at a time and never stole anything else. I think my dad probably knew and said nothing (he and my mom didn't always see eye-to-eye on how strict to be with us).

Try setting up an actual allowance system and see what happens. I agree with PP that $3 here and there is not enough--it was not enough when I was a kid and that was 20+ years ago. It accumulated so slowly that it never seemed worth it to bother earning and it taught me nothing about money management because it wasn't enough to manage. What, you're going to save $0.50, donate $0.50 to charity, and spend $2 on a bag of Famous Amos cookies? Or maybe if you save for half a year you can buy a sweatshirt! Yippee!

I also did this, for similar reasons. I don’t steal now, and never shoplifted or anything as a teen. It doesn’t seem like stealing in the same way when it is your parents.

I knew it was wrong, feel very bad about it as an adult, and really hope my kids don’t do the same to me. So lots of sympathy OP.

I did too, FWIW. I've never stolen from anyone/anywhere else in my life. I actually didn't feel that bad about it and still don't; my mom is sort of nuts and it was my way of coping. Not the healthiest, but not a sign I was going to turn into a serial killer.

[Anonymous]

Give the girl some real money before she's out there turning tricks. I'm not joking.

I was sitting on the patio at Starbucks on Friday afternoon and heard a tween boy tell a group of tween girls he'd give $5 to anyone who would touch his dick. "Seriously? Okay!" one girl quickly spoke up.

They couldn't have been older than 14 because they were from the nearby middle school. The kids often cut through the shopping complex and hit up the Starbucks or 7-11 for snacks for their walk home.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the comments saying this is serious. I suggest cognitive behavior therapy from a clinical psychologist. This could escalate to shoplifting -- and a record.

[Anonymous]

Stealing is wrong. Period. I would addr as that and make sure that message is conveyed. Secondly I would tell her you will give her $5 per week allowance but she must stop stealing effective immediately. Tell her you are willing to start fresh and wipe the slate clean and start from a new place of trust. See how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So funny... would all of you okay with stealing if the child had no allowance support a basic income for all citizens?

I grew up painfully poor. Never stole anything. Not even sanitary napkins although I certainly needed them.

No. I do not understand at all the people advocating to reward the child with an allowance as a result of stealing. So it is ok to steal, lie and be lazy?

[Anonymous]

Is she being punished for stealing besides a good talking to? I'd address that first before I just starting handing over money.

I got allowance but I had to earn it. I think at that age it was 5 or 10 but for context this was 1991

[Anonymous]

Ok your kid should be doing chores REGARDLESS of the money she gets. But she should get money for the chores. Then she'd have spending money.

I remember always "borrowing" my mom's tweezers when I was 12 or 13. I got in trouble constantly, even when I returned them and even when I did it so she wouldn't notice. Looking back I'm like- WTF! Why didn't anyone buy me tweezers? I was obviously too young to have money or a car to go buy some.