Miss KT caught shoplifting

[KTMom91]

Just got a call from a local dept store...Miss KT was caught with a pair of jeans in her bag. She says it was her friend that handed her the jeans, and then her friend disappeared. After talking with security, and finding out the consequences, I decided to bring her home, because I'm much scarier than a ticket, and I'm sure my consequences would be harsher. I don't think that she's been the actual "taker", because she really doesn't have the courage, but she's been around some girls who know what they're doing, and she was shopping with one of them today.

No driving for the rest of the school year, for starters, and we pulled the TV. I want her to learn to stand up for herself, and do what's right. I know that's a hard lesson, but I think she's off to a good start with it.

 

[hearts and roses]

You have my empathy...both easy child (when she was 8) and difficult child (when she was 15) were caught shoplifting - BY ME. Hahaha - a fate worse than death.

I hope you're right about KT not being one to be the taker. It's very common at her age amongst the girlies. I know it's hard to face. Nip it in the bud now, as I Know you will. We've never had any further issues. Best of luck!

 

[Nancy]

Oh my, I'm sorry. I always feared that would happen and there was a time when I suspected my difficult child did shoplift jewelry from Claire's. She too was hanging with girls who thought nothing about shoplifting. I had many serious talks with her about consequences of stealing but I was always afraid to answer the phone when she was out.

Is the store pressing charges? Even if she wasn;t the one who took the jeans, if they are in her bag she's guilty. Hopefully this scare will teach her a lesson.

Nancy

 

[gcvmom]

Ouch. You are right to come down on her hard. She's lucky she didn't get arrested. Sorry you're having to teach her this lesson, but it needs to be done.

(((Hugs)))

 

[DammitJanet]

Hope this teaches her a lesson. It scared me to death when it happened to me and I wasnt the one who was the taker either...it was my mother who put the item in the stroller with my baby! I didnt even know it was there until they stopped me walking out of the store. A stupid hair brush! My mom had been stuffing stuff in the stroller the entire time we were in there and I had been constantly putting it back but I missed the brush. Of course, I got caught and who would believe me over my mom? I ended up convicted.

 

[susiestar]

I am glad they are letting you deal with it. Our local Walmart pushes for the max sentence (and gets it almost every time) for shoplifters. It is also a big problem at our church thrift store. Sadly, at the thrift store if the person was truly in need and just talked to the priest or store mgr they could HAVE all they needed for FREE. But if they shoplift then it has to be dealt with.

I hope you can get through to MissKT.

 

[compassion]

This is why clsoe supervison will occur with my daughter. Comapssion

 

[mrscatinthehat]

this is something I have dreaded with my difficult children...glad that you were able to be the one to handle it.

beth

 

[Wiped Out]

Mary,
Sorry, I know this isn't any fun. I do think you are handling it well though. Hugs.

 

[WSM]

It is also a big problem at our church thrift store.

In the 1980's I worked for the National Security Agency. We had a completely secure building, top secret, badges, background checks, guards, cameras, all that. We also had a Rite Aid drugstore on the first floor that could only be accessed by people with top secret security clearances. And that Rite Aid had the largest shoplifting problem of any in the area by numbers.

Just goes to show ya...

I'm sorry she shoplifted. It's such a problem among girls. If they don't do it themselves, they are with girls who do. I used to drive 14 year olds around to movies and malls and stuff (I have boys but they hung around with girls in a crowd, and I was one of the parents who would drive, so I drove everyone everywhere). They'd talk about it with me in the car (because driver's don't have ears?) completely without shame. Nice girls, nice area, none of them ever got caught.

 

[TerryJ2]

Aw, I'm sorry, Mary. Sounds like you handled it well.
Was she scared when she got caught? Any remorse, despite her denial?
Best of luck.

 

[totoro]

I am sorry this happened also.

I would be much more scared of Mom than any other consequence!

 

[KTMom91]

She knew she was dead meat...I was in retail management for about ten years. She feels stupid, mainly, because, as she says, "You didn't raise me that way." She learned from a situation with Son #2, not to talk until Mom got there (he ended up in juvenile court, not his fault). I explained to her several times that the jeans were in her bag, she was in trouble, that it didn't matter how they got there.

She's handling the grounding idea well so far, so we'll see how it goes. The biggest PITA for me is that I'll need to take her and pick her up from one of her classes, at another high school, no bus transportation. Sigh.

 

[TerryJ2]

Uh. Grounding kids is always grounding the moms, too.
So sorry.