Women calls cops on shoplifting 6 year old.

[luvmy3]

I am usually the one who agrees with the parent's choice of discipline in these kinds of cases but I think this mom went a bit too far. I think the arresting part was over the top. For a first time offense, taking the item back to the store and explaining what she had done on top of a punishment at home would have been fine. However, if this is an ongoing issue with this child, maybe this incident was the last straw and the mom felt she had tried everything else. I really don't know the whole situation.

 

[Sanchez]

What a waste of police resources.

From parental standpoint, I fail to see how involving the police fosters trust and respect. Go sit in juvenile court for a day and see the number of parents who would rather bring in the police to discipline their child because they cannot or will not.

Finally, some on this thread seem to think that by involving the police the child is less likely to do this again. I am not so sure that a six year old differentiates police involvement (the implications of which are unlikely to be understood) and an angry parent. Further, if police involvement was a primary factor in reducing future crime we would have very few repeat offenders.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

The act of calling the police doesn't support your statement of evading responsibility. This shows that she was taking full responsibility for her daughter's actions and was taking full responsibility by calling the proper authorities. She was proactively disciplining her child by calling the police, in order to show her daughter the possible consequences of her negative behavior. This is not evading responsibility. This is proper parenting. Calling the police was the way in which this mother disciplined her child.

The problem here is this bizarre notion that by taking action in response to her daughter's behavior, this mother was evading responsibility?!?!? It makes no sense.

Maybe proper parenting for a teen who has shoplifted before but for a 6 yo? Sorry don't see it.

Calling the police was ridiculous. She could have handled the situation herself, but chose not to.

The article states the kid just sat there when they took her away. So either she is already well seasoned at 6yo or the "arrest" didn't teach her a thing.

 

[Wall-E1]

Maybe proper parenting for a teen who has shoplifted before but for a 6 yo? Sorry don't see it.

Calling the police was ridiculous. She could have handled the situation herself, but chose not to.

The article states the kid just sat there when they took her away. So either she is already well seasoned at 6yo or the "arrest" didn't teach her a thing.

By the time they are a teen, it is probably too late. Proper parenting would be intervening and coming down hard on something as serious as stealing as soon as possible. If your child thinks that all they need to do is apologize to the shop owner and then everything will be okay - that's not serving your child well. The child who sees first hand the consequences of their actions will learn a much more valuable lesson.

I'm sure this mother could have handled the situation herself. She just made the decision to involve the police in handling the situation in order to show her daughter the seriousness of her actions. Nothing ridiculous about that.

I really don't think that you are in any position to judge this child based on one line in a news story. I'm willing to bet that as a six year old, it probably had a very significant effect on her. I can't say for sure, as I don't know her, but logic would seem to imply this.

"She is already well seasoned..." - ridiculous and uninformed opinion. What did you expect the child to do - try to kick out the windows and scream, "Attica!".

 

[cheermom1]

Let me tell you a story of something taht happened in my home town - some time ago a little boy around 5 or was caught stealing at a store..the employee of the store didn't give the mom a chance to do anything about it. instead she grabbed the little boys and took off with him and the mom was trying to stay with her and telling her to let go of her son plus she had another child with her and cart full..finally the employee lets go and he had a really bad red ring around his wrist where she grabbed him ...the employee to the kids behind the desk and called the cops and only then did she tell the mom what happened ...when the cops got there they talked to the boy and let him go ...the employee wanted way more...the officer told the lady he would not do what she asked and really got upset with her for the way she handled the situation and told her that she should have let the mom take care of it and not to be taking officers away from real crimes ....

I know for a fact this happened as I was there to see the whole thing unfold ...

it scared the crap out of this poor kid who had no idea that what he had done was that awful (yes stealing is wrong but how many of you have done something like this at least once as a child?) the difference is that most kids needs is to be told what they did wrong and make them take it back and explain what they did and they will never do it again...parents have been doing this for a very LONG time this way and like I said most kids never do it again....

 

[Wall-E1]

Let me tell you a story of something taht happened in my home town - some time ago a little boy around 5 or was caught stealing at a store..the employee of the store didn't give the mom a chance to do anything about it. instead she grabbed the little boys and took off with him and the mom was trying to stay with her and telling her to let go of her son plus she had another child with her and cart full..finally the employee lets go and he had a really bad red ring around his wrist where she grabbed him ...the employee to the kids behind the desk and called the cops and only then did she tell the mom what happened ...when the cops got there they talked to the boy and let him go ...the employee wanted way more...the officer told the lady he would not do what she asked and really got upset with her for the way she handled the situation and told her that she should have let the mom take care of it and not to be taking officers away from real crimes ....

I know for a fact this happened as I was there to see the whole thing unfold ...

it scared the crap out of this poor kid who had no idea that what he had done was that awful (yes stealing is wrong but how many of you have done something like this at least once as a child?) the difference is that most kids needs is to be told what they did wrong and make them take it back and explain what they did and they will never do it again...parents have been doing this for a very LONG time this way and like I said most kids never do it again....

So, what's your point? How does this relate to the situation where this mother chose to call the police to teach her daughter a lesson? In the situation where the mother chose to call the police, the police decided to teach the child a lesson. Each situation is unique. In the situation with the mother that we have been discussing, I agree with her decision.

Also, you state that "parents have been doing this for a very LONG time this way and like I said most kids never do it again....". Can you point me to a study or article that supports this statement? How did you come to this fascinating conclusion that most kids never do it again? It sounds like an opinion disguised as fact. I could make a similar statement - Calling the police on your child that steals will discourage kids from stealing again.

 

[crazee4mickey]

I think it's commendable what this mother did. I like the no nonsense approach. This lesson will stick with the little girl. She just taught her daughter how serious her actions were. Better this happened when she was six, rather than sixteen.

ITA! Bet she thinks hard about it before she ever thinks of stealing anything ever again.......

 

[sbell111]

The girl was six years old? I'm thinking that the mother should have taken a moment to explain to her daughter that stealing is wrong prior to having her arrested.

Happily, 1) she could never in a million years be convicted and 2) her mother would have to pay her legal bills.

 

[happygirl]

The girl was six years old? I'm thinking that the mother should have taken a moment to explain to her daughter that stealing is wrong prior to having her arrested.

Happily, 1) she could never in a million years be convicted and 2) her mother would have to pay her legal bills.

At 6 they should know that stealing is wrong, heck my 4 year old knows that.

Maybe she did talk to her before and she keeps doing it. Then what how many times do you sit down and talk to her.

 

[catycatcat4]

It is just sad that people think it is ok to have someone who is still pretty much a baby taken to jail.
Its discussing!

You should not have someone that young arrested for any reason can a little kid really do that much damage?

Also how many of you parents would honestly would call the cops on a 6 year old, If you say you would chances are its a load of crap.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

By the time they are a teen, it is probably too late. Proper parenting would be intervening and coming down hard on something as serious as stealing as soon as possible. If your child thinks that all they need to do is apologize to the shop owner and then everything will be okay - that's not serving your child well. The child who sees first hand the consequences of their actions will learn a much more valuable lesson.

I'm sure this mother could have handled the situation herself. She just made the decision to involve the police in handling the situation in order to show her daughter the seriousness of her actions. Nothing ridiculous about that.

I really don't think that you are in any position to judge this child based on one line in a news story. I'm willing to bet that as a six year old, it probably had a very significant effect on her. I can't say for sure, as I don't know her, but logic would seem to imply this.

"She is already well seasoned..." - ridiculous and uninformed opinion. What did you expect the child to do - try to kick out the windows and scream, "Attica!".

No, not scream attica but if a policeman came , put my 6 yo DD in a police car and drove away without me, my DD would be screaming her head off. How do I know that? Because I'm her mother. I know what she would do.

You don't know if it taught that kid a lesson either. "Logic seems to imply what" Logic for who? You and the crazy mom who hauled her kid away in a cop car. For all we know it could have taught her kid, to hate cops and or be scared to death of them. None of us know for sure. I just would think if a cop took a kid away without a parent, the kid would have some kind of reaction, not just sit there, especially a kid as young as 6.

If you seen the mom on TV, that is what she said. "They took her away, no screaming or crying, she just sat there".

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Because I think the mom is a whack job and was looking for her 15 minutes of fame.

Off to a party. Merry Christmas to all!

 

[happygirl]

No, not scream attica but if a policeman came , put my 6 yo DD in a police car and drove away without me, my DD would be screaming her head off. How do I know that? Because I'm her mother. I know what she would do.

You don't know if it taught that kid a lesson either. "Logic seems to imply what" Logic for who? You and the crazy mom who hauled her kid away in a cop car. For all we know it could have taught her kid, to hate cops and or be scared to death of them. None of us know for sure. I just would think if a cop took a kid away without a parent, the kid would have some kind of reaction, not just sit there, especially a kid as young as 6.

If you seen the mom on TV, that is what she said. "They took her away, no screaming or crying, she just sat there".

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Because I think the mom is a whack job and was looking for her 15 minutes of fame.

Off to a party. Merry Christmas to all!

I dunno that I could call the cops on my daughter or not. I would hope I would if she did wrong. I won't want her to get the wrong idea. To think that each time she did wrong I wouild be okiay with it.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this but maybe this was far from the first time? I don't know, I have mixed feelings about it.

 

[maxiesmom]

By the time they are a teen, it is probably too late. Proper parenting would be intervening and coming down hard on something as serious as stealing as soon as possible. If your child thinks that all they need to do is apologize to the shop owner and then everything will be okay - that's not serving your child well. The child who sees first hand the consequences of their actions will learn a much more valuable lesson.

I'm sure this mother could have handled the situation herself. She just made the decision to involve the police in handling the situation in order to show her daughter the seriousness of her actions. Nothing ridiculous about that.

I agree. And I have to say, maybe if more parents used that approach, the store I work at wouldn't keep catching so many young, teenaged shoplifters.

 

[justhat]

My BIL is a policeman and he HATES when parents use police officers to threaten/discipline their kids and will not take part in it. I asked him what he would have done here and he said he would not have taken this child to jail, that it is completely absurd. And he has 3 kids, including a 6yo.

When parents see him and tell their kids he will take them to jail for doing whatever it is, he stops the parent, explains that they should not make their kids scared of police officers as they need to understand police officers are there to help them should trouble arise, and that they need to learn how to handle their kids on their own.

One example was a couple who stopped him on the sidewalk and explained that their kids were not keeping their carseats buckled (they were 2yo and 4yo) and asked him to go over to the car and tell the kids they were breaking the law and would be arrested. He outright refused, told them to figure out a way to get their own kids to listen to them and learn right and wrong and acceptable behavior, not just fear policemen.

And I completely agree. My daughter took an entire bag of Airheads out of a CVS when she was about 3yo, a big bag with like 100 airheads in it, but somehow neither me, my husband, nor the store clerks noticed. We did outside the store and brought her back in, had her return the Airheads, and we explained that you have to pay for things, you can't just walk out. Well she's never taken anything since then, but at nearly 6yo she still doesn't 'get' how money works. She thinks you can just walk into a bank and they give you money if you're out.


ETA: And honestly, I think that if I called the police on my daughter and had her hauled away to jail right now (and she's nearly the same age as this kid in the OP), she would have serious trust issues with me. I mean, getting sold out by your own mother at such a young age for something that could have been handled so differently? She would be terrified and I highly doubt that if she did anything she deemed questionable in at least the near future that she would be very forthcoming in disclosing that info to me.

 

[Docwoods]

Happened with our daughter at about age four.Took a balloon from Party City.She brought it out at home and I asked her where she got it.She told me and we drove back to the store,I asked for the manager and and explained to her what happened.Our daughter had to give the balloon back and apologize and say that it would never happen again.Sounds tough,but it seems to have worked.

 

[quentina]

Putting on my flame suit. I bet this child will never steal anything again. So many times parents hide or cover up there childs crime.

Now if the mother only did this to get reward money that is wrong.

I agree...sometimes lives lessons are hard learned. I see nothing wrong with this and to be honest, I would do the same thing if it was my kid (I would not collect or ask for reward money).

 

[Becky2005]

I don't know...I could see how this would make the girl never steal again, however, it could also make her scared to death of police and will NOT call them no matter what the situation when she really needs help.

I know kind of dramatic but for some odd reason, the Fireman scared the daylights out of my daughter when they visited the school & put all their gear on in either Kindergarten or First grade (I'm thinking first grade so, 6 - 7 year old age) -- The purpose of that visit was so the kids *wouldn't* be scared if they saw them in a real fire with all their gear on. To this day, firemen/fire trucks are something she fears and she always attributes it to that visit.

 

[C.Ann]

I don't think its crazy...the kid needs to learn that she broke a law.... I think the police officer talking to her should have been enough though...

I think it's commendable what this mother did. I like the no nonsense approach. This lesson will stick with the little girl. She just taught her daughter how serious her actions were. Better this happened when she was six, rather than sixteen.

I think giving it back and just having to aplolgize isn't enough because next tiime she steals she will think no biggie if I get caught I just have to say I'm sorry and give it back..

I agree.. At 6 yrs. old a child should have enough knowledge to know that taking an item from a store with paying for it is stealing..

Hopefully she has learned her lesson..

Now if the mom took the "reward", that would be seriously wrong..

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

There's not a lot of info in that article. We don't know if it's the first time or the fiftieth time the girl has done this. We don't know if this is a child that listens to her parents or not, or what kind of problems she has. I could totally see this approach being needed for some of my students for whom a stern talking to and being made to say sorry just isn't enough sometimes. As others have said, better this little girl learn this lesson now and not when she is 16 and going to jail for real.And obviously, the policeman involved was okay with it enough to actually do something. If he felt it wasn't his place, he could have just talked to her and let that be enough.