How To Deal With Kids Who Are Disrespectful & Steal From You

The very act of stealing is rooted in disrespect--disrespect for another's personal property and boundaries. When your child has become so disrespectful that he steals items, money and even medicine from you, it's time to have a serious talk about the repercussions of stealing and how your child can make it right with you. Ignoring what seems like an innocent problem causes it to snowball into something so serious, it could lead to legal issues in the future.

Step 1

Act as soon as you find out that your child has been stealing. Sit your child down and tell her that stealing is wrong in any type of situation. Let her know that you've noticed her stealing and feel that it's disrespectful. Set a precedent for an environment where stealing in intolerable in any shape or form.

Step 2

Ask why your child felt the need to steal. In some cases, his stealing could be the result of another problem in his life, such as a bully at school asking for money or an instance where he doesn't feel comfortable asking you for money or a certain item. Try and resolve the stealing trigger together to send the message that he can come to you with a problem. If the stealing was the result of nothing more than greed, put your foot down and move on to the punishment.

Step 3

Give your child options for a payback plan, no matter what the reason for stealing. If she felt as though she needed to steal from necessity, remedy the trigger by making sure she does extra chores to pay you back for taking something from you. If stealing was a selfish gesture, ensure the punishment fits the crime with a payback plan plus added discipline, such as removing privileges.

Step 4

Keep money, valuable items and prescription medications in safe places that are inaccessible to your children. Avoid baiting a child by leaving valuable items and money out where you know they'll be a temptation since that can create trust issues between you and your child. Remove the temptation to steal altogether to reduce the chance of stealing becoming a recurrent behavior.

Step 5

Schedule an appointment with a child psychologist if the behavior continues. There may be underlying reasons as to your child's disrespectful behavior, including kleptomania, the clinical name for a compulsive urge to steal. A child psychologist works with your child to discover reasons for the behavior and find ways to cope with the urges.