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Teaching a Child Not to Steal

Alex •

My old car stereo doesn't work too good anymore, but it still works for AM - and I've been listening to Michael Josephson's commentary on ethics while driving to and from work.

This one is from a while ago, but it's a goodie. Here's a story that someone told him about stealing:

More than 50 years ago, when I was five, I was at my granddaddy's house in a dress and white gloves. He told me I could go into the kitchen and get a cookie. Next to the cookie jar was a stack of quarters. I knew I shouldn't have, but I took one.

I must have looked guilty when I returned because my granddaddy looked at me funny and asked me to show him my white gloves. I had the quarter in my right hand so I held out my left.

"Show me the other hand," he said. When he saw the quarter, he looked at me sadly.

He hugged me and said, "Darlin', you can have anything in the world I have, but it breaks my heart that you'd ever steal it."

I'll never forget the shame, and I never stole anything again.

Michael has a pretty good commentary on why the grandfather's approach worked better in instilling the sense of right and wrong in the then-little girl: Link


Comments (13)

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

Almost all children at least once have tried to steal something.preventing children from stealing may has to be taken up by parents.Every now and then parents should speak with their children about moral themes, recall commandments, one of which says that stealing is a guilt. Child teaching is right when parents explain in details what is bad or good.
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I'm not sure about the "i'm disappointed in you" tack. Seems like it could just send a message that the kid is deficient, rather than in charge of being a force of good in the world based on her own sense of responsibility. To do no wrong because others might shame you does not seem like the right strategy.
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@HollywoodRooney: I'd admit I was getting paid more than I was worth if rent weren't so goddamned high. But such is not the case and I'd like a raise.
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The grandmother refused to leave the house because she knew he was going to hit the child - age around 1-2 years - even though he repeatedly warned her that he was going to use a stun-gun on her - I'd say that took some guts on Grandma's part.

God help the child.
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Frankly, regardless of whether spanking a child is acceptable or not, I'd say he just reinforced the idea of "Spanking = Violence" by remorselessly attacking a 79-year-old woman. Not the best way to prove one's point, unless the point is "I'm A Nasty Bully"...

--TwoDragons
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Just read the MSN report on this "news item" the baby was 7 months old and was "swatted on his diapered bottom" because he was reaching for electrical cords.

Hitting a baby is NEVER ok. move the baby, move the cords and listen to the grandmother!

GodDamn people like this.
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There is nothing a child that young can do, or understand they're doing to warrent a spanking. I would have done the same thing as the grandmother. Personally I think childrens aide should be looking into this.
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“In his rights?” Morally, or ethically? All he had to do was call the cops. Did he really feel that threatened by the 79-year-old woman?
Legally, anyway. I don't know where he lives, but it it is somewhere like Georgia, Texas or Oklahoma with a "Make my Day" law, he could have killed her and it would have been legal.
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I agree with him. Violence can be a useful educational tool. In this case, I think it ought to be used to teach this gentleman not to torture old ladies.
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@cooper

Somewhere like GA,TX, or OK... not surprising. Of course, legality is not morality. Sometimes the two coincide, but that depends on which set of morals is applied.
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As long as he was going to physically assault an old woman, I wonder what prevented him from simply picking her up, dropping her on the front porch and shutting the door?

I bet he was just waiting for an opportunity to use his brand new taser on *somebody*.
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"What kind of moron spanks a 7 month old baby? The same kind of moron who would taser a 79 year old woman.
Lord help this little baby boy."

I agree completely, with the addition of: What kind of moron lets her husband spank her baby and taser her grandmother and thinks he's in the right?? In 20 years there will be a story about this baby being arrested for assault; we can only hope it's against his dad.
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