Mom calls police on shoplifting 6 year old daughter

[strickj]

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio woman who asked that police be called after she caught her 6-year-old daughter shoplifting a package of stickers said Wednesday that she was just trying to teach the girl a lesson early in life.

Diane Lyons said she doesn't believe she overreacted when she discovered the girl, Shiane, had taken the $3.11 package of stickers used to make temporary tattoos. An older 10-year-old daughter told Lyons about the theft.

Chief Ronald Yeager of the Carrollton Police Department in eastern Ohio arrived at the Discount Drug Mart Dec. 15 and took the girl to the police station in his cruiser before releasing her to Lyons, according to Yeager's report.

Yeager told Lyons the girl sat quietly in the car on the way to the police. A phone message was left with Yeager on Wednesday.

"I don't think I went too far," Lyons said in a phone interview. "You've got to catch them when they first start if they do something wrong."

Lyons, 31, asked about collecting a $30 reward for turning in shoplifters but decided not to follow up because she felt bad about doing it.

"People think that I set her up or something to get the reward," Lyons said.

Lyons said she's seen parents give children a light spanking in similar situations but felt that wasn't enough in Shiane's case. She's confident the girl learned her lesson.

"I don't think Shiane would do it again, I really don't, because of all that I did," Lyons said.

A Discount Drug Mart spokesman said Wednesday he was not familiar with the case. Chief Financial Officer Tom McConnell said he could recall at least one other time in a store where parents also asked that police be called on a shoplifting child.

A parent's own discipline is typically more effective when dealing with a young child's wrongdoing, said Stanley Goldstein, a child clinical psychologist in Middletown, N.Y.

"You're asking police to do something that's not in their training," said Goldstein, author of "Troubled Children/Troubled Parents."

"They're not experts on kids; they're experts on policing the community."

It's a good thing the kid didn't take a piece of candy without putting a nickle in the box!

[VERO1]

I fully support the mothers action. If more people would do this, or take the responsibility for raising their children, there would be a whole lot less crap in the world!

Personally if it were my child, I would not have called the police but would have lit up someones backside when we got home. It worked really well on me when I was a youngster. I never had to be reminded about not stealing ever again.

[TMMT]

Lyons, 31, asked about collecting a $30 reward for turning in shoplifters but decided not to follow up because she felt bad about doing it.

[Guest clownsdd]

Diane did good +10 for her. If she would have busted the kid's rear, and made her take it back and admit to it, someone would have claimed child abuse.

Goldstein needs to pull his head out of his rear, you are asking an LEO to do his job...handle a shoplifter...no more no less. The LEO's I know can handle most anything with kids 'cause most of them are parents.

[strickj]

Wow!

So you guys would rather call the cops on a child that won't even understand what a cop is, rather then giving a spanking?

I must be missing something here!

[VERO1]

A six year old, is old enough to understand the concept of stealing and the penalties associated with it.

It would have been a spanking, had it been my child as I stated above. I'm just glad Mom didn't let it go!

[strickj]

I didn't say a small child doesn't know about taking what's not theirs, I'm talking about calling the cops to handle the kid.

[Mike.357]

Strick I chalk it up to people just having different ideas on parenting. I do not think I would have called the police on my 7 year old grandson, but I do not see it as all bad that they were called. At least the mother did something. All to often it seems nothing would have been done.

And one really has to think hard about spanking a kid, however lightly in public.

I would have had my ass busted but good right on the spot. But then that would have been 1964 and a totally different world.

i stole something once when I was about 5, my mother got my mind right in a hurry when she found out. Cured me pretty much.

[Guest jackdm3]

"Pretty much?"

[Guest jackdm3]

[TripleDigitRide]

Probably not how I would have dealt with the situation, but Kudos for not simply brushing it off.

Then again, I've had more than one person tell me how mean I am for returning my daughters Christmas gifts to the stores, due to the fact that she got an "F" on her report card. There's a little more to the story, but that was the last straw.

[Guest clownsdd]

Me personally would have handled it at home. But kids and young adults now were not brought up like us old folks with a but whipping if you did something wrong. Them dang liberal views that you can reason with a hardheaded kid!!

[Guest jackdm3]

Probably not how I would have dealt with the situation, but Kudos for not simply brushing it off.

Then again, I've had more than one person tell me how mean I am for returning my daughters Christmas gifts to the stores, due to the fact that she got an "F" on her report card. There's a little more to the story, but that was the last straw.

Daddy killed Christmas!

[Mike.357]

"Pretty much?"

bump fired

[Mike.357]

"Pretty much?"

means I learned to not do that again

[Kegger]

My mom busted my ass as a kid for stealing a pack of kool-aid from the grocery store. Hurt for a week.

Then my thickheaded, little ***** self went off and took some candy.

She had the cops come pick me up and put me in a cell for a spell. Never stole another thing in my life. I was 5.

I think she did a damn fine job handling her daughter. Because god forbid she spank her child. She'd have been in jail herself and the kids in CPS custody, which I know from experience (due to my coke addicted alcoholic father) sucks more than anything.

[Guest jackdm3]

Then you should be able to remember the flavor?

[strickj]

My mom busted my ass as a kid for stealing a pack of kool-aid from the grocery store. Hurt for a week.

Then my thickheaded, little ***** self went off and took some candy.

She had the cops come pick me up and put me in a cell for a spell. Never stole another thing in my life. I was 5.

I think she did a damn fine job handling her daughter. Because god forbid she spank her child. She'd have been in jail herself and the kids in CPS custody, which I know from experience (due to my coke addicted alcoholic father) sucks more than anything.

Yeah, what flavor?

As far as abusing your child goes...I don't condone that. No how no way.

What happened to you sounds more like abuse then discipline.

Disciplining a child by spanking is far different, and AFAIK is not illegal in in this state.

[Kegger]

It was grape, tasted like crap without sugar in it.

I wasn't abused for the theft, I was 5, the 5 or so swats I got didn't really hurt that bad. But it seemed like it.

My father randomly shaking my twin til he stroked, now that was abuse.

As for that kind of thing, if I see it. Someones goin to prison. I've been through it, and know there is a special place in hell for those kind of people.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Kegger

[Mike.357]

, I've had more than one person tell me how mean I am for returning my daughters Christmas gifts to the stores,

smooth TDG ( TripleDigitGrinch)

Nah, I bet you are a great Dad and some day while not thanking you for it she will realize you were right.

[DaveTN]

Lyons, 31, asked about collecting a $30 reward for turning in shoplifters but decided not to follow up because she felt bad about doing it.

[Mike.357]

Disciplining a child by spanking is far different, and AFAIK is not illegal in in this state.

One time back in the olden days. My daughter was about 7 maybe. She did something, dunno anymore, I was fixing to bust her butt. She started hollering about how parents now count out a warning. ( you know, 1,2,3 and so on.) I said fine, here you go. Had her by the arm and started marching her towards her room, counting as I went and busting her ass with every number. Not what she was expecting. One of my finer parenting moments,.

I have no problem with a swat or five, as need be. It is not what I consider child abuse or beating. Butts are cushiony for a reason.

[kesava]

I fully support the mothers action. If more people would do this, or take the responsibility for raising their children, there would be a whole lot less crap in the world!

Personally if it were my child, I would not have called the police but would have lit up someones backside when we got home. It worked really well on me when I was a youngster. I never had to be reminded about not stealing ever again.

Amen!

[56FordGuy]

I guess what the mother did was better than ignoring it, but I'm not sure calling the police on a child is the first course of action to take. Then again, how do we know this is the first time the kid has done this?

[enfield]

It was a good response.

My kids all know I'm a hardass.