Question on teaching kid a lesson on stealing

Forums:

I have posted this on my reg. blog but, am posting here also.

My BS17 (almost 18), keeps stealing food from us. I know that sounds messed up but.. My Dh had a summer sausage in the fridge for my FIL today, but my BS stole it and denys it. He has also stolen from me, and my home based business. He has been stealing sodas and all sorts of stuff that we put back for our lunches at work.

How can we teach him a lesson? Maybe putting something in food we know he will steal. We are just to the end of our ropes.

Update: Right after posted this he got into an order I had set out ready to go. With the food in his mouth, he was like "WHAT?!?!"
then turned around and played dumb like he didn't know he wasn't allowed to have it.(luckily I had enough extras to make up for the one he stole, this time!)

I am writing this now because, roughly 3 hrs ago (12:30 am), he was up. I figured he was going to steal something So I put clear tape across the frdge and freezer door, and all the cupboards. Well, no surprise here, he did get into the fridge, and into ANOTHER order. I knew EXACTLY how many item I had, as the customer order 3 doz. well, I went and counted them, and lo and behold there are 4 missing!!!!! This order goes out in 6 hrs (10am) and there is no. WAY.in.hell I can have more made and ready in that time, since I cant even get to a store until 7am. That leaves me 3 hrs to make more and then deliver them...45 min away. So in reality that only gives me a little over 2 hrs!!!!! I am soooooooo pissed!!
Somehow I am going to have to try to pull this off. I will NOT dissappoint a customer.

I am however going to call his PO on monday and report this. Even if I have to file charges, so he will go to Detention Home until he turns 18. (just under 60 days).

What else can I do?!?

I have spoken to him about

I have spoken to him about asking for permission, and he wont! He will steal it, when we are sleeping, or right in the other room watching tv. Ive caught him stealing, when I was in the same room!!
So telling him to ask doesnt work.

In with old hag on this one.

In with old hag on this one. Teenage boys are like locusts. Make sure you have a fully stocked designated area he can snack from. And definitely make very sure he knows the impact this is having on your business. Perhaps if its possible while you are re making things that he has eaten from your orders. He can be doing a job that you now don't have time for. Like making breakfast or the beds hanging the wash or doing the dishes. Just so as some consequence falls on him.

"LOCUST" is a PERFECT word to

"LOCUST" is a PERFECT word to use to describe a teenage boy! HAHAHAA!!!

I have a 17 year old son and I absolutely HAVE to stock a separate cupboard and drawer in the fridge for him to eat from. He just walks by the kitchen and all of the food is gone. I buy him his own boxes of cereals, chips, snacks, soda, etc. Is it expensive? Hell yeah! The term "two hollow legs" comes to mind. BUT this has stopped the fights about him eating food that was designated for other things.

Of course, my son is pretty reasonable and if asked to not eat something, he won't. However, the separate cupboard has really eased the stress we were feeling about coming home to find our lunch items were long gone.

In addition to doing that, perhaps it would be advantageous to just take a pro-active stance on the food items you make for customers: automatically make extras specifically for your son and put them in his cupboard?

This is not about being

This is not about being hungry, this is about stealing. It is about being selfish, and caring about nobody but himself. He has a PO...hmmmm. Our grocery store has gift cards that you can load with money whenever you need to. Give him one and put only a certain amount of money on it for his food. You can decide if it will include his dinners or if you will provide dinner, etc. So anything he wants to eat that is not provided in a meal by you, he must purchase with his card. That means that nothing in the fridge is fair game to him unless he purchased it and placed it there. Inform him that if he does not stop what he's doing you will report him. Also, you need to secure these things. You made sure to bust him with the tape on the fridge, but why not make sure he can't have access to the product? I don't know what you are producing, but don't they have food laws that require separate areas for production and storage? I wouldn't want to purchase something that a 17 year old with a PO has access to during the night. Who's to say HE won't put something in them before they leave your house?

That is right. That's what it

That is right. That's what it is all about the stealing!!
I do prepare dinners and lunches (when they are not in school) and there is ALWAYS fruits, veges, preztles to snack on.
He chooses to steal what I make, just because he can.
BTW, I make all sorts of sweets and things. I do have a seperate fridge for these items and he has broken the lock on this.
I just confronted him on the theft (as he just woke up and came downstairs). He got pissy saying that he didnt know he couldnt have them. Like seriously?!?! They are in a seperate fridge that had a lock on it until he broke it. In a seperate room, that he has no need to even be in. Seriously, you "didn't know"!! I call BS on that one.

This isn't an issue of him

This isn't an issue of him being hungry. It is an issue of him undermining your authority. He is showing you, "I can do whatever I want and you can't stop me." I would call the police on him. No joke. It is time for you to be the parent and be the authority in your house and if he does not stop stealing things from you and the other occupants of your home, well 17 is more than old enough to support himself. I started supporting myself at 17 and finished high school. Have him emancipated, and tell him he has 90 days to find a job and a place to live. Parents don't have to accept abuse from their kids, just because parents can no longer abuse their kids.

Ohio doesnt do emancipation

Ohio doesnt do emancipation any more. Even if they did, he would have to show he can support himself, and he cant hold a job for longer than 3-4 weeks!! He can legally go live with BD (XH), because of court order.
He only has 58 days until he is 18 and then he is out. I am calling his PO first thing tomorrow morning, and have told BS this too. Hopefully he will just go to Detention Home until he turns 18, and then he wont have to be in our house any more.

I think you're onto something

I think you're onto something here with involving the police.

He's stealing from your business. Yes it is "just food" and he's a typical teen boy in the eating dept - but if he can't even discern the difference between snacks/food that are meant for household use and the products you've made for a customer?

He may as well be stealing money right out of your cash register.

Time for some new locks on your business fridge/cabinets.

AND honestly? I'd remove ALL the food in the house (for a short time). He wants to steal your biz food? Fine I can't buy more food for you to actually eat. I know it sounds petty - but for cripes' sake he's 17. Tell him to buy his own damn snacks with his money from a job!

I do have food that he knows

I do have food that he knows is "ok" to get into and only certain foods, like stuff for dinners and things like that, that are off limits. I have taken to keeping cereal and foods for DH and my lunches locked in our bedroom. When I buy cereal, he can go thru a whole box in 1 day, by himself!!
I have all sorts of healthy snacks, and he doesnt "want" those. He only wants what he cant have.
I have even gone to making extras of whatever I make, just for these cases, and so that he and everyone can have some sweets too.
So its not like I dont let him have any at all.