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8-year-old Stealing and Lying
mothernorth
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So our 8-year-old has been having an issue with lying about anything and everything for the past year. I mean destroying things and blaming it on the four-year-old, throwing homework away and saying he doesn't have any, breaking his teachers things, begging his classmates not to tell and STILL lying about it instead of owning up to it. He is extremely disruptive and destructive in class and at home when he THINKS he can get away with it. He will not tell you the truth even if you CATCH him in the act. And even when he is punished, he seems like he genuinely does not care at all... he says "okay, whatever" and makes comments like that, rolls his eyes, pouts, and is just all around disrespectful about it.
Recently, his lying and disruptive behavior took on a third partner: theft. In the past two months, he has stolen $130 from us, and that's just what we KNOW about, what he has been caught with at school and what we have caught him with. And yet, he lies about where it came from. After investigation and we find out he certainly stole it from us, he still lies until it boils down to "tell the truth or you're getting spanked". And we HAVE had to spank. And the truth finally comes out. But he does NOT seem to care and he just. Keeps. Doing it.
We have tried EVERYTHING... rewarding him for GOOD behavior, but that turned into him feeling entitled to rewards and treats for simply not getting in trouble or in trouble much that day, not deserving it for behaving particularly well. We have tried grounding. Doesn't phase him. Intervention with his teacher, principal, AND counselors, didn't phase him. And as mentioned, tried even spanking, does not phase him... We love him so much, but we are at our wits end. He has no remorse, no empathy, he just truly does not care unless he is getting what he wants when he wants and we don't know what to do. Anybody struggled with their child in a similar manner? What did you do or did anything at least help a little? We are terrified of him getting older and keeping these habits and growing into a person he (and others) won't like, and continuing to make poor choices and get into trouble in the future. How do we stop this NOW before it gets worse?
Recently, his lying and disruptive behavior took on a third partner: theft. In the past two months, he has stolen $130 from us, and that's just what we KNOW about, what he has been caught with at school and what we have caught him with. And yet, he lies about where it came from. After investigation and we find out he certainly stole it from us, he still lies until it boils down to "tell the truth or you're getting spanked". And we HAVE had to spank. And the truth finally comes out. But he does NOT seem to care and he just. Keeps. Doing it.
We have tried EVERYTHING... rewarding him for GOOD behavior, but that turned into him feeling entitled to rewards and treats for simply not getting in trouble or in trouble much that day, not deserving it for behaving particularly well. We have tried grounding. Doesn't phase him. Intervention with his teacher, principal, AND counselors, didn't phase him. And as mentioned, tried even spanking, does not phase him... We love him so much, but we are at our wits end. He has no remorse, no empathy, he just truly does not care unless he is getting what he wants when he wants and we don't know what to do. Anybody struggled with their child in a similar manner? What did you do or did anything at least help a little? We are terrified of him getting older and keeping these habits and growing into a person he (and others) won't like, and continuing to make poor choices and get into trouble in the future. How do we stop this NOW before it gets worse?
Re: 8-year-old Stealing and Lying
Eta: it will be different for each kid. Maybe consider making him do community service activities? Hope you can figure out a way to reach him asap. I'm going to think on this more and see if anything else comes to mind. How do you guys typically react and what do you say about the different misbehavior? Stealing is a big deal. You might want to consult a therapist if you can't get it figured out.
O16 April Siggy
Find out what prompts the child to steal. The child who steals habitually despite your teaching about honesty usually has a deep-seated problem that needs fixing. Is the child angry? Does he steal to vent the anger? Does the child need money and feel that stealing is the only way he can get what he believes he needs? If so, offer an allowance. Help him get odd jobs. Help the child learn work ethics so that he can earn the toys instead of steal them. Most of the time a child who habitually steals is suffering from a poor self-image and needs to steal to boost his worth or get attention. As in handling all behavioral problems, it’s often necessary to take inventory of your whole family situation. Does your child need more supervision? Perhaps, some redefining of priorities and reconnecting with your child is in order.
7. Identify the child at risk to steal Watch for these risk factors:
Poor self-esteem
Impulsiveness:
strong desire, but weak control
Generally insensitive to others
Not connected
Angry
Change in family situation, for example, divorce
generally bored
alone a lot
If you focus on helping your child deal with these risk factors, lying and stealing should subside. It’s important to get to the bottom of stealing. If the problems behind chronic stealing and lying are uncorrected, they tend to snowball. With repeated misdeeds, the child convinces himself that stealing is not really wrong. He desensitizes himself to his own conscience and to your teachings. The child without remorse is at high risk for becoming an adult without controls. With attachment parenting, even if a child is not “caught in the act,” he will punish himself sufficiently with the remorse he will feel. He won’t want to repeat wrong actions.
8. Praise honesty
The five-year-old finds somebody’s wallet and brings it to you. Praise him to the limit for his action! “Thank you for bringing Mommy the wallet you found. Now let’s see if we can find out who it belongs to. I’ll bet that person will be very happy you found it, just like you would feel if you lost something special and someone returned it.” Avoid saying, “Thank you for telling the truth.” Some children may not even have thought of keeping the wallet, and you don’t want to plant in their minds the option of being dishonest. Whatever praise you give, convey the message that your child did just what you expected.
Just googled 8 year old lying and stealing. Found this on drsears site. What do you think?
O16 April Siggy
Read as some life stories at www.nofas.org
the people are so relieved to have a diagnosis. Interventions decrease behaviors.
@knottie1442268460 First let me say your name is crazy to type out when it won't auto fill haha but to answer your question and offer a bit more background, I am not his biological mother, and I do not drink regardless, but that is an interesting bit of information.
@Miss Lilac Absolutely, tried that the first, and second time he was caught stealing. It wasn't until the third time that his father spanked him. There is no doubt that this stems from bigger issues, so that is what we are addressing now. Spanking is always a last resort.
Update: After our last discussion with him, we have established a new approach to take. He had a wonderful day at school today, his teacher actually sent me a text during their lunch hour and said "he's like a whole different kid", so we will be working in a more reward-based manner with him, we will be offering a behavior and academic performance allowance as well as offering opportunities to earn money via chores, etc. So he can have more of a concept of earning and ownership instead of feeling the need to steal, or just feeling entitled to whatever he wants without putting forth effort to earn what he wants.
We know a lot of his actions have to do with the drastically different home dynamics in our home and at his bio-mom's home, and him living with us full time is fairly new still, only 6 months in. Before we alternated every other week. We're trying to take all of that and how the changes affect him emotionally into consideration.
O16 April Siggy