While shopping today, I noticed that some people apparently do not know the difference between stealing and taste testing. No matter what you may have been taught, picking through grapes, eating them, and not paying, is stealing.
It is not taste testing. This stands true, regardless if it’s one grape or if it’s a handful, as my son and I witnessed today. Even worse, it wasn’t just one shopper we saw do this. There were two of them, and within minutes of each other.
When you do this in the presence of my child, I then have to explain to him that what he is watching you (an adult) do is wrong. Adults are the people that he is supposed to look up to. They are the ones who are supposed to teach him right from wrong.
So when we consider right and wrong, is stealing produce right? No. Therefore, I am kindly asking you to please stop.
Our words, behavior and our actions are the greatest and most utilized tools for teaching children. So please, teach responsibly. Thank you.
Me - Who am I? 
How is that different from taking a car on a test drive before you buy it? 😉
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Well, hopefully no one returns the grape after they eat it. Ew. 🙂
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Good point!
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If you expect the masses to model good behavior for your children, you will be sorely disappointed. That ship has sailed. Better to teach “this is what we do/believe in our family regardless of what others do.”
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Sadly, I don’t expect it all. I expect quite the opposite, but it sure would be nice if people still had morals. What’s frustrating, is that no matter how much we teach our children right from wrong, when they go out in public, they see backward behavior. If I were a child, would I understand that they’re wrong or would I begin to think that my parents are merely too strict? It’s got to be confusing for children.
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I’ve seen this myself!
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Isn’t it terrible?
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Yes. 😦 And people really don’t think they are stealing.
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Not cool! I have never seen this before, but now that I’ve said that, I’ll probably see it when I go to the grocery store today. Stealing, in whatever form, is something I just do not think is okay, ever!
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I’ve seen kids do it once, but never adults. Not until yesterday. They weren’t even hiding their actions; just grabbing right out of several of the grape bags. One was even expressing her like of them with ‘mmm’ sounds. I just stared at the two of them in disbelief. I am so glad to hear that others think/know that this behavior is wrong too.
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Wow. I would have been staring in disbelief as well!
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Not cool. You know what? Those are the people who probably think that today’s kids are horrible. Hmmmm….I wonder if they see the part they played in their horribleness.
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You’re probably right! What’s sad, is they probably don’t see their part in it at all. Standing in front of them and looking at them, I told my son “Never do what they’re doing. That is stealing and it is wrong.” I may not have called them out on it to their face, but I wasn’t shy about using them for a lesson, right in front of them. I hope they heard me, but I doubt it would make a difference even if they did.
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I really hope you explained to you son why it is wrong loudly and clearly within earshot of the offenders!
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Whoops, just saw the earlier response that says you did 🙂
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🙂
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I did! 🙂 Although I didn’t raise my voice, I spoke plenty loud enough for them to hear me.
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