The Waiting Room

During one of our shopping excursions, Piglet overheard this conversation while waiting for me outside a store that sells all kinds of bath stuff. Let me set the scene for you.

Piglet is waiting on the steps of the store next to the bath store. Two woman approach each other. Woman #1 is walking with a four year old in a stroller. Woman #2 has two young girls with her, probably about 10 or 12 years old. The woman carried on this conversation right in front of my friend.

Woman #1: Just a minute, I have to go back into the bath store.
Woman #2: Why?
Woman #1: Because he walked out of the store with this. (This was a small rubber duck.)
Woman #2: Oh, just take it. They will never notice.
Woman #1: Yeah, you're right. (She hands the duck back to the child in the stroller.)

The mostly likely scenario was that the kid was playing with the duck and accidently walked out with it. But the proper thing to do would be to go back and deal with it. And then explain to your child that one does not take things that do not belong to them.

And what lesson did the older kids learn? That it is OK to take things so long as you don't get caught. Nice.

Piglet said she wanted to say something to the women. But what do you say, to something like that? Do you call someone out in front of their kids? Do you go back into the store and tell the clerk "Hey, call the cops. There's a woman with a kid in a stroller who just walked out with a $ 0.50 duck?"

No, you don't say anything because either these women don't get it or don't want to get it. Or, they would blast you for butting into their business. In either case, you end up looking like the criminal for calling someone out for doing the wrong thing.

Sadly, a lesson learned.