Stealing is wrong, but stealing from a kid is beyond despicable. As an adult, you should know better than to take advantage of a child, especially a relative. Sadly, when it comes to trends and popular things—like Pokémon—some grown-ups completely lose their minds and behave spoiled and entitled.
Even the bond between an aunt and her niece isn’t sacred. The internet weighed in after one mom shared how her daughter was driven to tears when her beloved aunt stole her rare shiny Pokémon behind her back. Scroll down for the full story and the internet’s opinions about the family drama.
Well-adjusted adults know not to steal from little kids. Unfortunately, common sense is not that common
One mom sought the internet's input after her daughter's rare Pokémon got stolen at a family gathering
Entitlement is something that parents need to push back against, otherwise, their entitled children grow into entitled adults
It’s important to remember that nobody is ever ‘perfect,’ and that we all make mistakes. We all have moments of weakness when we want something so badly that it overrides logic, common sense, and the importance of our relationships.
That being said, adults should know better than to ignore other people’s boundaries, especially those of little kids. Going around stealing other people’s Pokémon behind their backs just isn’t right. This is the type of behavior that is reminiscent of scalpers who quickly and massively buy up Pokémon-related content to then sell it on for a price spike. Sure, the method is different, but the lack of ethics is similar.
If you’re not careful, your kids can develop a sense of entitlement that then goes on to haunt them into young adulthood, too.
Psychologist Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D., states that when you set boundaries with your children, it is vital that you don’t give in when they push back, despite the friction. What you have to do, as a parent, is teach them to take responsibility for their actions. Furthermore, you have to help them understand that mutual respect is incredibly important.
“Managing an entitled adult child can be a challenging and emotionally exhausting experience for parents. Whether it’s endless requests for financial support, special treatment, or refusing to take responsibility for their actions, these situations can quickly spiral into resentment and strain the entire family dynamic,” Bernstein writes, adding that parents ought to promote clear boundaries, mutual trust, and accountability.
“Often, entitlement grows from a lack of limitations, where the parent repeatedly gives in to demands or excuses for bad behavior. By clearly defining what is acceptable and what isn’t, you’re protecting your well-being and teaching your child an invaluable lesson in respect,” he says.
Not lying and not stealing are lessons that many kids learn very early on
Like with most things in life, consistency is key here, too. You have to be consistent when setting boundaries, too. Furthermore, as much as you, as a parent, might want to support your child, you have to make sure that you’re not enabling their entitled behavior. Simply put, they have to be allowed to experience the consequences of their actions so that they grow and mature.
Lying and stealing are things that kids usually understand are wrong very early on. Johns Hopkins Medicine explains that children under 3 don’t lie on purpose, as they don’t understand what they’re saying and are experimenting with language. Kids under 7 may have trouble separating the real world from fantasy. And yet, by age 6 or 7, kids understand what lying is and they might cheat if they’re able to. Children ages 6 to 12 understand what lying is and why it’s wrong, but they might continue to test the rules and limits set by adults.
Meanwhile, when it comes to stealing, children aged 3 and under don’t fully understand the difference between what does and doesn’t belong to them. They might “become possessive of their things and protect them. They don't steal with bad intentions.”
Kids between 3 and 7 start respecting things that don’t belong to them. However, this age group can trade things without regard to value if they want something else. By age 9, children should respect other people’s belongings and understand that stealing is wrong.
However, kids this age might continue to steal if they feel peer pressure, have low self-esteem, are trying to buy their friends’ attention, and want to feel proud of accomplishing something.
What’s your take, Pandas? How would you have reacted if you were in the mom’s shoes? Has anyone you know ever been tricked or tried tricking someone else when it comes to Pokémon-related stuff like games, cards, etc.? How would you go about restoring trust between family members after someone has trampled over another person’s boundaries so brazenly? Let us know in the comments.
Later, the author answered people's questions and shared more context
The internet had a lot to say about the Pokémon drama. Most people were supportive of the way the mom reacted
And yet, some netizens offered a different perspective
