I wasn't there but, YES I don't think she was stealing. I think she just went to get the chips and didn't know she had to pay for it. When she said she didn't have any money it's because she didn't, kids usually don't carry a wallet with them. That was the opportunity to tell her to go to her parents and ask them.
I am not going to argue about this endlessly, I have my theory and my opinion. If you all disagree with me then fine. I don't think the stigmatism of calling kids "Bad" or "a thief" works either, it only makes them feel that way forever. We need to steer them in the right direction and give them alternative options to situations they find themselves in.
My son was always getting into a situation with this other kid at recess. The other kid was always picking on him and I was getting calls about my son getting into fights with the boy. So I told Cameron that he will always look bad if he is fighting and if the boy starts on him again all he needs to do is go tell an adult, if he can't find one outside go directly inside and tell someone. That was an alternative to the situation that he wasn't aware of, guess what it WORKED! Kids need instruction, how else do they learn. So would it had been better to just say he's the bad boy who's always fighting? No and the girl is not a thief, she just didn't know she had to pay! I don't think I'm turning a blindeye.
