Babyhood

A recent, more dramatic incident was when Pauline stole a packet of chewing gum from the supermarket last week. I had refused to buy it for her, and she must have slipped it in her pocket without me seeing. Later that day her little friend Jeanne came to play and the pair of them chewed gum and exuded a pervasive strawberry aroma all over the house. I naturally assumed Jeanne had given her the gum and said nothing.

That night Jeanne’s mother rang me to say that Pauline had boasted to Jeanne of having stolen the gum and that she planned to steal some more next time, to share with all her friends! It was bedtime, unfortunately. P. & I went upstairs with serious faces and said to Pauline “We just found out something very bad”. Her little face turned white and she said “I didn’t steal any chewing gum”!!

Her father gave her quite a lecture, but when he started talking about the police and prison, I made faces at him behind Pauline's back for him to stop, as I didn’t want her having nightmares about it (and waking us all up!)

We asked her if she had any money to pay for it and she opened her purse to reveal a few coins. I’ll take her back to the supermarket next Wednesday and she will have to pay and apologise. I seem to remember having committed a similar crime when I was about the same age, is that right Mum? I never did it again, that’s for sure.