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[hochh]

Kvod Mechanchim
We currently have an issue with a student in a younger class stealing
from his classmates. Has anyone had any experience with this?
kol tuv gut shabbos
R' Shmuel Yosef Hochhauser
Melbourne
Austarlia

[judybickford]

I have had this problem in the past.  Without  being angry, confront the child privately.  Don't ask if they did it, rather, give them the opportunity to explain why it happened.  For  our student it was two fold: to please other children and and because he really wanted the item.  We told him how dissappointed we were and appealed to the child's sense of empathy.  How would they feel?etc.  We  tell the children daily that the way they can show that they care about their friend is to use words of kindness and helping each other and not necessarily giving presents to each other because that is what our student did.  This needs to be stated frequently because we live in a very materialistic society. I also found this brief but interesting article: http://www.preschooltools.org/kb1/entry/32/.  Chanukah Sameach!!

[moses guttman]

Most children in this age are egocentric, meaning they don't know other people exist other then them. With little explanation, not downgrading the child you can show him how it hurts when you take away someones  belongings.