Label the behavior. It is very important that parents call the behavior exactly what it is. Provide adequate supervision. Parents should make sure that they know what their children are up to. Children who are not monitored closely by their parents tend to be more likely to steal and to engage in other problem behaviors.
Different children steal for different reasons.
Because of this, it is important for parents to try to find out why their children steal. Asking a child why he or she has stolen something will probably not give parents the answers they need. They may need to look at what's going on in the child's life, what personal problems the child may be having, etc. Once parents find out why, corrective measures can be taken to eliminate or minimize the behavior. Don't interrogate children or force them to self-incriminate.