I taught my son to sneak

I know your proabaly thinking, " she did what"?
Yep, you read right, and yep, that's true I did.
No, I am not proad of it, but niether can i deny it.
So i am sharing it here so others can learn from my experience, though I am certain i am the only one who would do something like this in the first place.

Here's how it happened. It started when my son Samuel who is now 5 1/2, was between 2 and 3.

He would ask me more say some chips, and I told him no. Well when I am not looking he gets on the cupboard top and gets the bag and opens it. Then i come on the scene. I think well the bag is already open now, so i guess it won't hurt if he has a little bit. So i give him some in a bowl, and say next time don't get them if Mommy said no.

Then another time he asks for gum. I say no. Again i am in another room and do not see whats going on. Before i realize it he has got the gum and stuffed it in is mouth. When i see him i am very displeased, and let him know that. But i think well hes already got it now, what the heck. So i leave him be.

Yet another time its a coke hes ask for and got the answer no. When my back is turned he quickly opens the can. I am like well its open now, it will just go to waste , he may as well drink it now. I tell him it was wrong to do that though.

Well this was happening often . He soon caught on if he opened that package or bag or can fast enough that he could have it, regardless if mom had said no. And he got good at it!! He was fast and he was sneaky! And he was getting to be a professional !!

Then we spent a whole summer at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Canada in 08. He had just turned 3. Well Grandma doesn't let no monkey business go on like this by no means. So she started cracking down on this wise guy!

She could not believe how I could possible allowed that behavior to go on. She gave me a few tips.
The chips or any other thing like that, was to close up the bag and put it away. ( i know, a no brainier)
She said for the gum even if its in his mouth being chewed on, i was to take it away and throw it in the trash.
The coke, was to be poured out, or given to his siblings.


He was not to be rewarded by no means for his sneakiness. And also to have time-out or other correction if needed. I let her handle most of the situations while we were there. I think he didn't like grandma too much! :)

It took awhile but he soon learned that sneaking was not going to work. He slowly got untrained from sneaking. To this day though things still come up. But he is doing very well.

On occasion though i do see him turn his back and quickly try to get into something. But i have always took it away and sent him to time-out. Just recently he got a cookie with out asking and took a bite. When i seen him i made him put it back for not asking. " He replied but i already bit it, you can put a bit cookie back can you.?" I said, " sure you can."

So let don't let this happen to you. Nip it in the bud earlier!! My 3 year old Sarah is trying to follow in his foot steps but I am having nothing of it!! This is one of my big changes.