Stealing

Dear Frum Abby,

I've been working all summer and have put away some money in my drawer. Now I notice that some of it is missing. I'm pretty sure it's my older brother who is taking it but I don't want to get him into trouble. I asked him about it and he said he didn't take it. What should I do?

Missing a Few Dollars



Dear Missing,

If this has been a problem in the past then you can probably feel safe telling your parents. If it's new, and you're not sure, then I would suggest you keep it to yourself. Ask your Mom or Dad to hold onto your money for you in a safe place, just to be sure it doesn't happen again, and keep a sheet of paper with the amount they owe you. We don't want to give people opportunities to go wrong if we think they're vulnerable.

Just so you readers should know, the classic way of looking at kids who steal is that they feel cheated. It's usually a sign the family needs some professional help.

Frum Abby