Page 125 - The Intentional Parent

just read about some invisible powder you can sprinkle on money, and if the money is stolen you can shine a light onto someone's hands to see if they touched it. I bought some just for a joke and put it all over this ten-dollar bill I had on the dresser, and now the bill is gone." Talk like this will probably succeed in raising your child's anxiety and may in fact make it more likely for him to try to avoid the topic or assert his innocence. Skip over all of that, and simply tell him what you saw. Say, "I saw you take some money of mine, and I'd like us to talk about it." If he starts to deny it, cut it short by saying, "This is a serious thing. I'd prefer to talk about it, but if you feel that you can't right now, you'll have to spend some time in your room thinking about it. You'll still have to talk about it when you come out, so we might as well just do it now."
The time out might be just the thing that allows him to come clean when he gets out. When he does start talking about it, be concerned, not angry. Work out an appropriate consequence so that he can repay the money or learn from the experience. Explain that it will probably take you some time before you can trust him, but you will try your best. Then end it.
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 125