If family members are feeling that your actions are too severe, perhaps they are part of this 8 y/o's problems. If they continuously make excuses for him and don't hold him responsible for his actions, of course they will be uncomfortable with what you did. I hope you have an impact on this childs life, if not he will grow up to be a spoiled, entitled adult! We don't need anymore of those in society!!

I think it was the right thing to do! I agree children need to learn there are consequences to their actions. Way to go Grandma!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

a child needs to know there are consequences to their actions when our grand son took his sisters nickles and put them all in his jar grandpa took and devided it between the girls GS said that'd not fair GP said he would have to earn them back they were too little do do much of anything but GP found things for them to do

No, you were right, kids need to know there are consequences. Too many find this out after they get into serious trouble. You did the right thing, stand your ground.

OMG! Flack...why? I would have made him pay for cost of the toy...he only had $5.00...he would have had to work off the $10.00...you did good..hopefully, he will have learned a valuable lesson.

Excellent choice - I think there are more ways to teaching and disciplining than paddling or time out. Big deal, you rub your sore bottom or get out of the corner and it's over. What you taught him was to have respect for someone else's property because everything has a cost attached.

I agree with mommamac. An eight year old is old enough to learn that we need to make restitution when we cause loss to others.

I think he should pay all of it back. Installments are certainly acceptable. My sister did the very same thing to her son. (She also put the money in his account without telling him) He learned that actions have consequences. Some consequences are painful. Good for you.

I asked my 8 yr old grandson, and he said the boy should have been a)spanked (he isn't) b)grounded and c) made to work to buy a new toy for his brother. He thought just giving him money didn't count as punishment for being mean.

In my job I work with children whose behaviour is challenging. They often get caught in situations where their frustration has boiled up into anger and their actions appear very deliberately designed to antagonize others. Once the emotions have blown over, I help them deal with restitution by making the comparison to housecleaning. We all make messes, and we all have to clean up after ourselves. It's not always pleasant but a job that must be done. They accept the idea that the anger was messy and it depersonalizes the event so they are not bad kids. Anger is a normal human emotion so I don't want to teach them not to be angry, but how to be angry in a way that doesn't offend or hurt others.