Where are their parents?

It’s normal for a toddler or a little kid to go through a kleptomaniac phase. When my sister was a toddler, she stole a spool of thread from the craft supply store. When my mom discovered it, she made her go back to the store, return the thread, and apologize for what she had done. 

If you don’t instill a fear of stealing in your kids from an early age, they’ll keep trying to get away with it. I had a friend in my 1st grade class who came over to my house for a playdate and tried to steal money from my sister’s piggy bank. Suffice to say, she was never invited over to our house again, but I’m not sure if her parents actually took her thieving seriously. Maybe she’s still stealing money from little kids’ piggy banks to this day! 

If a kid is 10 years old and is still stealing as if they’re a toddler with little concept of right and wrong, something has gone horribly wrong with their upbringing. Either their parents don’t care enough to teach them that what they’re doing is wrong, or they’re not imposing severe enough punishments for stealing.