After a 6-year-old girl stole her daughter’s bento lunchbox, a mother took a strong stance, only to have the principal and teacher side with the offender. This is an example of how parents frequently find themselves defending their kids in unexpected circumstances.
My 6-year-old daughter liked the $50 bento box my sister sent her. However, when I unpacked her backpack on Thursday after school, like I usually do, I discovered it was gone.
She hesitated before telling me that a girl in her class named Audrey (not her real name) had taken it and wouldn’t give it back when I questioned her about it.
“Have you informed your teacher?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, “but she told me it’s just a lunchbox and that it doesn’t really matter.”
I was outraged. I was already familiar with Audrey’s name because she had been harassing my daughter for some time with a bunch of other girls. The school had received numerous complaints, but nothing had ever been done about it.
Audrey brought the lunchbox to “prove” it was hers, but I calmly asked them to open it, and sure enough, my daughter’s name was clearly visible inside. When I asked for it to be returned, Audrey started crying, and the teacher decided to ask if she could keep it for the day because her lunch was already inside. I told them that she had five minutes to find another container for her food, or I would be throwing it out myself. Instead of resolving the issue, they began arguing with me, so I got up, took the bento box, and—right in front of them—dumped the food into the trash.
After taking my daughter’s hand, I left them to console Audrey and left.
My sister argued that although I had every right to be upset, I should have just let Audrey have the lunchbox since she would have purchased another one for my daughter. However, just because an entitled youngster chose to take something that my daughter already had, why should I replace it?
For background, Audrey could easily buy her own bento box because her family is wealthy. She confiscated my daughter’s just for being a bully.
And to exacerbate the situation? People justified her actions.
At the conclusion of the current semester, my daughter will be changing schools.