I was a thief

I stole several times in the past.
I remember that when I was 5 years old, I stole a rare badge from my kindergarten friend. I remember that possessing of  having this badge did not make me happy because I saw the grief of my friend when she found that the badge was disappeared missing and because I could not show it to anybody.
Then, when I was 19, I took elastics for hair without paying at a chinese market. Even now I am ashamed. I analyzed why I did it. First, I think it is a heritage of a habit from soviet times when anything was common allowed, and anybody took things put «in the wrong place». Second, I think I was not explained told with right words the reason why to took take somebody else’s things was bad. Of course, I was said told that stealing is bad, but I did not felt  feel it was bad.
Now I have children and I think that I could can find these words for them. I told them that we love our children and children love us and we want to show them signs of our love. We give presents to each other and make them happy. Parents work hard to buy a present to for their child and children are happy. But sometimes there are thieves, bad thieves who steal the presents, and I said to told my children to imagine how those children are unhappy and cry perhaps might cry. It is so sad for children and their parents. But thieves are unhappy too. They cannot use stolen things plainly freely because anybody can search  see them. But they could be happy if they do not steal, but work and earn money and so they could buy anything they want.
I saw that this simple explanation was very effective. My children felt empathy, they knew my position thoughts towards stealing, and they knew that you cannot build happiness on someone else's misery. I hope that my children will never steal anything.