Stealing is wrong, but in today’s story, it’s a little bit of a gray area since the person stealing is a diagnosed kleptomaniac.

He’s also a teenager trying to have a social life.

His mom thought she found a way to prevent him from stealing from his friends’ homes, but now that seems to have backfired.

Let’s see how the story unfolds…

AITA for informing my son’s friend’s parents that he is a kleptomaniac?

Hi son is 14M. He is a diagnosed kleptomaniac.

He is in therapy for it.

It used to be a huge problem but it now is mostly under control, even tho sometimes he can’t help himself.

He is a good kid, but he is quick to grab things without even being aware of it, and honestly he is very good with his hands.

He is able to pickpocket without being caught in the act.

I don’t want this to affect his social life, so when he visits someone else’s homes, I try to talk to the parents to inform them that he has this condition.

So if they think something is missing from their homes, they can call me and I will search for it in case my son had grabbed it.

Some parents react differently than others when they hear this news.

Yes, some parents have called me, and I’ve brought their things back, usually small things but important enough to need to be returned.

However, some parents have forbidden their kids to hang out with my son after i’ve delivered it, and it’s hard for him.

So, recently, he visited for the first time the home of a friend to play Warhammer.

I informed the parents of his condition and I thought everything was ok.

Her son’s friends bullied him when they found out.

But while he was there, the parents told their son, and the son told the other kids there, and they bullied him to the point that my son left and walked alone to our home.

Nobody called me.

He has a phone but didn’t call or text.

He just got home on his own.

Then he scolded me, saying that I’m ruining his life by telling everyone that he is a “thief” and he’ll never make friends because I keep telling people.

Then locked himself in his bedroom to cry.

She wonders if it’s a mistake to tell the parents.

Honestly I feel bad, but I think this is a way of telling other kid’s parents that I’m not enabling my son.

I know is hard but I’m doing what I can as a mom, but I wanna ask if I’m the jerk because seems to be hurting him anyway.

It sounds like the parents are the ones who messed up by telling their child.

Maybe they should make sure it’s clear that this is confidential between the parents.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted…

Perhaps she should try talking to her son about how he suggests she handle it.

It could be better to invite friends to their house.

This reader calls her son “a bad guest.”

Perhaps his peers knowing his problem will scare him straight.

Stealing is wrong even if it’s due to a mental illness.

The son’s friends don’t sound like real friends.

But he may have a tough time making those.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.