Ask the Third Graders: Taking without asking

Question: My son has been complaining for the last few weeks that a kid in his class takes my son’s things from his desk and his backpack and uses them without asking first. My son has always been a good sharer, but it’s really bothering him that this friend is doing this. How can he address it?

More from Alexa and Madeline: Most people wouldn’t mind sharing their school supplies with a classmate sometimes as long as the classmate asks first and doesn’t just go through someone’s things and take them. If the classmate is constantly taking people’s things, then the teacher should be involved to help figure out why and to see what can be done to make sure the classmate has the supplies he or she needs and understands that it’s not ok to take from others without asking.