Dear MIMsters: My 16 Year Old Brother’s Shameful Habit Has Put My Family In A Quagmire
I am in a quagmire.
Our lastborn, my sibling, steals from my parents and from everyone else at home. He’s just 16, started at the age of 10.
They have talked, prayed, counseled, beaten him, yet no changes. Because of my mother who wants to protect our reputation, we have covered it up, blamed those he steals from for being careless. My father once told me that we aid his thefts by keeping money around the house so whenever I get back home, I try my best but he steals when he wants.
We have prayed for six years, so do not assume we have not prayed. We are an average family and he’s really OK. Far better than how I was back in secondary school. He’s just not contented with what he’s given. N20,000 misses today, N15,000 tomorrow. The older he gets, the higher the amount. He’s so brazen now.
He acts like he wants to beat up my mother when he’s questioned. He takes my father’s phone as his and texts his girlfriends with it. I have told them to stop praying and call in the police but they refuse to wash their dirty linens in public. I’ve told him never to visit me because he steals so much.
Please before you say home training, my parents trained all of us and everyone except him turned out decently. My father has tried for us.
I don’t bring guests when I’m home for holidays as my brother would embarrass me by stealing. Our in-laws don’t know because we hide it.
Today, my mom almost abandoned the home for him. He stole the wages for her employees and they’ll come for it. We discovered it in his bag. He claimed he wanted to buy an expensive phone with it.
Please, I need to say that we have prayed. Do not assume we have not. My father has spent the last six years praying and trying his best to give him whatever he asks for. My parents are praying and waiting for him to do the next big one.
What are the practical ways to deal with this?
You need to take him for deliverance or hand over to the police to deal with him because if really is not taken the shame and embarasement your parents are dodging is what they will eventually get in grand style, thief should not be covered, so by covering him they are automatically encouraging him to continue. Enough of covering that guy if you people want him to be somebody in life, beside at this stage, only God’s mercy and grace an change him bcoz he has master that habit for disturbing years. Already, hmmmmmm it’s is well