I really need advice regarding my digital camera coming up missing. In May, I bought a digital camera off of Ebay. Well, one night while I was at work it somehow got broken. None of my 3 children , ages 11, 13 and 16 would confess. I however have a suspicion that it was my 13 year old daughter because she is constantly taking pictures of herself. I bought a new one about a month and a half ago and told them that no one is to use it , touch it etc. I always leave it on my desk. I went to use it today, to list some items on Ebay. It is gone. I have not used it in about 2-3 weeks. I have looked everywhere else I might put it, cabinets, drawers etc. It is no where to be found. I asked my 3 children and of course they have no idea where it is. Any advice on how to deal with this. I hate to punish someone for something they did not do. I already told them that no friends will be allowed over (maybe one of them took it?), no extra money for anything, until my camera turns up. And they also better be asking there friends about it. It seems like my 13 year old is constantly using my things I tell her not to. My mom suggested to me that I should get a box with lock on it and keep important things like my camera in it. But I feel I shouldn't have to do that. They are old enough to know to leave my things alone when I tell them to. Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

I had the exact same thing happen to me last year with my digital camera. I hadn't used it in about a month and I went to go use it, but it was gone off of my desk (I keep it on a charger).

The camera case was still by my desk, empty, so I knew that the last place I had it was there.

I wanted so badly to accuse, because I had a feeling it was someone who was here visiting, but then I remembered that the month prior I had actually taken my camera with me to Wisconsin, I was in a hurry and couldn't find the case. I just grabbed it up and put it in my purse.

I could not be sure if I had actually placed it on the charger when I got back, or I might have lost it in Wisconsin and not even realized it.

So I just let it go, and bought another one off of ebay. There is really nothing you can do if it is gone, it is gone. But I think that what you did as far as not allowing them friends over, no allowance, etc for a while might be a good thing, esp if you are sure you had it in your house and it was there where it belongs.

I feel for you though! The feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you go to get something and it is not where you thought you left it.. ugh... hate it!

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Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be!

I hate to accuse, even if I strongly suspect something - I know I would hate to be accused of something I didn't do. My kitchen window came up broken from the inside and my DH accused my DS (only child) of doing it, which my son denied. Since we don't know exactly when the window got broken, it could have been a visitor. You would think we would have noticed it broken, but maybe not. I told my DH to just drop it since we don't know for sure. Since you don't have any evidence that your daughter did something with the camera, I would just drop it. You might want to question the other children to see if they saw your daughter with it, etc. Also, I would make clear rules about them messing with your things, and a set punishment if they break the rules.

Any chance you can 'decide' you've lost it somewhere in the house and offer a reward for whomever finds it? If the one you suspect took it comes up with it, you'll know to mentally continue to red flag her.

That's a great idea.

We avoided this kind of problem by making a hard and fast rule that no one, for any reason at all, is allowed in our bedroom or study unless specifically invited to enter. The study is only accessible through our bedroom since we lock the other door to it. We have a locked cabinet in the study where we kept things we didn't want touched. It made things easier for us and the children understood that no excuses would be accepted. It gave us privacy and some peace of mind because we didn't have to worry about collectibles being broken or any of their friends handling the guns. We just made it clear when they were little: Stay out of these two rooms unless you're invited in - they're ours and we don't want you bothering this stuff!

Could you make it a rule that no one is allowed in your bedroom and keep your auction stuff in there?

I remember when I was younger I took my sister's diary to try to read ti -I couldn't get it open and then she found it missing. I denied it to this day that I took it. It eventually showed up in her room and I still denied I took it. I was so embarassed I got caught (or accused) and that I took it.

I would put a shoe box somewhere in the house and say you just want the camera back - no questions asked - then whomever has it can turn it in (secretly) and you get the camera back. Then tighten the rules about taking your stuff and start putting important stuff away.

Whomever has it may just be too embarassed to give it back and get in trouble.
L

That is a wonderful, creative, idea!!!

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Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be!

I would give them an "out" by saying something like "Could one of you have accidentally picked up my camera when you were cleaning? (or whatever). I can't seem to find it"

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"Parents without the internet should have their children taken away"Peggy Hill
"Well, sometimes when something is funny to everybody, it's really not funny at all." Peggy Hill
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I'd probably punish them all for the missing camera. Innocent kids won't go for that and maybe the pressure will make the camera appear.

cj/

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What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others. -Confucius
What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. -Hillel

Have you looked on the computer to see the download pictures? That may help you find the last downloaded pictures. The pictures may prove that it was or was not used since you remember using it last. Lots of good ideas on here. My granddaughter bought a good digital camera and it turned up lost but her "friend" all of a sudden got a myspace account with the nicest pictures posted and she didn't have a camera. (She had taken my granddaughters camera )

Thanks - I sort of stole it from my sister-in-law! Not exactly.... but her method has been a springboard for a few such tactics I now employ!

Her teenage daughter claimed her brush was NOT in the bathroom ANYWHERE.

Mom asked, "Are you SURE you have looked in all the drawers?"

"I am SURE I have looked in EVERY drawer!"

"Okay, I'll help you look, but if I find it in a drawer you're going to have to pay me $10 for finding it for you. Are you SURE you looked in every drawer?"

"Okay, okay - I'll go look ONE more time!"

It was in the top drawer. lol

Money is a big motivator!

Gosh, that is harsh. Our home is our family's home-we all reside here. While everyone needs to respect privacy, and while we have six bedrooms, I can't imagine banning any of our kids from any room. Our kids are welcome in any room-it is their house too. We welcome our kids into our bedroom-I would be sad if they didn't choose to come and snuggle in the mornings.

As far as the camera goes, my mom would line us up on the couch and wait for confession time.

We invited 'snuggles' on weekends - we didn't want it to be a daily thing. It made cozying up more special and gave us the privacy we wanted. It may have been everyone's home but it was OUR bedroom and it made that room special for us. Even looking back, I wouldn't change a thing because it worked out so well for all of us. To each his own!

I would do nothing ,but I would keep anything of value locked in a special place.I could not punish all for something only one did especially when I didn't even know if any one of them did it.

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May you be blessed

Probably one of them broke it (probably your 13 year old DD since she seems to be the one who used it the most)...and is afraid to tell you. Or it could be that one of their friends came in and stole it....and maybe your kids don't even know who took it, if that's the case. I would want answers though. You shouldn't have to lock things up...the kids are old enough to respect your things. I'd stick to my guns and not let them have anyone over...for another two weeks or so anyway... I'd also sit them all down again and explain to them that you want to know what happened to your camera... ~Lisa

Check out the camera sale at walgreens on the lwif brick and mortar site. Great prices

I'd try the reward idea and see if it "turns up" all of a sudden.

My parents bedroom was off limits to us when were kids. We had to knock if they were in there and wait to be invited in(I'm sure this was to avoid them being caught in compromising positions lol!)and if they weren't in there we were NOT to go in there unless sent in there by one of them. And it was no big deal, it had always been teh rule since were were old enough to understand rules. If we wanted to join our parents in bed all we had to do was knock and I don't ever remember being denied entry.

My mothers purse and my dads wallet were two other things that were strictly off limits. To this day I hesitate to get something out of my moms purse even when she tells me to get it. I feel parents have a right to set limits and to have their own private places/things and kids need to respect that.

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