I didn't do it but I would be a liar if I said it didn't cross my mind. My kid is 6 now, she starts 1st grade on Monday. I haven't had the funds to do any type of back to school shopping beyond basic ass supplies. WIC was cut out when she turned 5, I only receive $112 a month in SNAP benefits, go to our local food banks when I can and if it weren't for Medicaid (which I am surprised I even qualified for) there is absolutely no way I could afford to take her to the doctor or dentist. I don't qualify for cash assistance and I've been on a low income housing list since my daughter was 2. Her sperm donor (her father who knocked me up at 17 when he was 24) is only required to pay $32 a week in child support. I'm grateful when I get it and not surprised when I don't. He maybe sees our shared daughter once a month and that's usually when he gets a new girlfriend and I start getting calls at 11 pm with him screaming about how I'm keeping our kid away from him and he's drunk off his ass, trying to impress his new girlfriend.
I know I'm not the only one struggling. My kid needs new shoes, new clothes, socks, underwear, a new backpack. you name it, she needs it. She's been begging for a real Barbie doll and a bike and she wants to go to the trampoline park and all of this stuff that I just can't afford. she knows we're not well off, because I currently sleep on a futon in our one bedroom apartment's living room and she doesn't even have a legit “bed”, just a twin size mattress and a box spring because I can't afford a frame. she knows I have to count out coins to do laundry and she doesn't always understand why I can't just order pizza whenever like her friends at school do. I know when she starts school on Monday, it's going to be tough because all of these kids will have nice new clothes, shoes, talk about all the cool shit they did this summer and my girl will just have crappy Walmart clothes and wearing shoes a little too small for the first couple of weeks until I can buy her a new pair
I have never shoplifted in my life and I don't plan on starting now but I thought about doing it when my kid was wanting a nightgown and I had to tell her no. the nightgown was less than $8 and I had to tell my kid no, again, that I couldn't afford it. She started crying and it took everything I had not to cry leaving Walmart last night too. and now today, she hasn't brought it up and she's so excited to start school on Monday but I just feel like I'm failing my kid by not getting her everything she needs all at once. I'm doing the best I can but it's such a struggle. I shouldn't have to contemplate shoplifting from Walmart to get my daughter the things she actually wants, not just needs. I can't wait until the day I can drop the money on a new bra and not continuing wearing one thats falling apart, or being able to buy a pack of brand new socks and not wear ones with holes in them. or to buy name brand shampoo, not cheap stuff from the dollar tree that makes my scalp itch. A co-worker of mine won over $500 on a scratch off ticket and I was JEALOUS because that kind of money would be life changing right now bahahah. I just don't know what to do anymore and how to keep my head above water for not just myself but my daughter too