Teaching kids about fairness starts with the adults in their lives. But what happens when those adults fail them? That’s what I faced when my daughter’s classmate stole her lunchbox—and the school took the thief’s side.
It all started with a gift—a $50 bento box from my sister. My daughter loved it… until Audrey, a known bully, decided she wanted it too. When my daughter asked fo
r it back, the teacher shrugged it off. “It’s just a lunchbox,” she said.
I was furious.
The next day, I went to the school and demanded action. Audrey was brought in, still holding the bento box. I asked her to open it—and sure enough, my daughter’s name was inside.
But instead of returning it, the teacher asked if Audrey could keep it “for the day.”
I refused.
When they argued, I dumped Audrey’s lunch in the trash, took the box, and left.
Some said I overreacted. But why should my daughter suffer because a privileged kid decided to take what wasn’t hers? Audrey’s family could buy ten bento boxes if they wanted. This wasn’t about need—it was about power.
Now, my daughter is switching schools. And I have zero regrets.
