While most families may not consider a stop theft class quality family time, it can be a way for a family to forge its morals together. I would especially recommend a family sitting down to an online shoplifting class if there are young teens in the household.

Why would I say something like this? Perhaps it is because I am an instructor for both in-class and online stop theft classes. Really, the reason is that I see so many stories in the media of “family shoplifting.” As reported in consumerist.com.

Family shoplifting is exactly what it sounds like – two or more family members enter a store and shoplift with the full-knowledge of what each person is doing. It has become almost epidemic in our country.

Here is a typical account of what seems to be happening. Cops say a mom recruited her two kids in a scheme to swipe $4,500 in merchandise from Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target recently. That’s one way to make sure you get everything on your wish list, albeit a very illegal one.

This was not just some 30-year-old out with her two toddlers. The California woman allegedly worked with her 34-year-old son and 37-year-old daughter to lift the merchandise.

The mother used her wheel chair in the plan, using it as a prop to distract employees. One kid would push the chair while the other simply tossed stuff into it or a large purse.

One prime target for the family? Kindle Fire Notebooks — cops say the team stole 13 of them for a total value of $2,600.

Thieves are not always the sharpest tools in the shed. They were caught when employees got suspicious after someone saw the three “shopping” earlier in the day and then again later when they came back for more. Cops say they found stolen items from all three stores in the family’s truck.

Next year to get in the holiday spirit, maybe they could decorate a tree or bake cookies instead. Hopefully a nice stop theft class is on the agenda as gifts for this year. Perhaps the state of California will actually mandate the trio to stoptheftclass.com.