Three Singapore kids decided to use a stranger’s car for some fun and play recently, leaving it with marks, scratches and fingerprints!
They were probably blissfully unaware that their actions were being recorded on camera.
The car’s owner, who recently got his car polished in Malaysia, is understandably furious. He has lodged a police report, and authorities are investigating the incident.
Video of Kids Scratching Car in Singapore Makes News
The news was first reported on Stomp by Mr Sim, who had parked his car at the open car park at Parkview Apartments, Bukit Batok Street 25, on 3 July 2018, at around 6:25 pm.
He returned some 30 minutes later, only to find his newly polished car, looking err… different.
Sim tells Stomp, “There were numerous marks, scratches and fingerprints on many corners, both windscreens, on the sides, the front and back bonnet, as well as the windows.”
He then proceeded to check the vehicle camera footage. It was then that he caught the antics of the three kids.
“It showed that about a few minutes after I had parked and left my vehicle, three kids came towards my vehicle.”
They were holding water guns and took turns to climb and sit on the car. They also apparently scratched the car’s bonnet using the water guns.
Sim says that the kids also tried to forcibly open the car’s door, because at present, the vehicle handle system is not working.
Apart from that, numerous fingerprints and other marks were also found on the car.
Parents Informed About Kids Scratching Car
Sim later contacted the kids’ parents with the help of the condo management, “There were two families, and I spoke to both sets of parents. The kids were not present.
“They just said sorry and that ‘Children do wrong things is very normal.'”
He then proceeded to lodge a police report. Investigations are still going on.
What Are the Lessons to be Learnt Here?
For starters, these kids weren’t really tiny tots. They seem to be of school-going age, and old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong.
Why then, were they so tempted to damage someone else’s property? And why weren’t their parents aware of what their kids were up to?
Of course, kids will be kids, and it is quite “normal” for them to do “wrong things”. As parents, however, one focus of discipline should be to teach them how to respect other’s property.
Nobody is exempt from the rules, not even kids. Start off with simple things, like making sure your library books are returned in the exact same condition as you found them. Or even the toys in the doctor’s clinic.
Respect for other’s property also means respecting your surroundings. Teach your kids to pick up what they have dropped, and not leave it for someone else to do.
Ultimately, as parents, we need to walk the talk, and lead by example. We need to be patient with our kids, and yet, keep stressing on the dos and don’ts.
Respecting other’s property is ultimately all about teaching your children empathy and compassion. Ask your kids how they feel about their favourite things like toys and books, and how they would feel if something happened to them. Tell them that other people would also feel bad or upset if something similar happened to their things.
Source: Stomp
Images: Stomp Screengrab
Also READ: 12 Core values to teach your child