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I personally would take the stealing very seriously! I have never, ever stolen anything in my life, not even a penny or a stick of gum, and I would never consider it.
While this could be a "stage", I don't think it should be ignored, because if your son gets comfortable taking things dishonestly, it could lead to bigger things later. Best to deal with it now, I think. I agree that him telling you about it was a very good sign, however.
Perhaps you could offer your son snacks throughout the day, so that he doesn't have a chance to "sneak" food. If he says no, then takes food anyways, perhaps you could speak to a child psychologist or your family doctor about OCD. I find that a lot of kids with ODD often display signs of OCD as well.
Best of luck to you!
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