Brit's Expensive Lesson

Today at school, Brit's purse got stolen. Now, for most of you who don't have teenagers yet, this probably doesn't sound like much of a big deal. I mean, WHAT could a 15 yr old possibly have had in her purse that was worth stealing?

Well, let's go thru our most recent memory of what she carries about, shall we?

Student id card (necessary item for getting into high school home sporting events free - cost $10 replacement)
3 eyeliners (new, bought on Feb 20th at the mall, cost $9 total)
1 mascara (also new, bought on 20 Feb at the mall, cost $4)
$48 cash babysitting money remains (tithing yet to be paid, $10 class transfer fee yet to be paid)
mp3 player (new, 128 mb memory RCA Lyra player - cost $40 + 1 gig SD memory card - cost $40= $80 total cost lost of which she still owed Paul and I for the SD memory card - had only owned this unit since Feb 28th *sigh*)
Purse (value of about $10)
new hand lotion from Bath & Body Works (cost of $2 only had since Feb 20)
lip balm (also from B&BW) $5 (owned since Feb 20th)
various other miscellaneous items
TOTAL VALUE LOST= $168 + *sigh*

We had only just given her the mp3 player as an early birthday present. I feel like crying. I could be mad at her but what good would it do? The items are gone.

How did it happen? Well, she carries her purse with her everywhere these days. I remember being a teenager once and thinking I needed to carry all my prized possessions with me as well. What can I say, like mother, like daughter? *shrugs*

Anyway, she just switched her schedule around to have her favorite class (Woods) 2nd hour instead of 4th and Seminary 4th hour. Today was her FIRST day in this new schedule. During Woods, a huge chunk of the time is spent in the SHOP machining some new wooden item (a coffee table in Brit's case). The shop is attached to the classroom but there is a sound proof-ish door betwixt the two rooms. The teacher and all students are in the shop so no one is in the class room. Brit was in the habit in her OLD Woods class of leaving her purse along with her schoolbooks at her desk in the class room whilst in the shop. Sadly, she followed thru with this same mentality in her new Woods class. And the first day, someone wandered into the classroom while she was in Shop and walked out with her purse.

I'd also be mad at the school but again, this wouldn't do me or Brit any good. It's not like it's going to result in all these items being returned to her. *sigh*

I don't even know what to say to Brit about it all. And stupidly, we didn't have the serial # written down for the mp3 player nor the SD card.

It kind of makes me disgusted that kids are not taught better than to take other's belongings too. :( So, now Brit has NO mp3 player and is to do without alot of other things too. Money thru her fingers. Maybe this will be a lesson to her to keep a better eye on her things but somehow, I doubt it. She feels she isn't responsible in any way for this. And no amount of harping on my end will convince her she is.

C'est La Vie!