If there were an award for “worst parenting moment caught on camera,” this New York woman would be a serious contender. Not because she was physically abusive or outright cruel, but because she managed to model extremely poor judgment in a way that her own child proudly recorded and shared with the internet. The incident did not happen in a desperate situation or out of necessity. It happened inside a Target store, in broad daylight, and involved stealing something completely unnecessary.
The New York mother was filmed inside Target casually peeling a large Wicked poster off a store display. This was not food, diapers, or any kind of essential item. It was a decorative poster tied to the popular musical, something that could have easily been purchased legally online or paid for at the register. According to the video, the daughter, who was filming the entire incident, said she wanted Wicked posters because she was a fan. Instead of saying no or explaining why stealing is wrong, the mother decided that taking it from Target without paying was a good idea.
In the video, the New York woman can be seen smiling as she pulls the Wicked poster loose. She looks around the Target aisle to make sure no employees are watching, then hides the poster under the shopping cart. The moment feels disturbingly casual, almost playful, as if shoplifting from Target were no big deal. After that, the pair quickly leave the store and head to their car.
The situation becomes even more ridiculous in the parking lot. Because the Wicked posters are so large, they struggle to fit them into the back of the car. Folding them would damage them, so the New York mother and her child awkwardly wrestle with the posters until they finally manage to shove them inside. Once they return home, the video proudly shows that this was not just one stolen Wicked poster, but six of them. Six posters taken from Target and treated like prizes rather than stolen merchandise.
As if committing the theft was not bad enough, the New York mother and daughter uploaded the video online themselves. Their faces were clearly visible, and their actions were fully documented. Internet users reacted harshly, with many people focusing their criticism on the mother rather than the child. Viewers pointed out that she was teaching her daughter that stealing from a store like Target is acceptable behavior.
“You gotta love modern thieves,” one user commented. “Not only do they record themselves committing the crime, but they also make sure their faces are in clear view.” Others questioned what the New York woman was thinking when she decided to share the video publicly. Some suggested she did not think at all, while others believed she simply did not care.
Several comments noted that some people do not view stealing from large retailers like Target as a real crime. One user summed it up by saying that for people like this, it is not a crime at all, just a joke or prank, and anyone who criticizes them is accused of overreacting.
