Three Kids Find Wallet Stuffed With $700 and Return It - Little Did They Know What Was Coming Next

What would you do if you found a wallet stuffed full of cash? Would you try and track down the owners, or would you pocket that money for yourself? Now here’s another question: If you have kids, what do you think they’d do in that situation?

Most of us would probably want to do the right thing. But as parents, you never know how your children will act when they’re out in the world by themselves. Luckily, the parents of these kids must be super proud of them for how they handled themselves after finding a wallet.

A Random Sighting

In 2018, three kids from Aurora, Colorado were outside enjoying a hot July day. Haylie Wenke, 13, her six-year-old brother Reagen, and their friend Ashley Dayton had gone to the local park where a splash pad offered local kids some relief from the heat.

Later, when they were riding their bikes home, that’s when they spotted something underneath a car parked in a driveway.

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“We were there for about an hour and a half, and then we were heading back when we saw it," Haylie later told CBS News.

“It was like a black wallet, and it was obvious because it was, like, under the car,” added Ashley.

Doing the Right Thing

The trio chatted about it and decided the right thing to do would be to return the wallet to its owner. If they left it, someone else might find it, and they could just pocket it. So the kids picked it up, walked around to the front door, and rang the bell.

“Someone else could take it, and it's not safe to leave it there in plain sight,” Haylie explained.

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What these kids didn’t know was that the doorbell was recording them. Owner Jamie Carlton was touched that these kids returned the wallet, so he shared the video on Facebook to try and track them down.

“We found your wallet outside your car, and we just thought we would give it back to you, so I'm going to put it over here so nobody takes any money,” Haylie says in the clip.

“If this doesn’t renew or at least refresh your faith in humanity, you need help,” Carlton captioned the video. “These kids are amazing; we would love to find them to reward them and thank them. Their parents should be so proud of them. Any help finding them would be great.”

A Viral Moment

The Facebook video went viral, especially as people discovered there was more than $700 inside the wallet. Many praised the kids and their parents for raising them with good morals and ethics.

As for the wallet, it belonged to Nigel Drake, Carlton’s son. He believes his wallet fell out of his pocket after he got off work and was carrying his things inside.

“It gives you faith in humanity a little bit that there are good kids out there,” Drake told KUSA-TV. “These kids’ parents are raising them the right way.”

RELATED: Mom of Four Has Her Wallet Stolen by a Thief at the Grocery Store—She Confronts the Thief by Herself and Shocks Him With Her Bold Words

Naturally, news outlets around America began picking up the story, but it also made its way across the pond.

“It is very humbling the kids have gotten so much attention!” Reagen and Haylie’s mom, Kerri Eddy Wenke, told the Daily Mail. “I would like to take credit for their actions, but we really can’t. They were by themselves and chose to put the wallet in a safe place all on their own,” she continued.

“As parents, I think we always hope they are doing the right thing when we are not around or when no one is watching. It makes me very proud!!”

Faith in the Next Generation

As parents, we all do our best to raise good human beings. That makes it extra rewarding when we hear stories like these, in which kids take our lessons and apply them in the real world when we’re not around.

Knowing the next generation of kids is going to be all right is a heartwarming and comforting thought, which is, of course, why this story went viral.

It’s also a great story to share with your own kids, as it reminds them of the importance of trying to return property to its rightful owner and doing the right thing, even when you’re tempted. Using everyday experiences like these as a springboard for conversation is always helpful.

No one — and no child — is perfect. But by modeling good values, sharing your own experiences, holding kids responsible for the mistakes they do inevitably make, and fostering a strong relationship with your kid, odds are they too will try and do the right thing if they’re ever in such a situation.