GS has maintained for years that it is supposed to be the girl making the sale, so she can learn goal setting and financial skills, Girls even get a merit badge for participating in cookie sales.
I was a cookie mom for a few years, and gave the speech to all of the parents that it is the girls responsibility to sell the cookies, not the parents. This is an opportunity for the girl.
I am not the cookie mom for my daughters troop this year. This years cookie mom gave the same speech.
Still, there is a parent that is selling cookies when their daughter isn't even around.
Is this one of those things to let go? Should the new cookie mom be made aware?
I don't want to be ugly, but it doesn't seem right when parents do this - the parent isn't getting badges, and the girl learns that her parent will do all of her work for her - not a good life lesson.
Any thoughts about this awkward situation?

Hi Lisa:

I would submit an anonymous tip with details of what is happening. If you know her regular spots for selling the cookies, mention these. This way the higher uppers can SEE for themselves as with anything, they have to be careful that someone is just not complaining to be complaining.

It is against the policy, so wrong is wrong.

If you can, I would love to hear what happens?

Angela

My husband has to sell cookies for our daughter at his workplace, because his employers will not allow the girls to come in (it is against their policies). The first couple of years she was selling, my husband was unaware of the regulation and took her in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (his workplace does not get that day off). Then, about 2-3 years ago, my husband found out about the company's policy. When he mentioned her had brought her in the past, the company's HR was very unahppy to hear it. So, in some cases, it may not be that the parents are trying to cheat. It may be that these parents' workplaces will only allow the sales if the parent brings in the form without their daughter.

Outside of that, though, our daughter is expected to sell the cookies herself. My husband only sells for her at work because she's now allowed to go there and do it herself.

okay, I decided to talk to the cookie mom. I started the conversation by asking her about parents selling cookies when there daughters aren't there. Her response was "oh, yeah, I do that all the time. you can do that. Don't worry about it. I know you have a lot of extended family that can sell for you, too. Want some extra cards?"

I am just beyond confused. She mentioned that Council has changed there policy somewhat. Probably in response to situations like those Lesley wrote about. The selling parent in question is just running around selling cookies where ever he goes without thought of having the daughter make sales when she can.
I still don't like it, but if Girl Scouts allows it, I guess its a judgment call for parents. It would be hard to say "well, its okay in the above scenario, but not in some other one."

If it is not specifically primarily the girls work, then GS should reconsider having badges for cookie sales, and treat it like any other fundraiser.

I was a girl scout and sold cookies for many, many years, quite successfully myself, however, my mom usually did take the sheet to her office (a hospital lab) for a day or two to see if she could add any to my sheet. Most of her co-workers knew me and my sisters and were very glad to help us out, and now I, as an adult, feel the same way. I always buy stuff from my neighbors' and friends' kids, whether it is the kid or the parent doing the selling. It would bother me if I thought the adult was doing all the work, but not if they're just helping out. The idea is to teach and facilitate the child's development, not just toss them out in the cold to fend for themselves.

--Maria

Speaking as a parent, cub scout leader, and girl scout leader (but expressing only my personal opinions), I am with Maria on this one. With my kids, we always do a fair amount of door to door sales and even though it is a lot more work than handling it all via work or emails, it is so worth it for the kids to take some pride in having worked hard on something. One thing that can be done to help keep kids involved even in cases where they can't actually visit a parents employer is they can write a letter selling the product and then write short personal thank you's to the work customers. Also in those cases kids can be the ones to sort out cookies or popcorn by customer (with a parents help for the younger kids) too so they are involved in physically handling the orders that they can't personally deliver. I've seen PTA magazine sales prizes given where the kids did none of the work and when asked why they got a prize, the answer was "I don't know". That is the situation which needs to be avoided. -Dan

This is one of the reasons I do not sell cokies...it teaches the girls false values. It is rampant where I live. My friend told me, "Janie sold, I mean my husband and father-in-law sold most of the cookies". She was tongue-in-cheek about it, but her daughter was upset at not getting a QSP prize. Is this what cookie selling has come to? In my area, it has.

Seems the point of selling cookies these days is so the GS troupe makes money not to teach goal setting or financial skills. A few people bring the list into work and then leave it on the front desk so anybody can place their order when they want. Not even the parents have to work too hard at it.

Let it go, it's not worth stressing over. Are you in GS to have fun or to follow rules. Life's too short to worry about this. Cub scouts is so relaxed compared to GS. Take a lesson from their playbook and chillax : )

I very rarely see the girls actually selling, unless it's in front of the grocery store or Walmart.

We get the list on the table.

I always thought that was unfair. But it's not just cookies, any type of fundraiser through the school is usually the parent bringing the form to work.

Though in fairness, my nephew was selling stuff for a school fundraiser, my sister had him call each one of us to "pitch" his product. He's 5. How does a school expect a 5 year old to do a fundraiser? Crazy!!!

it's fine, do it