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Hiding From the Cookie Momsters
Jan. 5th, 2005 11:49 amIt's Girl Scout Cookie Time at the office! And everydamnbody is doing their daughter's Girl Scout cookie sales for them. Apparently the Girl Scouts Of America condones this practice, since I'm seeing poster-size glossy order sheets printed by GSA.
As a former Girl Scout and thereby a Scout For Life, I have this much to say: What does it teach a child when you do their work for them? How is a child supposed to take pride in an accomplishment when it wasn't their accomplishment at all? Also, just plain WTF?
When I was a Scout 300 years ago, we did our own selling, dammit. We were supervised by adults (door-to-door sales w/o an adult were nixed even back then), but we did the selling. We counted the money and recorded the sales our little selves (uphill both ways in the snow!). Here are some of the things it taught us:
Reliability
Honesty
Courtesy
Simple accounting
Saleswomanship
Teamwork
Goal-oriented thinking
Organizational skills
and most importantly
The sort of self-esteem that comes from doing something yourself, which no amount of "unconditional validation" or whateveryoucallit can give.
Now then, what does it teach a child when a mom (or dad) comes home and says "I sold all 30 of your boxes at work, sweetie!" It teaches them that someone else will do their work for them and they need do nothing themselves in order to have "achieved." It teaches that they can just stay there on the sofa and grunt a "thanks" and be all set for their quota.
Ergo, if you want to drive your daughter over to my house or workplace, walk her up, and let her make the sale herself, I promise I will buy. Otherwise, stuff 'em back in your SUV.
Woof.
As a former Girl Scout and thereby a Scout For Life, I have this much to say: What does it teach a child when you do their work for them? How is a child supposed to take pride in an accomplishment when it wasn't their accomplishment at all? Also, just plain WTF?
When I was a Scout 300 years ago, we did our own selling, dammit. We were supervised by adults (door-to-door sales w/o an adult were nixed even back then), but we did the selling. We counted the money and recorded the sales our little selves (uphill both ways in the snow!). Here are some of the things it taught us:
Reliability
Honesty
Courtesy
Simple accounting
Saleswomanship
Teamwork
Goal-oriented thinking
Organizational skills
and most importantly
The sort of self-esteem that comes from doing something yourself, which no amount of "unconditional validation" or whateveryoucallit can give.
Now then, what does it teach a child when a mom (or dad) comes home and says "I sold all 30 of your boxes at work, sweetie!" It teaches them that someone else will do their work for them and they need do nothing themselves in order to have "achieved." It teaches that they can just stay there on the sofa and grunt a "thanks" and be all set for their quota.
Ergo, if you want to drive your daughter over to my house or workplace, walk her up, and let her make the sale herself, I promise I will buy. Otherwise, stuff 'em back in your SUV.
Woof.