Girl Scout Cookies – Learning the Way to Self-Reliance

Your little girl is growing up. One of the ways in which you can help her become a confident, independent adult and equip her with a strong set of good values is to enrol her in the Girl Scouts program. Girl Scouts learn a number of vital life skills through activities like camping and community service. However, cookie season remains one of the most popular associations with this organization. Whether your child is selling her first or her fifth batch of Girl Scout cookies, she is acquiring a lifetime’s worth of skills – setting goals, engaging people and clients, managing money and learning the basics of business; skills that are essential to become a successful leader and carve out a fulfilling professional career when she gets older.

Girl Scouts who actively participate in cookie season learn that they can overcome any challenge and reach important goals by devoting their mind and energy to it. The revenue generated from Girl Scout cookie season goes into the troop treasury or is used to subsidize the cost of the Girl Scout program in the area. Help your youngster learn how she can better herself and benefit her community by participating in this annual tradition of Girl Scout cookie season.

How can Parents help with Girl Scout Cookies?

Your Girl Scout is super enthusiastic about participating in cookie season and learning new skills to help her troop earn money and win prizes. Here’s how you can support her in this great endeavour:

• Attend and participate in the family cooking information meeting and identify ways in which you can guide her.
• Make sure you sign and return the necessary permission slips.
• Provide her troop with transportation for taking orders and delivering them.
• Help her come up with and polish an effective sales message.
• Help her take Girl Scout cookie orders from your friends, family members and other members of your social or professional network.
• If possible, help out her troop leader when she needs an adult helper or, better still, train to become a troop leader yourself. Cookie season offers plenty of opportunities for adult supervisors and helpers to lend a hand, so make sure you can find some time to spare.
• If you’ve volunteered to help, make sure you follow the prescribed safety rules and the group guidelines about handling both the products and sales proceeds.
• Most importantly, always let your Girl Scout feel empowered to be in charge and handle things on her own.

The business of baking and selling cookies isn’t easy. Your child needs all the help and advice she can get, especially if this is her first Girl Scout cookie season. You can make it easy for her with the above tips and tricks!