Girl Scout cookies

[shadesong]

226 boxes sold so far; a little less than half of last year's 504.

Why? Because I'm tired. :) Last year, the year before (400 boxes), I've been a tireless cheerleader, pushing and pushing and selling and selling!

This year, I simply sent out the single e-mail to my office and left the order form on my desk... I didn't push many people as they walked by.

This year, I only mentioned it a few times on LJ. I honestly didn't even keep track of how many boxes she was selling, wheras in past years, I've been rabid about that!

I don't have the energy for this. *rueful grin*

She's surprised that she hasn't sold as many as last year, but I pointed out to her that she has not been selling them; I've been too tired to relentlessly push, but y'know what? It really isn't my job. So she's seeing how she has to go out and do this.

How many of the 226 did she sell? 30. Heh.

I was going to take her door-to-door today, but it's below freezing, and I so am not doing that. :) Next year. Next year I also won't have wiped myself out at Arisia at the start of cookie sale week!

So this'll be her first year of not being top seller - so this should encourage her to get out and sell next year, y'know?

I do think she has a chance of hitting 300; we haven't heard back from my birthfamily or Adam's mom yet, and there are several of you on LJ who said you were going to order and haven't gotten around to it yet. E-mail me today or tomorrow if you want to order!

Heh. I'm tired. Learning curve. Not the mom I used to be.

Comments

[moonfire77.livejournal.com]

when i was in brownies, years and years ago, if i remember correctly, i did all my selling myself. i did most of it by phone because walking door to door in wilmette would have been impossible, but i did it.

personally, i think she's better off if you don't help her as much; what is she learning this way? and she'll have more of a sense of accomplishment the more she does herself.

i have an independence bugaboo.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* I think she'll actually *try* next year...

[cislyn.livejournal.com]

When I was in scouts, I lived at the end of a half mile dirt road and our closest neighbor was a fanatical christian community whose members vocally told me I was a devil spawn. My dad worked for a small company - as in, there was one other guy, and his wife, and that was it. Because of this, all of my cookie sales were at booths, and it was *rough*. To get any selling done at all I really had to work at it.

(The point of this wasn't a kind of monty python-esque "we had to live in a shoebox in the middle of the road" type rant on how I had it so bad, though, honest.)

But! My first job? Retail. And I am a helluva saleschick, let me tell you. I even put on my application under sales experience - selling girl scout cookies. I learned a lot from really *selling* those cookies. I learned people skills, and I learned confidence in talking to random people, and I learned how to have dignity when people woudln't buy. And she will, too. :)

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* In our old neighborhood, we were surrounded by Orthodox Jews who glared at me for wearing jeans and not wearing a headcovering, so we didn't even bother doing door-to-door.

In this neighborhood - I really wish Adam had taken her out last weekend. But he didn't. *sigh*

[sarahwilder.livejournal.com]

Apropos of nothing, I thought you might like this.

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

She's getting older, too. I think it makes sense with each additional year to pull back and let her take on more of the responsibility. :-)

[thejunebug.livejournal.com]

In ways I think you're a better mom, because you're showing Elayna that this is something she should be doing herself, for herself. :)

AND, no cookie orders from us this year-- I tried to hide the fact that it was cookie season from Jay, but he spotted the sign in a coworker's cubicle and ordered. Lord almighty. :P

[ladyflogzalot.livejournal.com]

It's good for kids to take responsibilty as long as parents don't let them go door-to-door by themselves. It's a scary world out there now. I already bought my cookies.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* We wouldn't let her do that alone - yeek!

Next year we'll be better organized...

[dark-blade.livejournal.com]

No 'ffence to Elayna, but when I was a GS, I hated that the other kids parents would do all sorts of pimpage and work for them.. I had to do all the work myself, not even with the help of a signup sheet left on a desk at a parent's workplace. AND, my sister was also a girlscout. I could never get any sold at school due to my troopleader usually getting our forms to us several days after the other girls, and neighborhood selling wasn't terribly successful... usually they had grandkids they had ordered from in another area prior to the N GA selling period. (Also, had to split the area with my sister.)

Ditto that for wrapping paper.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Eee. Sorry, love. :(

It's a real disadvantage that they have staggered selling periods, in this and in the wrapping paper, though. Every year we get bitchslapped on the wrapping paper because we're the last county to start selling.

[ian-gunn.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the ones who said he would order some. I just got finished running my event and was busy. You can put me down for 3 boxes, one of the plain peanut butter sandwich ones, one of the chocolate covered peanut butter ones and a thin mint.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

You got it. :) Thanks!