Practical Tips for Parents

You Can Make This Year’s Program a Success!

Support Your Girl Scout

• Go to the family information meeting.

• Sign and return all parent/guardian permission and responsibility forms.

• Provide transportation for order taking and delivery.

• Go with your Girl Scout to take orders in your neighborhood.

• Help your Girl Scout network with family and friends, but let her do the “ask” so she can learn important business skills.

• Help her arrange for a time to take order at your place of work, place of worship or other places where people support her.

• Attend your council training to become the troop cookie manager.

• Offer to be a supervising adult — there are lots of opportunities to lend a hand.

• Share your business expertise and help link the Girl Scout Program with the wider business world.

• Never do things for your Girl Scout she can do for herself!

Coach Your Girl Scout 

• Listen to her practice her sales pitch.

• Review materials and setup the ABC Smart Cookies site together.

• Ask her questions - maybe even pretend to be a potential customer and do a little role-play!

• Guide her to set practical and useful goals about what she wants to learn and earn.

• Listen to her describe what the troop's goals are for the money earned through the sale.

• Be a role model for business ethics and safety rules!

• Have fun with her!

Remember that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which is girl driven. Let your Girl Scout take the lead in selling products and reaching goals. Your encouragement, coaching and guidance will be key ingredients to a successful Program experience for her.

For more information on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, check out http://www.girlscouts.org/gsle