Poll: selling things on behalf of your kids at work?

Do you think it's okay for parents to sell things like Girl Scout cookies in the workplace on behalf of their children?

Girl Scout cookies are flying around the office right now. While it's great that people are buying them and sharing them with everyone, I wonder what lesson the children learn from all of this.

My parents would never sell anything on my behalf. I had to hoof it door to door.

I think it is OK to bring in the forms and maybe send out a quick email or memo saying you have fundraising items to sell for your children and to reply with what they want to order or see you about it.

I disagree with the parents who bring their catalogs and really pressure people or take a lot of time out of their work going person to person pushing the forms.

When I was young I had great success selling my girl scout cookies because my parents created order memos (was before email) and distributed them to everyone’s box at work. If they wanted to order cookies they filled out the paper and returned it to my parent who brought it home to me and made me fill out my official cookie form. And if they weren’t interested they just tossed the memo – no pressure and minimal disruption at work. This was just to supplement my selling, I also went door to door, etc.

I voted don't care.

People here sell stuff for their kids but it's a no pressure type sitation and honestly, I'm more likely to buy at work than at my front door. I hope that those selling for the kids are also selling on their own.

I voted that I didn't care either way. I do however, think it is safer than going door to door these days. When our daughter was 6 years old (1986) my hubby took her door to door with her GG cookies. One man started swearing at her and using the "F" word until he saw my husband and then he went straight back in his house. No child should be subjected to that type of behaviour and she was very upset and hurt. She had done nothing wrong.

I like the idea of having the folks at work fill out a form and the child then doing the "homework" of getting the orders straightened out.

I sold a million and one things for school... my mom stayed home and my dad was retired so I didn't have anyone to sell things for me.

In high school, I sold candy pay for band trips, candy to pay for my AP exams, car wash tickets to pay for my AP exams, flowers to pay for winter formal, ad space to pay for costumes for a play, candy to pay for university tours. I sold boxes upon boxes of sweets so that I could do things that were important to me.

That said, I think it's fine to sell things on behalf of your child at work. Selling stuff off campus can be dangerous. When I sold things, I didn't feel at a disadvantage because my parents couldn't help me... I just worked harder.

When someone is selling something, I like to buy from them because I remember how I felt when I was in school. Not to mention, I don't feel as guilty about eating so many snacks I have a professor who sold GS cookies for her daughter last year, and that was fine with me. I didn't feel pressured to buy. Maybe it depends on the parents' sale tactics too.

When I was in girl scouts, yes I had to go from door to door (which I HATED) but my parents also took copies of the forms to their friends and coworkers. Not that it was more safe when I was a child, but I don't think it is safe for children to go door to door anymore. I would never allow my child to do it.

Do I feel there should still be a pressure to sell the most? No. Honestly I don't think that children should even have to sell things like cookies or popcorn (boy scouts). We all know it won't be the children selling them, it will be the parents, and it doesn't give the kids the same pride anymore than it used to. I don't think children should feel forced to do something like this just so that the organization can get money, which anymore is all it is for. I'm sure the organization can figure out other ways to make money if they really tried.

I do think there are a lot of people that enjoy buying things like girl scout cookies from their coworkers b/c, like us, they don't know any girls that are selling them. So if it wasn't for the coworker they wouldn't get them. I love girl scout cookies, but haven't had them the past few years b/c my cousin grew up and isn't a girl scout anymore, and I don't know anyone else that sells them.

Yes, I think its a good idea. Its likely a quicker way to sell things.

I don't care either way. I'm much more likely to buy from someone I know rather than from a random person at my door, and let's face it - who doesn't love girl scout cookies??

I don't care but it starts to get too much after the 20th or so person comes by and you kind of feel like you have to pick between people to give to / buy from. So I like the idea of just sending a memo to everyone or putting a note on the noticeboard and letting people come to you with no pressure (especially in an office building as big as mine).

I have no difficulty with parents selling in their office for their kids, so long as there's no pressure and the person isn't spending all their time on that activity. Sure, extend your kid's "territory", especially if door-to-door means approaching strangers.

Over the years, there have been several people in my workplace who have had Girl Guide Cookies for sale. Usually they just post a notice and people follow up with them, and I've usually bought some -- Rob loves them. The last of our "suppliers" left last summer. Hmmm, wonder if there will be anyone else...

At our office, you can sell the stuff for your kids but on your lunch breaks. We can also send around memos asking if you wanna order.
I don't mind so much because I don't have kids but I can see why people would get annoyed.

I didn't like it when I was a kid. Why? Because some parents would do all of the work for the kids and even buy a lot themselves to ensure that their kid came out as top seller. Usually top seller got a prize and a lot of praise. The rest of us would have to hear things like "oh, you weren't trying" or "so and so did so well, you could have sold more".

If it's going to be sold by the parents they should arrange something with the organization instead of doing their childrens' work for them.

I voted "dont care"..

I do think kids should do some of the work at least.. going door to door is not always safe today, but the kids can at least pick up the phone and call friends and relatives.

I dont have a problem with parents bringing order forms to work, however I dont want to have the catalogues shoved in my face.. leave it in the breakroom, if I want to look and order, I will.. if not, then I wont bother with it.

I remember selling those World's Finest Chocolate candy bars when I was a kid. Most of them would be sold by me but Mom would also help out and take them to work if I was having trouble selling the rest of a box. Of course, the they were full sized bars for a $1 back then, now you get half of that.

I thought it was okay until, at one place where I worked, a man duct-taped his son's Boy Scout order forms to the breakroom tables and waited for people to sign up... and when only a few people did so, he added an ugly handwritten note saying "some friends you are" and calling us cheapskates.

I voted yes I like to see a co-workers child succeed!

I actually got this pole from my workplace this morning. Our companies website does a daily poll, and while we are in the height of Girl Scout cookie season here, I think there are some folks curious if they should restrict people from doing this. The results here are close to the response in my company, and that one had about 1000 responses.

It is the only way that I get to sample all of the Girl Scout cookie flavors. My favorite this year: Lemon.

I don't believe the parents should do the selling for their child, or bring the stuff to work. Our daughter's Brownie leader made arrangements with Sears and major grocery stores in town to have the girls sell cookies to customers going in and out of the stores. There was always one to two leaders with the girls at all times. The girls would show up on the designated Saturdays, two or three at a time for two-hour shifts. Our daughter loves selling stuff and would have been very disappointed if we had done it for her. Besides, I am not a salesman and was not willing to do it!

It drives me crazy when most of my co-workers sell things. I don't mind the form on the table in the lunch room but when you have 5 people staring at you because you're the only one in the room who said "No, I don't need a $75kids party pack of pizzas" I get annoyed. I also can't stand when people show up in my office doorway with the "Oh, it looked like not too many people had a chance (read: wanted to) to buy whatever from my child so I thought I'd go around and ask everyone." It also doesn't help that it's the same 3 co-workers who do this constantly - thier kids must be in very group or club under the sun.

That being said, if parents aren't comfortable having thier kids go door-to-door, that's thier choice. But when they come to my door, I only have to say no once if I don't want something, whereas at to ofice I usually end up saying no at least 6 times. Funny thing is, I'm actually much more likely to buy from the door-ro-door kids because the're all from my neighbourhood and I don't mind supportign the school 2 blocks down the road.

No I don't think it is right. However, it may be a different story if the parents are getting a substantial commission from their sales.