Parents are under continual pressure to contribute to the organizations their children belong to. At what point is it appropriate to pull back and take a good look at what lessons the children are learning from all of this?
Da Goddess has posted a thought-provoking rant about Girl Scout cookies and similar selling efforts. It is well worth reading.
My take on it is that kids come away from these experiences feeling cynical or with an attitude of entitlement. Neither is desirable. The best possible experience is that which the child originates by themselves.
I remember my daughter, Sara, at age 6, selling airplane kits to neighbors in Florida for ten cents. The kit consisted of a sheet of typewriter paper. When one bemused customer stood there holding the sheet, Sara asked, “You do know how to fold it don’t you?”
Fortunately, Sara became an artist where it is considered more acceptable for the viewer to contribute to the final experience.
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