From a Disgruntled Cookie Mom

Dear Parents of Girl Scouts who have never been Cookie Moms,

When you get an email from the cookie mom begging and pleading for volunteers to work a booth because there are still troop cookies to get rid of, don't reply back with "X is done selling cookies this year."  It is not the responsibility of the cookie mom to sell all troop cookies. It is the responsibility of the whole troop. If the troop doesn't sell all the cookies, then the troop eats all the profits, literally. Just because you want to be "done" doesn't mean you get out of helping the troop get rid of troop cookies.

When you see the cookie mom at the mall working at a cookie booth because your daughter is "done" and the cookie mom has had to drag her own daughter out there to work yet again, don't say, "Oh! I didn't know we had a booth out here today."  That just tells the cookie mom that you didn't read her email begging for people to work the booth. She'll likely get really pissed off when you don't read her emails. It is disrespectful.

When you call the cookie mom from a booth and say, "Where is Mr. X with the cookies?", and she tells you, "Didn't you get the email saying that the booth was starting at 12:30 instead of 12? Mr. X should be there by 12:30", don't say, "Oh, uh, I don't know."  Again, that just tells the cookie mom you didn't read her email. It pisses her off, and you don't want to piss off the cookie mom. Otherwise, you might get stuck with the job next year.

When you actually read an email from the cookie mom begging people to work booths and you respond with, "Can't you just transfer the cookies to other troops?", to the cookie mom, that comes across as, "What, are you stupid?" especially when she spent the night before driving to three different houses all over town transferring cookies to other troops.  It isn't that easy. Toward the end of cookie sales, every troop is looking to offload the same cookies. Nobody wants the Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Shortbreads you have in stock. They want the Thin Mints and Caramel Delights.

If you're a troop leader, don't go out of town the first two weeks of cookie sales. That just puts more pressure on your already frazzled cookie mom. If you don't go out of town, you won't tear your ACL skiing and won't have to have surgery the last week of cookie sales which stresses out your cookie mom even more.

When the cookie mom shows up with a car full of cookies at the Girl Scout meeting to give everybody the additional cookies they ordered, when she asks you, "So, what did you need?", don't look at her like she is stupid and say, "Remember? I sent you that email asking for two boxes of Peanut Butter Patties?"  NO! she does not remember. It was one of the 87 cookie related emails she has read in the last 2 days, most of which were about ordering, transferring, or trading some number of cookies. She did not memorize your order. Just politely tell her what you need.

For the few of you who do read and respond to cookie mom emails and help out with booths the last week of cookie sales, you are a rare breed, and cookie moms everywhere love you and appreciate you.

Signed,

Disgruntled Cookie Mom

Comments

[Meredith]

Hang in there - its almost over!!

[Robinlynnb]

Poor Ann!
Where are the girls selling cookies? If it is close to my dad and step-mom, I will see if I can get her to go by a box or two.
Hope you are almost done- what year of cookie mom is this for you? Haven't you paid your dues yet?

[Ann]

Thanks Meredith!

Robin, we haven't really been anywhere near your dad, and today was our LAST booth! This is year four, and yes... I have paid my dues.

[Audrey]

What have you got left? I'll take 10 boxes off your hands - just give me whatever you're having trouble getting rid of. I can donate them to my bridge club.

You have paid your dues - i think you deserve a break!

[Dawn]

*HUGS* Wish I could do more.

[Ann]

Emailed you, Audrey!!
Thanks, Dawn! The end is near.

[Tracym]

You probably saw this years ago..but as a cookie mom it makes me laugh every time. xoxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nIN6FxYOWKM