My daughter says she is no longer interested in GS!

[ScoutMomAng 10]

My daughter says she is no longer interested in Girl Scouts but everytime we go camping she seems to spark that interest all over again. She toys with my emotions all year long and it is really starting to get on my nerves! She is a cadette, not "Stupid 2b" as she calls it. I realize they are wishy-washy at this age but is there by any chance in your opinion that I can sign her up as a Juliette and do things without her knowing it??? I would love for her to stay in it because I don't want her to look back later and say, "I wish I would've stayed a GS".

 

Ang

[resqman 108]

What does she not like about scouting? Find out why she wants to quit. Are the meetings boring? Are her friends at school picking on her? The uniforms too dorky? It is really Moms hobby and she is just along for the ride?

 

I think sometimes it is more difficult for the leader's kids. The kid ends up going to every event because the leader does. They go to the event but don't get special time with the parent, they get shoved to the side because the parent/leader is busy leading. So instead of getting more time with the parent, they get less.

 

Find out why she wants to quit. Then you can begin to change the program to fit her needs.

[ScoutNut 147]

Have her sit down & make 2 lists. One with all of the reasons she dislikes GS & the reasons she wants to quit. One with all of the things she likes about GS and reasons to stay in.

 

Then go over the lists with her.

 

Ultimately it is her decision to make, just as it was yours. As much as we would like to stop them, they have to make their own mistakes & learn from them.

 

This is something your brand new Boy Scout son will be learning about too!

 

 

[ScoutMomAng 10]

Why my daughter doesn't like GS? To hear her tell it, "because it isn't fun anymore"

 

I'm not really her leader anymore. I am listed as the leader of her troop but I'm also the leader of the Juniors and the Co-leader of the Brownies and Daisies that meet with us. Since I am the main leader of the Juniors I let my Cadette/junior co-leader take over the cadettes. My daughter really doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the troop, although more-so than the other cadette troop that meets down the street. My daughter has, for over a year, decided to dress in all black (but it doesn't bother me because I know she's still a good kid), has started listening to different music than some of her GS friends.

 

I don't know that being a girl scout is my dream. I never asked her to join, she asked me. However, I will not let her quit in the middle of a season or year. She must finish out her current membership before I will allow her to quit. That is my husbands and my rule. It is also our rule that she finds something else constructive to do, whether it be a sport, volunteering or joining something else. She would like to help out at the Humane Society, which we said was okay.

 

She does not have to go on every outing, although, we have made it very clear with all three of our children that unless they have some pressing homework that MUST be completed or they are sick they must attend meetings. As a matter of fact, as a Cadette, I would say they have gone less places than they did as Juniors. But with every outing they did as Cadettes, my daughter said she didn't want to go, even though afterward she seemed to have fun with it.

 

She doesn't have to wear the uniform unless we go on outings and then they are given the option of the vest/sash or the troop t-shirt. She ALWAYS chooses the vest because she can still wear all black with only the vest over top...she really hates the BRIGHT yellow shirt we chose for a troop t-shirt.

 

As for other kids at school making fun of her, I taught her how to deal with that, so that is not a problem.

 

I just don't want her to look back later in life, like I did, and say, "Dang! Why didn't I stay in GS (I never joined)? I could've had SO much more fun" Especially knowing she could get a scholarship to college based on the fact that she was a GS for so long and earned her Silver and Gold awards.

 

She did however, mention, a while ago, that she would like to joing the Venturing program the BSA has.

 

Ang