do you buy things from kids coming to your door?( small rant)

[poohtown]

I can't believe how many people say no to kids. I have always bought anything a kid was selling and if I ever see a lemonade stand I make sure I stop. This week my daughter is selling something for cheerleading and she has walked and walked to houses that have all said no. I'm not saying everyone has to - I was just surprised by the amount of 'no's'.

my small rant:

I HATE how some parents take what the kid is supposed to sell and they sell it for them. They'll bring it to work and they kid never walks to one door. I know I'll hear from people saying it's more convenient and how it's not safe to go to peoples houses. I don't let my daughter go by herself, but if she wants the prizes from selling cookies for girlscouts or cards for cheerleading you better believe she's going to be doing the work. I was a little upset because my other daughter sold almost 200 boxes of g.s. cookies last year (we went to alot of houses!) and she didn't win top seller because another girls mother (who works at a large insurance company) took the form to work.

 

[chris1gill]

The only thing I buy at my front door are chocolate bars! I do know a girl scout, so I get the cookies from her, but beyond that, I'm not buying popcorn we don't eat, magazines I can't read or wrapping paper that's exhorbitantly priced... I don't even buy those things from my own kids (okay, maybe I'm guilted into buying them from my own kid)....

I don't agree with letting kids go door to door anymore as a matter of safety... perhaps when they're older, but, our oldest is nine now that I think about it....

 

[KristiKelly]

Our school has a policy & it's typed on the order form for no door to door sales. I will let my kids go the neighbors that we know.

Now, to answer your question, yes, when a kid comes to our door selling something, I buy something from them, if I know - especially if they are a neighbor.

DS fund raiser started last week - Cookie Dough & Pizza Kits - YUMMY!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I buy from any neighbor who comes to my door as long as I can use the item and my child isn't also selling the same thing. I used to have girls sell girl scout cookies when my DD was a gilr scout or boys sell boy scout popcorn when my boys were boy scouts. I didn't buy from them, but I do now since my kids are no longer in scouts. If I've already bought several boxes of GS cookies from someone I will still buy a box from someone who rings my doorbell.

I totally agree about parents selling at their place of work. Nothing wrong with letting co-workers know your child is selling and they can then approach you and ask if they want to buy some, but that's as much as I'd do.

T&B

 

[SC Minnie]

If its a kid from our neighborhood I will always find something to buy. I just remember having to sell that stuff when I was growing up. In DD's elem. school they say 'no door to door sales'. Even so there are so many school age kids in our neighborhood they couldn't do the school fundraiser anyway.

Am I the only one that can't stand the school fundraising thing? I don't want to come off mean and I always buy something but I hate it. Is there not something else out there that is not so overpriced and a little different? Our PTA picks out the overpriced wrapping paper, candy, etc as a fund raiser. Sounds like others do too-- is there nothing else?

 

[The LK 4]

Thankfully our PTO listened to the complaints over the years and we are not selling the wrapping paper and other assorted junk this year. We are selling pizza kits, pies, and family coupon books. I haven't seen the details yet but it should be much easier to sell than the wrapping paper.

My DD sells a ton of Girl Scout cookies through my job and my DH's job. We just put the forms out on our desks, or post them in the lunchrooms, so people can order if they feel like it. A former coworker used to bring his DDs into the office and have them roam from desk to desk selling. I don't care for that kind of pushiness.

 

[tar heel]

Unless my child is involved in the same (or almost same -- I'm not going to buy middle school wrapping paper since we're selling elementary stuff) sale, I will buy one item. A couple times I haven't been thrilled to do it, but looked at as a way to support the neighborhood kids. I've said "no" one time that I can remember. The high school varsity soccer team was selling subscriptions to ESPN magazine and it cost over $50. I told the kid (a close neighbor) that I was really sorry but it was just too expensive for a magazine I don't want.

poohtown -- Was your daughter selling something that wasn't very good or was exceptionally overpriced? Unless it's something useful (pizza kits, for example, which are a great thing to sell), I don't think kids should be asked to try to sell something that's over $10.

 

[LisaSt]

Yes we do because the second you say no to one of them then everyone says no to your kid if they have to sell something. Plus it is helping out the sport or activity they have joined like cubs or guides etc.

 

[Maleficent13]

I don't mind the kids selling stuff, but last weekend two high school aged kids came to my door and said: "Wanna donate some money for *****'s high school football team?" while shaking a coffee can at me.

Um, no, I don't. First of all, how do I know where that money's going, or that you're really from ***** high school? And since when do kids just go from door to door begging for money?

 

[KristiKelly]

SC Minnie

Some elem. schools in our area sell discount cards for $5-6. They go over real well. They usual have 15-20 restaurants on them where you get 10% or so disc. ChicFilA has a buy 1 sandwich get 1 sand. free, etc. you just show the card when you order. I wish DS school would sell these, they pay for themselves pretty quickly. I did put in a suggestion for them.

Like I said though, DS school is selling Cookie Dough & Pizza Kits (& of course wrapping paper, but I'm not pushing that). The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 6 monthes, comes in a tub, you just scoop out & make the # of cookies you want. We love it. If you know who is head of the fund-raising committee @ your school, talk to them about a change (but don't be surprised if they try to recruit you into helping )

 

[stinkerbelle]

I can't believe how many people say no to kids.

I generally don't buy anything that a child (or adult) is selling door to door.

I think I bought something TWICE...but then they keep coming back to your door.

I dont' see how that makes me a bad person

 

[Kallison]

I'm the cookie mom -- I give each kids so many dozen cookies to sell. I don't keep track -- nor do we award a high seller. We just divide whatever is sold by the entire troop. I take all leftovers to my staff room. Technically my DD sells the most each year, but we get badges for every girl whether they sold 5 or 50.

I buy from kids, I only get maybe two a year coming to my door. Usually it is boy scouts. If I don't want what they are selling or it is toomuch money I will say here is $5 for your fundraising or $2 or $3.

 

[lulugirl]

I very rarely buy anything that someone is selling door to door (child or adult). I just don't like being bothered at home and usually they are selling something that is useless to me.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

At my daughters HS, the band and orchestra sells citrus fruit every fall. It's healthy, not too expensive, and an unusual thing to sell. When she was in band pretty much everyone who she tried to sell it to bought it.

T&B

 

[JVL1018]

If it's a child from the neighborhood, then I will buy whatever they sell.
For kids I don;t know-Little League and PAL football boosters, always buy. Girl Scout cookies, always buy--everything else, nope.

 

[lilpritch04]

Well, I've only purchased one thing so far--We just bought our first house last year and only 3 people have come to our door for sales--only 1 was a kid and I bought the coupon book he was selling.

I'm not a fan of door to door selling for kids. I did have an "in" when I sold candy and that was to go to the bowling alley with my dad and sell it there. Most leagues will buy you out!

I'm sorry your daughter is having such a hard time selling things--like another poster said, maybe it is the item.

When I did cheerleading, soccer, karate, choir, etc, we always sold inexpensive things and found that it was easier to make money because people don't mind $1.

I hope her next time out goes better. Maybe she could come to your office one day and sell a little?

 

[Crankyshank]

I don't buy anything from anyone that comes to my door.

 

[snoopy]

I can't recall ever having a child come to my door. I am sure I would buy from a child, in fact, that would be the only person I would buy from or open up my door to, for that matter. I always buy from the girl scouts sitting outside the grocery stores, provided it isn't her mother selling the cookies.

However, with my own children, I just write the school a check. I can't be bothered with fundraisers. They hate me at PTA. Too bad, I'm with the OP, I don't believe in the parents selling for the children and refuse to participate in them at work, where there are always countless numbers of parents each year selling the same thing and the kid does nothing to earn it.

 

[diznygirl]

When I was working I looked forward to the girl scout cookies every year - we would constantly be asking the mom-of-scouts when they would be selling. Our office was an easy sale! Let your DD go door-to-door, but don't knock the ones who bring them to work - those people need cookies too!

Now that I am staying at home, sometimes it's just not convenient to take my eyes off my two kids to open the door to strangers and try to find the checkbook and write the check. We live in a good neighborhood, but we live in a different world now. I'm not a bad person, I'm just trying to be extra careful so that you aren't hearing about me or my kids on the news.......

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I dont' see how that makes me a bad person

It doesn't. I don't allow my kids to go door to door any longer and my husband's office doesn't allow him to sell at work.

I'm rather anti-fundraiser myself, especially the wallpaper and cheap knick-knacky crap which always ends up in the trash within a couple of months. The kids are lucky to actually get 30 to 35% of the revenue off those things....the only people getting rich are the companies that send out the catalogs.

Our Booster club is having a silent auction night soon that I'll attend because it is a fun evening. I also just made a $200 donation to the school that will give our family free admission to all school events this year AND a water jug.

I don't think our neighbors should have to support my kids activities beyond the property taxes to the schools, park district, and library. They are already paying thousands.