Salesmanship

As a parent of school-aged children I see a different side to the ‘salesmanship’ we experienced growing up. At some point or another every child goes through the ‘salesman phase’.

The (insert organization here) will be conducting a (fundraiser/raffle/lottery) to raise money by selling (insert product here). The child that sells the most (product) will win (a really cheap prize that negates all the hard work the child has done to attain it).

I understand that kids’ organizations take money to run and I have no problem supporting them but I think these organizations have to understand that not all kids will be salespeople. We have, like many parents, guiltily assumed the role for them because a) it’s safer and less time-consuming than taking them door-to-door and b) our kids aren’t exactly thrilled about selling anything to people they don’t know. Perhaps in doing so we’re cheating them from not learning some valuable life lesson like working hard to accomplish a goal or how to cope with rejection, but I think they’ll experience enough of both when they become teenagers.