Get Families Involved

Communicate!

• Let parents/guardians know about the goals set by the girls.
• Host a cookie training party and invite the family.
• Have the girls write letters home sharing their plans, send postcards or set up an email mini-newsletter.

Personalize!

• Every parent/guardian likes to hear about their child’s successes.
• Share your observations of their daughter’s growth in skill and self-confidence.
• Let each parent know that their child is an individual in your eyes and not just one of the crowd.

Utilize!

• Families can be great sources of expert help. Find out what skills and hobbies family members have, and recruit them to do tasks that fit their interests.
• Involve a few family adults in helping you plan cookie activities.

Empathize!

• You are devoting a lot of time and energy to helping a group of girls become happy, resourceful citizens.
• If a parent or guardian is less than receptive to your requests for help, try not to lay a guilt-trip on them. Perhaps the timing is just not right.

Economize!

• Try your best to use adult resources wisely. When you conduct meetings, begin and end them on time and stick to a tight agenda.
• When you recruit adults to work with girls, be specific about what you want them to do and only ask for as many adults as you really need.