Should We Push Our Girl Scouts to Push Doorbells?

Moms Talk is a new feature on Encino Patch, part of an initiative to reach out to moms and families. We invite you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Encino.

Each week in Moms Talk, our council of smart moms will take your questions, and share stories and solutions. Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about the thousands of issues that arise while raising children.

Encino Patch's Mom Council members

Jenny Schiff is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a degree in broadcast journalism. She has worked for CNN and Channel One News, as well as in the animation industry. Now a full-time mom to a 10-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, she's lived in Encino for almost 10 years with her husband, Dave, a television writer.

Jill Krutchik, at one time a practicing attorney, is a lifelong Valley resident. She has spent the last 15 years working as a real estate broker, supporting Encino Little League and raising her family in Encino. She has a husband and two boys, ages 10 and 14.

Erika Bako is a Hungarian immigrant and single mom to an 18-month-old boy. She went through challenging times last year, but is getting back on her feet and renewing her life as a mother and entrepreneur. She says she's happy to live in Encino.

Jane Blitz raised her three children in Encino and is hoping to be a grandmother soon. She graduated from Birmingham High School, is an avid UCLA Bruins fan and is a ninth-grade counselor at Panorama High School.

Susan Spillman is a former staff writer and columnist with the Life section of USA Today. These days she shares a home office with her son, Jordan, 14, and daughter Lily, 9. She offers her take on parenting each Monday in Confessions From the Carpool Line on Encino Patch.

Today's topic: Girl Scout Cookies

Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, yum! Who doesn't love Girl Scout Cookies? Many of us moms have fond memories of selling Girl Scout Cookies when we were young. These days, Girl Scout Cookies are big business—a $700-million business, to be exact.  

Daisy Scouts as young as 5 are asked to sell cookies. But is it really the girls who do the selling? How many times have you been approached by a parent at work asking you to buy cookies? And what about a parent who doesn't want to be bothered with selling and just writes a check for enough boxes for her daughter to earn a patch or win a prize? 

Do you push your Brownies and Daisies to push door bells? Or do you willingly sell cookies for them?

Share your stories and opinions with us in the comment section below.