What to Do With Tagalongs at Meetings?

Updated October 2019

One of the mistakes a new Daisy Girl Scout leader makes is not establishing a tagalong policy right from the start.  

What is a tagalong?

This is a sibling of a Girl Scout.  

There are two kinds of tagalong situations-one is the leader's child and the other is the sibling of a girl in your troop. As a leader, I have had to bring my son to meetings because I have had no child care. He has plenty to do and while we both would rather not have him there, it is what it is. He enjoys unlimited iPad time when he is with us.

Parents bring them to meetings because they cannot or will not find alternative child care. While some parents have control over their children, others do not. And it is the latter that will make your meeting a challenge because of the distractions and interruptions these children will provide.

How can you handle the tagalong situation?

Photo from Pixabay and altered by the author on Canva

First of all, if you do not have a policy on this, now is the time to make one. You are a Girl Scout leader, not a babysitter. Your job is to conduct the meeting, not run a circus. Parents should read and sign the paper so you know that the message has been received.

I know, you do not want to risk confrontation or have “that mother” bother you. But you have to, this is a VOLUNTEER position, remember? You are doing this for not only your daughter, but hers.  It is not your job to plan something for the troop to do and something for her other children to do.  

Leaders came up with a bunch of different solutions at the Girl Scout Moms forum.  

You can read their advice right here.