More trying to get my thoughts together here. I’ve not been able to sleep from thinking about this. Hence the post at 2am.
DD is currently in the GGs, one of the younger two sections but I won’t say which.
She absolutely loves it, has many badges already and talks constantly about going. Always wants to do interest badge work at home.
3 of her classmates used to go with her; one quit due to not liking it, one quit because her parents couldn’t fit it in around their work and the 3rd quit and went to scouts because her brother goes there.
My DN also used to go but had to quit but may rejoin in the future and it’s likely she’d try and join DDs unit if old enough.
She seems absolutely fine without any classmates but always on the peripheral of the actual groups. Most of the other girls talk to her but she’s never for example bought the mascot home as the girl who last had it chooses who it goes home with and they always choose their friends.
She knows some of the girls from school but they’re in a younger year group and there’s a group all from the same class so again she’ll chat to them and join in but is on the peripheral.
She hasn’t asked to stop going and has spent half term doing more badge work happily.
I’m tempted to take her out and put her in scouts but I’m not sure.
Pros
- She might be with classmates so have something in common (none of them even go to a different GG unit they literally all do either scouts or other activities so when she’s talking about badges at school she says they seem a little bored)
- Might be able to lift share with classmates who live nearby
- Getting her to try something new as from what I can read scouts is completely different
Cons
- She has some SN and compares herself to her classmates, since her classmates left she’s not comparing herself to them, being in a group with classmates could actually knock her confidence but it could help her socially
- Being able to make friends outside of her class/year seems a benefit to me
- She’s not actually unhappy and hasn’t asked to do something else – am I pre-empting problems that aren’t there? Is it just because this age can be very cliquey anyway?
- Has to “start again” when she’s already earned quite a few badges and feels proud of herself
- She says she has friends at GGing
- She likes the leaders
- I’ve already paid out for uniform and subs and sewn the badges onto the uniform
- Might be harder to get her in, current GGing works around her other activities
- Her SN means she tires quickly, GGing leaders have been great at working around her SN so she can still fully participate, I’m not sure if scouting will be as inclusive, she may also have to miss the outside parts (which she often does with GGing)
- No guarentees she’d end up in a group with her classmates anyway
- School may mix the classes again next year so there might actually be someone from one of the other classes in one of the other units or sections who might become her best friend
For context I never did GG or Scouts, my parents wouldn’t let me (long story) so it’s hard to know which is the best option.
She has other out of school activities but again not with classmates but they do that activity so she does have that in common with them.
So what do people think? I know there’s lots of people here who feel strongly with one organisation or the other, I do not care about that I just want whats best for my DD.
Peoples thoughts are welcome though.
Vote:
YABU – Keep her in GGing
YANBU – See if you can move her to scouts