Teacher gifts - yes, no? What do you do?

[ItsTheHumidity21]

My children are pre school age so not in main education yet but ds goes to a school nursery. There are five amazing ladies that work so hard in his nursery so I've got them all a gift to show our appreciation for the end of term. Ds is a challenge so I feel like I really want to say a big thank you for that especially. I got them a small bottle of wine each, a £5 Costa voucher and some M&S biscuits. Plus homemade cards.

I'm interested to know what other parents do? Do you get the teacher or staff a card or gift because there's a genuine appreciation or do you just feel like it's the done thing so do it anyway? Or do you not give anything because you don't think it's warranted or maybe you don't like the teacher? Or maybe finances don't allow (totally understandable at present)?

I'm just curious. Tell me what you do and why 😊

Not everyone drinks obviously.

My husband works with young adult students. In his work he has had bottles of wine and chocolates from students, which is really thoughtful. But he doesn't drink achohol or eat processed sugar. He even had one bring him some cooked meat and he's a vegetarian! It was very kind but even if it was things he'd use rather than pass on to others, (or in the case of the alcohol, possiby pour away) he knows some are tight for cash so would prefer they didn't buy gifts they possibly can't afford. However he does appreciate cards and messages very much. One time however someone at his work knitted a jacket and a blanket for our kids, how kind, we used that and really appreciated it. Another time a large male student brought him a big bunch of red roses, that was a little akward for him. But he thanked the guy, and possibly untactfully said "just like the ones I got my wife for our aniversary" . He put them on his Mum's grave on the way home.

A relative however a teacher Primary school, loves the gifts she gets and really tresures each of them!

@ItsTheHumidity21 Your gifts sound lovely. I usually get DC to write a thank you card or email these days. You hear polarised opinions on teacher gifts but I think everyone should do what's genuinely meaningful to them, whether that's nothing, chipping in for a gift card, or giving your own gift.

I do think it's nice to include a card with the gift with some specific points of thanks or what your child enjoyed through the year.

We do a class collection. We have teacher and 2 TAs usually get £300-£400 per class. We get a bottle of something/flowers and voucher.
It's a lot but there is no minimum contribution or obligation the card is always signed from the whole class so even if you don't contribute you are still included.
We do live in a pretty affluent area.

I was an infant teacher for 40 years and loved having a card from a child. I honestly didn’t want a gift, preferring you to spend your money on your own family. The most appreciated gift if you really want to give is biscuits for the staff room!
Agree with the alcohol, I don’t drink and always gifted bottles to another adult.
We will know you appreciate us with just a message honestly.

Same here.

I'm a TA and I really appreciate a card. I have a bag full off cards and drawings iv had from children. Iv had a right mish mash of gifts in the past. I work in Secondary special education now in a very very deprived area so not expecting anything this year which is equally fine.

I'm actually a teacher too (primary) but I didn't want to say that at first because I'm interested from a parent point of view. I am always grateful for anything I've received over the years, homemade cards are always lovely and I like to keep them as memories.

Interesting about alcohol. Maybe there's an assumption that teachers are bound to drink, lol! Although, I don't really but I know plenty of people who do so it's a nice gift to share with others.

My most memorable/favourite gifts have been the more unusual ones. I got a luxury Christmas pudding once which was great! Had it Christmas day. So kind 😊

Love this idea

@troppibambini6 gosh, that is very generous. I was thinking, must be an affluent area. Surrey perhaps 😁

I find these threads interesting. It's not something I can remember my parents ever did. Or hear my friends with kids in school doing. We're not in the UK though.

£400 per class sounds like so much.

I always buy chocolates/biscuits for everyone to have in the staff room. Don’t forget it’s not just teachers and ta’s. Admin staff etc all work very hard behind the scenes.

My youngest has 2 teachers and older one has 4. We always buy for head and office manager. Plus dinner ladies. We spent £30 on 13 cupcakes. Each iced with there name one.

Card written by the kid and a lottery ticket or a scratch card in it.

One of the best presents I was ever given was a box. Inside where a massive batch of homemade cookies and really lovely hot chocolate.

I was going to get my kids to make a card for their teacher and TA. No gifts, I'm not made of money. I like the idea of sending an email to the head, will definitely do that. My dcs reception teacher is bloody lovely, she's like miss honey in Matilda and she's obviously been a big part of teaching my DC to love reading. Which was really my only goal for them as they finish reception.

My dad used to be a primary school teacher. He used to come home with a bag of presents every summer and Christmas when I was a child in the 80s and 90s. In those days he god chocolates, novelty ties (ones that played musid), socks, mugs etc.

We always give a small token gift (eg sweets/ chocolates/ a plant/ bath products/ bottle of wine etc) and a handmade card. I'd love to spend far more, some teachers certainly deserve it, but we sadly can't afford it.

I did email the head about one particular teacher who we felt had been fantastic. I'd imagine she appreciated that more than any gift.

My kids have great teachers I have to say. Always get emotional at the end of year. I get them chocolates, usually the ones the kids like. I'm a big bear, you would not know. Viva the anonymity of Mumsnet...

I asked the teacher and she said oh my god I'd love wine thanks so much. So that's what I'm getting. Very easy for me!

I am a teacher and gifts alongside a thoughtful card are of course very appreciated. I'd avoid flowers or plants as many of us travel immediately after schools close. Chocolates and biscuits are very kind but we get a lot. Mugs are cute but we have many. If you do want to buy and again stressing it is not expected - I have received gift cards which are kind (I know that involves an obvious amount of money which is another issue) to marks, Amazon, costa which I thought fab. Or non perishables like candles or bath salts/bombs. Again, before I'm pulled upon, we expect nothing (I love cards, I have ones from the P1 class I'm now about to teach in P4 and cannot wait to show them) Having your kids ready and able to learn each morning is gift enough x

I also appreciate the 'it's their job' posts but teaching is one of the only jobs I can think of where you spend £s every week from to ur own pocket to do it well.

I buy packs of blank cards. You can get them from Wilko's or home bargains and I get my boys to draw a picture on the front and write thank you inside. My eldest is in year 4 at the mo and his reception teacher came up to tell me she still has the succulent plant we got her at the end of the year, so 5 years ago. She said it had grown loads and started flowering and she always thinks of him when she see it. It cost £1.50 from wilko and it was tiny! But we made a little bag out of cardboard for it to pretty it up a bit! That inspired me to do similar this year. I got tiny plants from wilko and were made pots for them with air drying clay that my boys painted. One year we had a class collection. I always get something but if I haven't had time we've just done a home made card and a bar of chocolate.

I did work in one school where a parent organised a £5 from each parent and I got a voucher to John Lewis and that was lovely.