to suggest anybody who gave their kid's teacher home grown vegetables...

[thisfantasticvoyage]

as an end of year present or any of the other pointless shite the Guardian recommended recently is basically...a knobber?

Seen as how teachers are always banging on about healthy eating (I know teachers are forced to teach this) maybe the child thought the teacher would prfeer some veg over the nasty wine and fattening chocolate?

Yes. Shoplifted chocolates are more exciting.

There's nothing wrong with buying wine or chocs, but homemade is nice as it shows some effort has gone into it. Having said that, I'm sure that for some parents it's an opportunity for showing off rather than an effort to show they care. But those are the same parents that if they bought chocolates, would go to some tiny, specialist place that sold stuff at £5 an ounce.

Someone further down the thread made a good point though that it's probably not a good time to give them when a large number of teachers will be about to go away for two weeks

Returning to a fridge drawer full of bendy carrots and squishy tomatoes would not be a pleasant welcome :o

And I do know a teacher who would be delighted with her bodyweight (which is annoying low considering) in jelly sweets.

So you shouldn't judge someone for not spending any money, just giving some turnips, but you can judge them for paying for the present if done during the weekly shop, because they didn't make enough EFFORT?

If I'm right OP, it's not the actual veg. that offends you ... It's ostentatious associations... Allotment, organic, good healthy parenting etc... It's the middle-class version of the Hummer/limo at y.6 proms..... Both lots of parents are, in their own way, making a statement whether they like it or not.

Maybe asking would help. So you don't end up with a diabetic teacher with 10kg of chocolates or a hypoallergenic teacher with a tonne of smelly stuff they can't touch.

Joric, that's bang on for me, yes!

No. It's that the effort is part of the gift if it's something made by the child or homegrown veg or homemade cake. The monetary value is lower than bought gifts, the effort makes it of equal value.

How hard is it to grow a bloody carrot anyway? You're hardly slaving over a hot vegetable patch, are you?

The parents who are ' making a statement ' would be doing it with bought gifts too. Theirs would be the organic, fairtrade selection of chocolates, in a papier mache box handmade by a small workers collective in India that provides an income for widowed women to raise their families.

I'm even lazier. I gave the DC's teachers and TAs boxes of eggs. And I didn't even lay them

You have to stand their for hours with a pointy stick to ward off rabbits.

And their families' goats......

I just bet in 90% of cases of Veg for Teacher, it's just off-loading surplus anyway, and that is not in the spirit of a present, surely?

There

It's why I give eggs. I'm being swamped at the moment. And any poor bugger that comes to my door has half a dozen thrust in to their hands before they can say 'allergy'.

And none of the bottles of wine or chocolates are 'regifted'?

I like the idea of Jehovah's Witnesses with a dozen eggs and a bemused look on their faces.

I got the British Gas salesman the other day. Turned the tables on him, heh.

Ooh - I'd have quite liked that actually. Homegrown veggues and fruit would be lovely imo, esp if put in a nice basket or box. Yes, I'd have really appreciated it - tbh kind of hope some of next year's parents are reading and take up the idea :)

I did get some lovely gifts yesterday - wine, smellies, beautiful notebook, chocoloate - infact I got a lot of chocolate, which is really generous and lovely. But due to medical problems at the moment I can't have dairy, so it is Dh and DD who are benefitting from the hard work I;ve put in with those little children this year. Of course I don't begrudge them it or feel sad that I can't use my gifts, and I am very very greatful to the generousity of the pupils and parents, but you know...

So - any parents reading - home grown goodies would definitely be appreciated here

DD (aged 3) gave her teacher three wilted bits of some kind of vegetation. Nothing to do with me.

I have a small garden, many pots and am heading for a surfeit of tomatoes.

Jehovah's Witnesses and British Gas, bring it on!

Evenlessnarky... Theirs would be the organic, fairtrade selection of chocolates, in a papier mache box handmade by a small workers collective in India that provides an income for widowed women to raise their families
True enough!

The point is, when left to their own devices, a child doesn't 'source' presents unless directed by mumzilla. That's why the garage flowers and aldi chocs bought by my form (secondary) are fab... They have bought them for me!

Issy. that's lovely! A handpicked bunch of weeds is so touching! and can go in the bin a selfridges flower arrangement cannot but probably will as I'm off on hols tomorrow