to ask you not to buy Christmas presents for teachers.

[Crabapple99]

I have seen several threads on the topic, so want to give my point of view and experiences.

1. Many staff are not allowed to accept a gift above a certain value ( £3 in my school) so these big gifts, especially class gifts, leave staff in a very difficult situation, causing all sorts of paperwork and recording, and leaving us open to accusations of favouratitsm from families, and other allegations

1. Many staff don't want gifts, quite often the item is unwanted, even edibles, if the box is big, heavy, and we already have too much to eat over christams. It is also embarrassing to have to accept.

1. Many staff worry about the reason for the gift, especially if it seems some pupils and their parents feel pressure to keep up: I've been given gifts in the past that when I know the family can't afford even a couple of pounds, it makes me feel terrible. I've had gifts in the past which I suspected were stolen, which makes me feel worse.

1. I don't really think there is a problem with Christmas cards, but even then, as someone who could easiluy have 300 pupils on my timetable, even then that can get a bit overwelming, not to say meaningless.

1. A very small token, such as one of those tiney boxes from thornton's with just two chocolates in, is a nice way of acknoledging when a teacher has really gone above and beond, for your child, but even that is unnessesary rreally.

Hope I'm not coming across as a scrooge! I love christams, but dread this aspect of it.

Awwww, I love all the presents from my classes, especially the home made or 'quirky' ones.

Okay, if I'm being strictly honest I have in the past had some lovely, quite expensive things that just aren't me (posh chocolates, champagne, handbags/accesories that aren't my taste) but, in those cases, I can give them to a relative for Christmas so still really appreciate the gift because it's one less for me to have to buy!

I have never ever come across the idea of throwing gifts away! We do actually have a gift limit where I work, beyond which you have to declare it and fill in forms but it's a really high limit (£50 I think) and aimed at preventing whole class presents of very high value which can be slightly embarrassing because you know that some parents may have been pressured into contributing when they couldn't really afford it.

I've never met a teacher who doesn't genuinely appreciate every gift and the though behind it, whether they like the actual gift or not. And I think most teachers will acknwledge all gifts with grateful thanks too.

This year I managed to write all my thankyou cards during lunch break on the last day of term and enclose them in the end of term reports (smug )

I have never come across buying presents for teachers apart from on MN. It's not something that was ever done when I was at school and I don't think I will start doing it either.

Leaving gifts, maybe. Christmas presents - no.

Yawn... Are you back here AGAIN with your so called expert opinion on what all teachers want? You seem to think you know everything there is to know about school related matters and come across as intensely dislikable with your 'I'll tell you what you should be doing' attitude.

Thank goodness I don't know you.

This was posted over a year ago!

It has been pointed out about 6 times that it is an old thread! Perhaps Carltonangel can say why she didn't start her own?

why bother starting a new thread if you want to say something about the same topic? - might as well find a relevant thread and continue the conversation, no?

I did say a couple of pages ago that the reason i commented on this a year later was because I used the search option on mumsnet to search conversations from the last two weeks and this came up. I didn't realise it was old until I had already commented, I managed to resurrect two old threads in one day . However, I'm not sure i see the problem - if you don't think it's relevant a year later, you don't have to read it!

I never by my DD's teacher xmas presents, end of year gifts i have, as a token of thanks for being my daughters teacher,

I'm a teacher and also find this a ridiculous thread. Every card I received is on display in my house, I have happily munched on the chocs and the little festive scented cushions and 'Best Teacher' bauble are hanging on the tree. I thoroughly appreciated every one.

What a scrooge-like thread!!!
Op do you realise us parents & dc put alot of thought into what teachers get and not to mention money.
Sometimes i wonder why we try to be nice when there is such miserabledom on recieving something lovely.

I bought my child's key nursery worker a small gift as simply I know she is hard work and christmas to me is about people and showing you care. I know she has a son my child's age so I made a bag up consisting of a family DVD popcorn sweets and a mini bottle of wine for her and her child to enjoy together over Christmas. She actually had tears in her eyes so I'd say it was appreciated. I didn't feel I needed to but I wanted to.

You are the grinch who stole christmas and I do not believe in the present bin - I have taught in secondary schools and I was always grateful for all of the gifts given to me, whatever they were. If there was something I really couldn't use I would take it home and see if anyone else I knew could make use of it. Now away with you, misery.