To ask what's reasonable as a teacher/ta Christmas gift?

[isolationhelp23]

DS started at reception in September. There are 2 teachers which job share and a full time TA. So 3 gifts, equal amounts appropriate?

We would like to be generous without being OTT - how much would you spend? And voucher or gift?

I've been a TA and what I treasure are the handmade cards from children. I have never thrown any of them out. They are in a, special box.

So for any parent feeling the pressure to buy a gift... a little hand drawn picture from the child is worth so much.

We do a whole class collection with no pressure to contribute if people don’t wish to

The we get vouchers and a bunch of flowers. I like it because I don’t organise it and the staff end up getting a voucher of a good value so hopefully they are happy. The lady who organises it does a lovely card and gets all the children to sign it etc so it’s not too impersonal

Speaking as a teacher, the fact that parents & children would like to give a gift is lovely in itself & we genuinely don't expect it. For myself & the majority of my colleagues, we're always touched by a handmade card or picture etc. That's enough. Honestly. I hate the thought of parents spending much needed money on me & adding to their stress at an already manic time! I certainly wouldn't expect anything costing anything more than a couple of pounds at most & some of my most precious gifts over the years have been things like a 'magic' pebble & a poem! 💗

@isolationhelp23

The school have already emailed saying staff would still really appreciate any gifts, even more so this year, and have put in place a quarantine procedure.

DDs nursery sent out an email saying no cards or gifts this year which is great as I don't need to decifer children's names from dd

@gingerbiscuits : awww 😊that is lovely.
Happy to hear that. I think it is very heartfelt if a kid makes someting him or herself. And i am not saying a present is bad but it still beats receiving 3 mugs thats say :thanks for helping me grow and hampers full of things you dont like/want/need etc. Selfmade things or vouchers to something really generic (amazon. Yes yes dont set me on fire people) is the best imo

[quote Yeahnahmum]@gingerbiscuits : awww 😊that is lovely.
Happy to hear that. I think it is very heartfelt if a kid makes someting him or herself. And i am not saying a present is bad but it still beats receiving 3 mugs thats say :thanks for helping me grow and hampers full of things you dont like/want/need etc. Selfmade things or vouchers to something really generic (amazon. Yes yes dont set me on fire people) is the best imo[/quote]
I agree! And I don't mean to sound in the least ungrateful for all the lovely things that I AM given each year! One of my most appreciated 'bought' presents was a box of PG Tips & a packet of Chocolate Hobnobs!

This week I was almost brought to tears when one of the children gave me a card with a small, individually wrapped chocolate in it - she then told me that she'd seen a poster in her local supermarket for a Christmas colouring competition where every entry would receive a bag of chocolates. So she & her brother took part in order to get enough chocolates to put one in every one of their school Christmas cards! 💌 I deliberately flouted our school rules & ate it at breaktime with her - she was thrilled!! I bloody love my job!!

@gingerbiscuits

That’s a lovely tale. My sister gets jars of home made honey & jam and loves them. Pre Covid I used to make biscuits with my DD and I’d put them in a pretty jar or tin. I’ve gone off the idea though since reading scathing comments from teachers on MN about how they’d never dream of touching homemade items and to add insult to injury how the bins are so full on the last day of term because they’re full of unwanted gifts. The fact that they couldn’t even be bothered to take them home was enough for me. Small donation to the class collection and that’s it for me now ( they still end up with tons of stuff it has to be said ... our reception teacher got Tea at the Ritz )

Thanks all - have decided to give each of them a one a £10 JL/Waitrose voucher, inside a card with a nice personal message and a £1 Terry's choc orange. Hopefully I've judged it right. Don't know any of the other parents to ask what they are doing and it's our first year of school Christmas!

@isolationhelp23

The school have already emailed saying staff would still really appreciate any gifts, even more so this year, and have put in place a quarantine procedure.

Really?

Not a state school then

Definitely a state school! Very very mixed in terms of backgrounds and what I imagine a huge range of parent disposable income!

@isolationhelp23

Thanks all - have decided to give each of them a one a £10 JL/Waitrose voucher, inside a card with a nice personal message and a £1 Terry's choc orange. Hopefully I've judged it right. Don't know any of the other parents to ask what they are doing and it's our first year of school Christmas!

I'm a TA and I would bloody love this.

We've made some cards for the half dozen staff that support my DD personally. Then her 1-1 weve made her a mini hamper of some hotel chocolat chocolates, a book I think she will like, a handmade nativity candle holder and a picture of things DD is thankful for the TA for.

Her school have sent some amazon wish lists for books as the PSA have been hit hard and asked that perhaps a book from there would be a nice gift if we were thinking of getting one.

I would imagine, for the school to have said this, that parents had enquired as to whether they could still buy gifts. It's hardly being 'grabby' if that is the case (which I fully expect it to be). Some parents and children really enjoy doing this at Christmas, others not so much. Meh.

Our school said please don't be spending your money on school staff during these difficult times. They said if you have any spare money please donate to charity instead of giving staff gifts this year.

I thought that was nice. Much nicer than we really want the gifts this year. Keep them coming.