Aibu not to buy gifts for teachers?

[MrsHookey]

I do it every year but am just fed up as there are so many expenses. Aibu to just write a nice card instead?

@Lushplease

Yanbu.

I think some people forget that teachers are actually paid to teach their dc.
Chances are they don't even particularly like your little darling

I like every child in my class, even the ones who can be a pain. I’m not just saying that either.

I don’t expect any presents though and a card is lovely but also unexpected.

@WhenSepEnds

Teachers do a great job....but so do other professions. I do wonder why they are singled out so much? One of my friends has 3 primary age kids and was asked To put in £30 per collection!!! That's far too much IMO (I think she refused) teachers were able to work from home and were in Far safer position than many of us who worked frontline jobs throughout the whole pandemic so I personally don't think it's justified to single them out

Wondered how long it would take someone to reference the pandemic. I think people buying gifts for teachers have been a thing long before covid.

OP, a card is enough or an email. I’ve been teaching 12 years and no one I know expects a gift. But I have every single card every child has even given me and I’ve printed out every lovely parental email.

@justhaveagingerbiscuit think it's a fair point though

I taught for over 20 years. (Secondary - in a very deprived area) I know I've had gifts, but I can't really remember anything specific; the stuff I've kept and that mean the most to me are the cards/letters I've been given. Some still bring a tear to my eye.

Have you ever read any of the many other 'teacher gifts' threads on here, OP.
Every time, 99% of the teachers posting say what they really value is a card or a message, not a gift.

Yanbu not to buy a present. Last time I checked my child's homework did not come with a link to gift registry.
Yabu to start another thread on a topic so people can write posts that teachers had it easy during the pandemic.

In 14 years I've never bought a Christmas present for a teacher. Card from the child, yes, but no gifts.

[quote WhenSepEnds]@justhaveagingerbiscuit think it's a fair point though[/quote]
No, you’re teacher bashing.

Plenty of other professions were given appreciative gifts and freebies during the pandemic - and quite right too. Teachers aren’t being singled out here for a pandemic advantage.

Also, teachers weren’t working from home throughout the whole pandemic. We were stuck in unventilated classrooms trying to look after and teach your kids. Then when schools closed teachers were still in looking after vulnerable kids.

Not at all!

I only do it because DD wants to. I bought some boxes of chocolates a while ago when they were on offer (I think they were 4 packs for £5 in Morrisons- celebrations, roses etc.) We've divided them up in to 8 sweetie cones (teacher, TA's, breakfast club, dance teachers, music teacher) and still had some left over. Tied with a bit of ribbon and added gift tags.

Why does this thread strike me as horribly goady?

Buy a gift or don’t buy a gift, you don’t need to announce you’re not doing something which isn’t compulsory anyway.

teachers were able to work from home and were in Far safer position than many of us who worked frontline jobs throughout the whole pandemic so I personally don't think it's justified to single them out

😂

I agree @CarrieBlue

Maybe it’s because these threads always turn into teacher bashing even though pretty much all of us say we don’t expect (and don’t particularly want) presents.

I agree they work hard.
I'm sure they'd be happy with a nice card and wouldn't want families getting into debt.
I like to buy a small gift especially for DS teachers and sna they've gone above and beyond for him.

Of course...it's not compulsory

@CarrieBlue

teachers were able to work from home and were in Far safer position than many of us who worked frontline jobs throughout the whole pandemic so I personally don't think it's justified to single them out

😂

All the teachers in my DD's school were in school teaching key worker's children and teaching the rest of the class on line. They were mixing with children every day.

I’m a teacher. I like cards with a specific message- thank you for…. My school (secondary) discourages individual presents for teachers but shareable collective staff edibles are allowed. We survive the spring term on biscuits and chocolates we’ve accumulated and we love it!

I was ALWAYS delighted with a simple ‘thankyou’

I love my thank you cards. I save all the ones with longer specific messages and reread them when I'm feeling exhausted and overworked.

I like a thank you card or a picture or something. I like giraffes and at the end of the year I got a giraffe picture from each child, I took my giraffe army on to my new class! Loved it.
I would say though that it has to work both ways so as long as you don't expect a Christmas, Easter and end of term gift for your child from the teacher. Everyone I know who teaches feels pressure to buy for a class of 30. I'm a single parent and it's really hard to get something for each child that doesn't look crap. Not to mention the hundreds I spend every year on pencils and basic necessities. Not grudged one bit but it is hard to finance at times and often done at the expense of my own DC.

I never buy teachers a gift. Why would I? Seems a really weird thing, I didn't know people even did this until seeing this on Mumsnet.

Teacher here, please don’t feel pressured into buying anything. We do it because working with your children brings us joy.

Over the years the things I’ve treasured the most are letters/cards which have remembered or picked up on something specific I have done for the children. It makes all of those late nights/early mornings where I have stayed awake planning, marking, resourcing etc worth it.

Heart felt notes are always precious. Heart felt notes that make it to the heads office are also appreciated, especially around appraisal time

That' s too much. It's lovely that you appreciate what these teachers have done for your son but that amount is excessive. It may even be breaking rules. Up here in Scotland , gifts worth more than a fiver (maybe a little more these days) have to be refused or registered to avoid the impression that the children of less well off parents will not get as much attention as better off ones. It's nonsense to think that, of course. I personally love getting cards with little messages in them. I keep them to remind me of my pupils.

@WhenSepEnds

Teachers do a great job....but so do other professions. I do wonder why they are singled out so much? One of my friends has 3 primary age kids and was asked To put in £30 per collection!!! That's far too much IMO (I think she refused) teachers were able to work from home and were in Far safer position than many of us who worked frontline jobs throughout the whole pandemic so I personally don't think it's justified to single them out

I don't think teachers are singled out. When we sold our house, I took the estate agent staff in a tray of doughnuts. When DD was born, we went back to the midwife led unit with chocolates. I take my hairdresser a bottle of prosecco or chocolates in my last appointment before Christmas.

£30 per collection is far too much btw!

This is the 1st year I'm.not doing presents. Eldest is 8 youngest is 6 and I've done xmas and leaving gifts every year since pre school. Cant afford it anymore esp as they have teacher assistants too..