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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would this be a welcome gift for my daughter’s school?

104 replies

justamumseekingadvice · 10/12/2021 20:41

My daughter has a lot of teachers (she is in a specialist setting and there is 5 teachers and assistants in the class altogether!)

It’s going to be extremely expensive to buy for them all individually - so I’m putting a together a little hamper.

So far I’ve put in my basket (online); nice coffee, nice hot chocolate, some luxury apple and cranberry sauce condiments, some cheese and garlic twists and nut assortments type snacks, a panettone, a selection of different biscuits (Italian, belgian, shortbread), some fudge/honeycombe/brittle/nougat.

Does this sound okay or am I going to be a complete weirdo sending something like this is as a Christmas gift?!

I have never really had to buy for teachers before so I just tried to think of something that I would like to receive around Christmas time…

Is there anything that I should add or remove?

OP posts:
KaleJuicer · 11/12/2021 08:00

Sounds lovely.

Sparklepants53 · 11/12/2021 08:02

The main thing is the card.
Honestly, as an ex teacher I can barely remember any of the chocs, wine, candles etc that I got for Christmas, much as I appreciated them at the time, but my heart still sings when I think of the lovely appreciative messages I had, and I have kept every single card that had a thoughtful message in it. They’re in a special box in my wardrobe.

Dollygirl2008 · 11/12/2021 08:09

God there's some miserable sods around.

A lovely present that will sit in the staff room and they will help themselves to in breaks - which yes, they do get albeit short and sweet so it's lovely to have something to grab. I don't think teachers will be "fighting" over items either!!!!!! Take out nuts and just make sure it's all stuff that they can pick up and have with a cuppa

And ignore all the misery's on here - some people will find the negative and try to make you feel stupid just to make up for their own lack of imagination and generosity. Go for it OP!

Mammyloveswine · 11/12/2021 08:22

@CheesyFootballsAreEvil

Seriously, 4 biscuits is enough.
Oh ffs some competitive under gifting going on...

@justamumseekingadvice as a teacher I think this sounds lovely and my team would absolutely be grateful! Just lose the nuts as a lot of schools are no nuts.

CrapDrawer · 11/12/2021 08:24

@WatchMyLips

It sounds perfect I don't think the negative Nancy's realise that everyone stays behind to strip boards, clear trays, and generally tidy up for next term. We don't leave any earlier What a lovely thing to do
I’m a teacher so I do realise the hard work school staff put in but the hamper isn’t a practical gift really. Tricky to divvy up fairly but the sounds of the contents and if left in school, condiments might get opened then put in staff fridge and forgotten about as. I wouldn’t want to be sharing food with staff at the moment anyway.

It is a lovely thought but it would be simpler and cheaper for the OP to just buy a chocolate orange or bar of Dairy Milk. Cheaper still to just write them all a personal card thanking them.

Lasair · 11/12/2021 08:25

Does the school or just do a class gift? We have 3 teaches in DC class and I just put money in the pot to be split between them all…

CrapDrawer · 11/12/2021 08:27

@Dollygirl2008

God there's some miserable sods around.

A lovely present that will sit in the staff room and they will help themselves to in breaks - which yes, they do get albeit short and sweet so it's lovely to have something to grab. I don't think teachers will be "fighting" over items either!!!!!! Take out nuts and just make sure it's all stuff that they can pick up and have with a cuppa

And ignore all the misery's on here - some people will find the negative and try to make you feel stupid just to make up for their own lack of imagination and generosity. Go for it OP!

It really isn’t that practical. Staff get short breaks and many teachers work through lunch whilst eating at their desks - more so since the pandemic has been going on; many staff don’t feel comfortable sitting in the staff room. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing food at the moment.

It’ll all get half opened, not covered properly or put in the fridge as there’s always at least once person who thinks someone else will do that. It’s a lovely idea out has potential for so much waste.

meh12 · 11/12/2021 08:29

It's a nice idea OP but I'd keep it to food they'd eat in the classroom like biscuits rather than cranberry sauce etc.

CrapDrawer · 11/12/2021 08:30

@heather2908

I think it sounds lovely OP. I’m a teacher and my school have received gifts like this before. We’ve got together at the end of the day to share them together like an impromptu buffet. It’s a lovely opportunity to sit and relax with colleagues after the madness of a day/week/term and just reconnect with each other!
Sounds lovely but not a great idea at the moment. Staff are supposed to wear masks outside the classroom. They’ll have them off in the staff room for lunch but having a shared buffet at the end of the day, so close to Christmas, when most schools have covid cases isn’t sensible idea.
SpiderinaWingMirror · 11/12/2021 08:33

I would either do a modest box of chocs each. Or something obviously designed to be shared communally.
But do a really nice card each and say how much difference they have made to your kid.

shenanigans5 · 11/12/2021 08:34

When I had a number of staff to thank at my sons nursery I bought some little paper gift bags and filled each with:

Bag of nice chocs from M&S
Small hand cream
Carmex lip balm
Gin in a tin
Small bath oil

They seem to really genuinely love the gift and the gesture.

Seashor · 11/12/2021 08:35

Yes it would be most welcome. Our favourite gifts for the staff room are tea, coffee, tomato sauce, mayonnaise and squash! But anything edible is gratefully received. Please don’t send in nuts though.
I always give my local chemist coffee/ tea vouchers for the coffee shop next door and they are always thrilled.

Original poster
justamumseekingadvice · 11/12/2021 08:54

Thank you for all of the people who have been really lovely and helpful Flowers there is only 6 children in my daughter’s class and because she goes on transport (I think most of the children in her class do too) I don’t know the other parents to do a collection sadly and I think giving money or a voucher just from me is a little bit awkward because then they know how much you have spent sort of thing?

I am really new to this kind of thing!

Regarding the staff room, the class have their own kitchen area so they stay in the class throughout their breaks and eat lunch in the classroom with the children, so I thought it would be nice to keep in the classroom kitchen area?

I will definitely take onboard all of the really helpful advice on here - thank you! 😊

OP posts:
CrapDrawer · 11/12/2021 09:03

@justamumseekingadvice

Thank you for all of the people who have been really lovely and helpful Flowers there is only 6 children in my daughter’s class and because she goes on transport (I think most of the children in her class do too) I don’t know the other parents to do a collection sadly and I think giving money or a voucher just from me is a little bit awkward because then they know how much you have spent sort of thing?

I am really new to this kind of thing!

Regarding the staff room, the class have their own kitchen area so they stay in the class throughout their breaks and eat lunch in the classroom with the children, so I thought it would be nice to keep in the classroom kitchen area?

I will definitely take onboard all of the really helpful advice on here - thank you! 😊

If they’ve got their own classroom kitchen, then I would say it could work as a gift. Maybe just dry food though - biscuits, cheese straws etc.

I hope they do get a break though! Most special schools have staff staying with the children at lunch and breaks while others go for lunch, then they swap. They do need a break away from the classroom.

Stomacharmeleon · 11/12/2021 09:05

@CheesyFootballsAreEvil you are a right mood hoover.
Lovely op lots on here don't get it's very different at the moment in specialist schooling.
I got sweets for his driver.
Cinema tickets for his two ta's and a book each for main teachers (three)
I honestly think it's lovely. They do a difficult job in difficult circumstances and I am just happy he is happy.
Big hugs to you.
Raspberry to @CheesyFootballsAreEvil

CrotchetyQuaver · 11/12/2021 09:09

Honestly whilst the thought is lovely, I wouldn't bother, they'd likely be happy with just a card.

My DH is a postman and receives an obscene amount of food and drink at Christmas every year. It's a really nice gesture from his "clients" but we just don't want all those biscuits, cakes, Christmas puddings, mince pies etc. the bottles are great, he enjoys a drink and they keep. Cash gifts are best of all - he bought a new shed one year, bits for his motorbike another year with his tips. I just end up wailing as the house fills up with unsolicited, unwanted food gifts.

Oakdene · 11/12/2021 09:17

So lovely that you have put some thought and care into this. That will certainly be appreciated.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 11/12/2021 09:24

I’m a teacher in a special school with a team of 5 so we usually get group gifts instead of individual ones. Your gift sounds lovely but would definitely be way beyond what parents usually gift us and we wouldn’t expect any parents to be so generous (although of course it would be appreciated).

Usually we would be given something like a tub of Celebrations/ Roses, a box of biscuits or a box of doughnuts/ cakes etc to share within the class team.

itispersonal · 11/12/2021 09:51

As a teacher, I think it sounds lovely and if you give it them before they break up for Xmas they can eat it during the last week of term (When treats are especially needed and appreciated).

Sowhatifiam · 11/12/2021 10:23

I did this, Op for a number of years when I had three children in school. It was cheaper than buying all the staff they came into contact with a small gift. I used to buy Lidl Xmas stuff to put in it. They always seem grateful at school.

LittleMachine · 11/12/2021 10:35

I'm an SEN teacher in this exact type of classroom setup, me and 5 TAs over the course of the week.
We would love this! It's a great idea, and being grown adults, we'd have no problem sharing things out between having bits on our breaks and taking favourite bits home. How very thoughtful of you.

LittleMachine · 11/12/2021 10:37

In fact, I was just hoping I was your child's teacher 😂 But now I've seen there are 6 in the class and I have a handful more.

gingerbiscuits · 11/12/2021 10:43

Wow! That all sounds absolutely lovely & it's very sweet that you want to do that for them.

Speaking as a teacher, we never expect gifts but anything we receive is always greatly appreciated.

However, I would say that when we're gifted something like that as a group, we often don't get chance to eat/use most of it before school breaks up for the holidays & it's sometimes very difficult to split the contents.

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 11/12/2021 10:45

I think it's a brilliant idea but agree it would work best for them to dip into at school. Make it nut free and if you want to do chutneys and things, maybe make sure there are enough cheeses to chutneys for them all to take one pair home?

But biscuits and snacks that could be shared would go down brilliantly. Bear in mind they might not have cafetières and things, for fresh coffee.

MrsSkylerWhite · 11/12/2021 10:45

Who decides how it’s divided up?

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