Xmas present to help my Dd be one of the teachers favourites

[Justlookatthatrain]

😂Joking-sort of

But seriously, what do you buy your child’s teacher at Christmas?
I worked in a school and there were 100% the mums/kids who bought the flashiest presents-good perfume, champagne, huge bouquets and it did have an effect and everyone knew who those mums were
I’m sure teachers will deny this 😅
A good, thoughtful present does make a difference

Aibu?

Yes I think so too 😊

That sounds lovely OP.
I would always say do what you are happiest with and are able to afford.
i doubt any member of school staff has the time nor inclination to tally up and compare possible gifts. It’s not expected but I’d say appreciated.

nice presents dont make the child more likeable. One of our most obnoxious turns up with the most extravagant.
We just assume they are an acknowledgement of the headaches their kid causes (even though I'm not sure it is)

No, absolutely I disagree with glue sticks.
Would you give a nurse needles?
A shop worker carrier bags?

I'm cringing at the teachers on here saying gifts are awful or saying 'dont'
It's a gift. From a child.

Teachers in my school have liked:
biscuits and chocolate( and find out of the recipient is vegan/gluten free
nice ( as in effective) thermal mug
pens - Sharpies, including metallic ones; nice flowy handwriting pens in whatever the approved marking colour is; decent whiteboard pens
plants with or without holders (could be grown from a cutting or seed by your child)
mini desk fan
very soft beanie/wrist warmers that fit into a pocket for unexpected cold days in the playground
small size handcream
vouchers
appreciative cards and notes

Teachers have to declare high value goods. You get to be the favourite family my being human and treating them as human beings. In three words: Just. Be. Nice

Teacher here. Presents do not buy us. I would rather you bought something for the food bank
Teachers expect no gifts and this competition between parents is vulgar and putting parents under pressure who can't afford

They are just being honest -it's a forum for adults, it's not like they are throwing gifts back in kids faces in disgust. I'm sure presents are accepted graciously, even if they are binned/regifted afterwards.
Hopefully this thread will save parents expense and time.

A thank you card written with meaning is enough.

Just collaborate and support the teacher. Nothing else required.
Teachers do NOT think hmm they bought me a good present so.....

I don't want parents spending their hard-earned cash on me. End of.

Personally I don't expect anything (and as a secondary school teacher in an area of high deprivation I rarely get anything!)

If parents/kids did want to be kind enough to get me anything (and I would really hope this was only the families who could afford it - we do have some relatively wealthy ones) the gifts that really mean something are ones the kids have chosen based on something they know I like.

For example, I still treasure a paperweight that a student gave me in my first year of teaching. I used to keep tropical fish, and had mentioned that to my form group, and one of them gave me a paperweight with glass images of fish inside it (if that makes sense).

That type of thing I do really appreciate. It's lovely to know the kids and their parents are thinking of you. But thought, not cost, is what matters. If you can totally comfortably afford a small, thoughtful gift, go for it. And the best way to pick one is to ask your kid what their teacher talks about doing in their spare time, or what they see them eating or drinking, or whatever.....

By the way, a lot of teachers on these threads say they wouldn't like a "best teacher" mug. I have never received one (perhaps I am not the "best teacher"!) and I would fucking love one! I'd brandish it in Ofsted's face every time they came through the door......

Booze - ask in advance which type they prefer. Not smellies.

If you want the school to look out for you, give the Admin Team gifts - they work as hard as the teachers but don't get many gifts (from parents or other staff). Used to be an Admin Assistant & the team I worked with definitely went the extra mile for parents who acknowledged our work / thanked us properly

I am always shocked by how tight people on MN are about giving to teachers. These people sweat, cry and pour so much into your children and people say, "Put £3 in the collection". You may not like every teacher but they work very hard.
One of my DC goes to a state SEN school and I organise the collection. The average amount each parent gives is £50. It is not in a posh area. Parents appreciate what teachers do. The money is split proportionally between the teachers and the LSAs (who also work hard ).

In my other DC's school, which is just a regular school, parents put in £10-15 each in the collection.
We always buy vouchers.

@ChilliMochaCoco

It's nothing to do with being tight whatsoever. And £50 is ridiculous. Each to their own....

My daughter, when she was little made a voucher book.
She included ones to help tidy up, to take the register to the office etc
The teacher loved it cause it was so thoughtful and a lot of thought put into it

Champagne gets drunk, flowers die - but I have every card a pupil has ever made me. Sometimes when I doubt myself I get them out and have a read.

I did once get a beautiful engraved bookmark that I still use though.

But otherwise I’ll have to buy them myself, so….

The best end of year gift I ever received from a child was a small bunch of daisies that he had picked on the way to school. His parents had no money, but he wanted to give me something anyway because he loved me.
That means more than any expensive present.

To echo what others have said, as a teacher, I appreciated the 'gifts' from the children e.g. little cards that they had made or just random things that they gave me, rather than gifts from the parents! Also teachers can't accept gifts over a certain amount so I'm not sure why parents are buying expensive perfumes?! Just get a big box of Maltesers and perhaps your daughter can write a little card 😀

If your child is a pain then no present is going to help 😆

I am a TA, not a teacher, but I have been very fortunate over the years to receive a number of gifts from the children I have worked with. Often it is chocolate, which is lovely to share with my family. Occasionally wine, again, shared with the family. Mugs get used as do most candles and smellies, unless it's a scent I really don't like in which case I will pass it on to someone who will enjoy it. My absolute favourite gift ever, was from a child I had worked with for several years. The family were not at all well-off, in fact, were actually quite poor so definitely not in a position to buy presents for school staff. On the day we broke up for Christmas, the child came to find me to give me a present they had got me. It was one of those tiny jars of jam you get on a hotel buffet breakfast and had been opened and half eating. Clearly, they had taken it from the kitchen cupboard. They were so proud that , for once, they had been able to give a gift. Honestly, even now I feel so humbled by it. That present meant more to me than any of the more expensive gifts I have received before or since then. It was given from the heart.

The just £50 voucher made me laugh as though £50 is nothing.

As a former teacher, I was touched by receiving cards with notes of appreciation. One very thoughtful gift : a parent gave me a list of several baked goods for me to choose my favorite for her to make.