do you really have to buy teachers presents for christmas?

[nomorebooze]

really! this is a new one on me, when did this start.............

Well you don't have to do it so if you want to draw the line do!

It's not new though. I take it you never did it as a child? I never did as my mother could never be bothered. Others did though. And as soon as I was old enough to have some pocket money I bought something to bring in as I hated feeling left out.

It's much less common in secondary. So many teachers. My DS is in yr 8 and I will send in a present for his housemaster and his form tutor. Just something little.

At his previous school in Budapest I thought I was being very clever dropping a box of chocolates for th security guard at the security desk early one morning when all the security guys were dealng with the parking mayhem. I forgot about the security cameras so they knew it was me! .

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
I was pretty organised this year and the dc painted plant pots and we planted bulbs for the teachers. Two lovely ta's are having chutney.
But then my older two have sports coach (volunteer), brownie leader and other associated leaders (5 volunteers), youth group (3 volunteers)
Youngest has swimming teacher.
I am giving 3 of the volunteers a small handmade gift and the sports coach is having a small bottle of whisky that I won in a raffle

I think it varies from school to school as to whether people do or don't OP. Our school definitely do, though we usually opt out and do our own thing - truffles and a decoration at Christmas, biscuits and stationery in the summer. I don't think the teachers care two hoots - it's the other parents and children you will be up against if your school does and you don't. they think we're weird in not just bunging the class rep a tenner

No I forgot more years than I remembered. The end of term was chaos at primary and I'm sure no one noticed or cared.

More likely to give thank you gifts in the Summer to teachers the DDs liked.

If DD1 (who isn't into social niceties) wanted to buy a gift, the teacher had earned it.

Her last teacher (who she had part if the week fir three years) always got something in July.

A verbal thank you and a nice card is lovely. If you particularly like and rate the teacher write a nice message in a card and give a small gift if you are in a position to do so. It is certainly not expected however.