Do teachers throw away home made gifts??

[Mammyofonlyone]

My daughter and I have started making gifts for her Reception. teacher and teaching assistants ready to go in a hamper to say thank you. We have always made them gifts since she started nursery aged two. However, I have read a few threads saying that teachers throw things away that are homemade??? Is this true???? I feel a bit sad if it is!
We have spent a long time growing and cooking things in some cases! Most importantly, should I keep the sloe gin to myself if it isn’t appreciated??

Bloody Hell; why all the homemade present hate?!

I'm a teacher - appreciate every present and card, regardless of content and value. There's not much I can't find a use for - even if it's re-gifting.

I find high calorie foods very difficult to cope with but, if I am going to eat anything like cakes, sweets, biscuits etc then I find that homemade tastes way better than packaged stuff - and it's possibly a little bit healthier too in that it's natural. Can't understand why people would throw it away when they would happily dig into a processed, packaged offering!

Even though I can't often eat much or any of my edible presents, my children, friends and/or family are always extremely appreciative!

Depends what it is and the age of the kids involved. My mum was a primary teacher and she generally chucked out home made things cause they are generally tat that clutters up the house. She opened everything and took note of who gave what so she could write personalised thank you notes for them all, but anything that a kid has made and had their dirty hands on is kinda gross. Honestly, just give a card.
My dad was a secondary teacher and he didn't get christmas things from his pupils...cause you don't really do that in secondary school, but at the end of the year, the oldest pupils who were leaving the school would get him a bottle of whisky and he was always very happy to have them think of him fondly and thank him for his advice over the years. When he retired he also got some great personalised gifts from his pupils.

Whilst a homemade prickle is a nice idea, it still isn't immune from bad hygiene. If the jars aren't fully sterilised then there can be a risk of botulism. Likewise if the proportions of vinegar aren't quite strong enough to full preserve it, if the maker was a bit sloppy with measuring quantities

To be honest, I suspect most people who preserve things know that!

I find that homemade tastes way better than packaged stuff - and it's possibly a little bit healthier too in that it's natural. Can't understand why people would throw it away when they would happily dig into a processed, packaged offering!

Some people need a sell by date, some don't, I guess...I agree though.

"She opened everything and took note of who gave what so she could write personalised thank you notes for them all"

You see, your mum's manners are impeccable in doing that but wouldn't she have rather been chilling out on her time off than writing 25 thank you notes?
Maybe she enjoyed writing them of course...but it all just seems like needless hassle to me. Gifts for teachers and thank you notes to be written out in return. Just more things for the to-do list.

I have messaged you op :)

What I did when they were younger was get a box of something like suncatchers for the children to paint and use it a bit like a tag for a box of chocolate. I reckoned that wonderful though my dc are and that the teachers naturally would want to remember them for always they really want something they can throw away without feeling guilty.

Personally I think a bottle of wine, personalised tree decoration would be more appreciated. A nice card, £5 voucher for coffee & cake at a local cafe I'm sure would be gladly accepted & used. I'm not a teacher but that's what I'll be giving dc's teachers.

I think what's emerging is, like literally every other job, some teachers like homemade stuff and some don't.

I'm sorry for saying this, and it is not vitriol, but home made food was always binned. Put yourself in the teachers position, you haven't watched the food being made, but when you work with kids everyday you know how even the most well brought up are liable to cough, or touch their face, mouth, nose without washing their hands afterwards. Add to that the fact that since I haven't been in your house I don't know if you have cats on the counter top and a litter tray in your kitchen, I don't know how well you wash up or when your oven was last cleaned and if you have a toddler with grubby fingers who gets into everything. I don't even know if you wash your hands properly after going to the loo. I don't know if any of the smarties on the cake got accidentally dropped or if the jelly tots were licked. Personally I smiled said how lovely, I will be taking them home to share. then when convenient I bin. Sorry.

I love getting home-made / home-baked offerings. I think it is incredibly sweet that a parent has taken the time to make something for me with their child. I don't expect to get anything , but don't bin something because it is homemade.

I dint think anyone is saying dint bother - its clearly a lovely idea that you and your child enjoy . but how bog os the hamper? Hamper suggests a load of items. So even with a class of 10 that's potentially 120 items to find homes for or consume.

Not just homemade, but surplus candles, chocolates etc etc are also given away.

will never understand giving a gift to a teacher for doing their job why they get paid enough

will never understand giving a gift to a teacher for doing their job why they get paid enough
To thank them??
We give our nurses treats when we leave and for Christmas to say thank you. Its pie equivalent to school haha

I'm a teacher. I've worked in 4 countries including the UK. I have never heard of teachers binning homemade gifts! The only time I have ever heard about gifts being thrown away has been on mumsnet. In my experience, I have always consumed what I have been given and so have my colleagues. If I get loads then I take some to the staff room to share - no one has ever refused something yummy because it was made in someone's home.

I must be exceedingly unfussy or just a greedy mare, but any food/drink goodies (homemade or not) get eaten here!

I love getting gifts. I don't expect them (and agree that cards with personal notes in are fantastic ) but I do love being faced with a pile of pressies on Christmas morning

bette it was the OP who Said nothing was fresh, so it won't be germ ridden. Not true, if there are any germs there, it will be a different kind of germ that's all.

I have distant ish relative who is scrupulously clean, who gives me a huge jar of homemade picallilli every year, and every year I have the same internal struggle .. should I eat it.. how long will it keep ... ?

I did bin the jars she gave me with no date that she found when clearing the cellar though

I’m a lunchtime supervisor and I ADORE the class I look after. 30 of the sweetest, cheekiest personalities I’ve ever come across. If even one of them were to give me a present or card I’d be delighted, I really would!

But I probably wouldn’t eat anything homemade, sorry. However, the thought put into it would surely be hugely appreciated.

Also, I make homemade gifts for my children's teachers and TAs too.

I struggle with my weight and have to work very hard to stay thin. I therefore never eat chocolates or cakes given to me by the children. My husband does enjoy them though.

I do however, appreciate the thought.

Send them to your local high school. We get naff all.

I send a tin of sweets in with my dc. Sometimes, just knowing there is something sugary waiting at break time makes up for the fact that 12 minutes is not long enough to boil a kettle and drink your tea.

It's not very well paid occupation generally, Ihatetosay.

My friend and I were allowed to feast off her mother's unwanted boxes of chocolates every year (and end of term).

I was a bit devastated to find ds' teacher on Instagram with a picture of home made presents slagging them off 😢.

aplaceinthesun no?!!!!

I can't believe the amount of comments on here from people who just assume that because something is homemade the hygiene rules of the maker are below "standard". How bloody insulting! I have to admit, this thread has been an eye opener for me, I always assumed that the thought I put into picking gifts for teachers was appreciated. Not sure I'll bother in the future given the amount of ungrateful and dismissive comments on here.