What do I do...

[TinselDragon]

Be patient with me, this is my first Big School christmas

Today, DS1 bought home his school Christmas cards. Amongst them was one from Mrs H. I asked him who this was and he claims he doesn't know! I made him write a card anyway - no problem there - but what if this is someone I shoud be buying a present for?? He breaks up tomorrow so there's no chance to find out.

Do I wrap a present up for her and try to find out who she is before I hand it over?

Naaa.... she can't be that important, or else you'd have met her by now (I assume neither the Head or his class teacher are Mrs H?)

It's probably some savvy dinner lady angling for a free pressie from unsuspecting and generous Mums...
(Like the free newspaper delivery boy who sends us a Xmas card with the paper in the 2nd week of Dec, but leaves them all in a big heap on our driveway 51 weeks of the rest of the year...)

just call me cynical...(bah humbug!)

I know the names of his teacher and 2 classroom assistants but don't recognise Mrs H at all. What if she's the chief dinner lady and refuses to feed DS1 in future because I didn't send her a gift?

If ds doesn't know who she is he won't be able to give her a present anyway.

Is it usual to give teachers presents these days then? It never happened when I was at school. Saying that one mum at our stage school bought me a lovely potted plant (she is a teacher herself)

I don't think I gave presents when I was at school!

Anyway, I planned for DS to hand over a bag of labelled presents to the nearest adult and leave them to sort it out. Maybe he'll remember who Mrs H is this morning!!

We NEVER gave teachers presents, if we had it would have been a bag of dog poo! I only give to the staff in my son's classroom and not other school staff which some people also do.... never ending!

we used to buy the teacher a present when i was at school. i have just bought dd's teacher her own pres,escorts induvidual pressi and class assistants a big tin of biccies

I wouldn't bother with the pressie if you have no idea who she is. At our school (secondary) children generally only get presents for their form tutors if any at all. Not a form tutot so no pressies

At last school I had a lovely year 7 form and I was swapmed with them!

I asked another mother and she has no idea who MrsH is either! Very strange!

She is probably a dinner lady. I wouldn't bother with a present.

Message withdrawn

I didn't bother with a present as she wasn't listed on the Reception Team list. Very awkward moment this morning, though, when a lady I didn't recognise strode into the classroom, acepted a gift off another child and made herself at home! Don't know who she was either!!

When your child starts school, you'll understand GS. It's a veritable minefield!

I'm finding presents a minefield now and ds isn't IN school. Friends of ours suddenly emailing things like "oh, I've got a present for you and [dh's name] but can't think what [ds' name] would like - any ideas?" and I immediately go into panic thinking "shit, we were supposed to buy them presents this year?! But we haven't spoken since last December!"

And that's ADULTS! Am dreading the politics of school I already screwed up the christmas card politics of ds' nursery. I decided as he goes 3 days a week and there's so many kids there that I'd only send two cards to the two kids he always mentions. Got four cards given back and none of them from the kids I sent cards to. ARGH!

Went into DS2s nursery last week and they have a tree in the foyer surrounded by presents for staff!!! Panic panic, get some choccies from Tescos... I'm hibernating next year!

Yes - I did that too - someone on Tuesday passed over a bottle of wine to the nursery manager so I went straight out to Tescos on the way home to pick up a box of luxury biscuits and gave it the next day

It should have occurred to me, really it should have done. It's just such a minefield, isn't it?! No wonder people get into debt this time of year - I made a careful budget at the start and worked out how much to spend on each person and then it all went to pot as "new" present people started crawling out of the woodwork... sigh

How do you give presents to nursery staff? We have bought a bottle of sparkly for all three of them and I am planning to put them in his bag for the day on the last day.

I don't want to appear ostentatious by giving the staff presents infront of other parents. I do think they do a good job for not much money though. DS is only 20 months tho and it's a small nursery.