Is it odd to buy a 'nice' present for teacher but just bottle of wine for TA?!

[Bodenbabe]

I love DD's teacher and have got her a lovely present (nothing expensive, under a tenner) but I don't really know the TAs. Will they think I'm mean if I just get them a bottle of wine? I have no idea what to buy them otherwise. Does it look like I think 'your job isn't very important as I've put no thought into your gift, unlike the teacher's" ?! Or am I worrying over nothing?

Not at all, I think a bottle of wine is a nice present!

Don't worry. I think it's lovely that you're remembering the TA. Many people don't and the teachers get all the glory.

Thanks ladies. I suppose there's always the worry 'what of they don't drink'? (though surely after spending the week with 30 seven year olds you're going to drink

I am a TA who drinks so little you might as well say I don't drink. So, the wine would be a waste for me, though I would appreciate the thought. Personally, I love it when I am given a lovely card and/or a small bunch of flowers. You know, the ones you can pick up for about £3 in Tesco's or Sainbury's. I also love the little ' smellies' gift sets you can get. My favourite presents though, are the ones that the children have chosen: I have had a fairy tiara, mugs, teddy bear, fridge magnets, home made cookies/sweets, jars of honey etc.

dd loves her teachers, but its the TA who gets the first card, the best home made present, the flower picked on the way to school every time. She is just wonderful, as was last year's TA, and I can't think how we'd do without them!

oops, thats nothing really to do with OP (bottle sounds fine, if you don't know them, or smellies or flowers!) bit of a hijack in praise of TAs

I think you should treat the teaching assistants if anything more generously than the teachers. Teaching isn't the best paid job in the world but lots of teaching assistants do a wonderful under acknowledged job for an exploitatively low wage.

A bottle of wine is certainly a nice present.

It's what I'm getting all our teachers this year, apart from DS2's lovely lovely teacher, for whom he is insiting on a Next voucher, bless him.

I find the whole idea of a present for the teacher a bit bizarre. They are only doing their job, after all, although I do appreciate that it is a nice thought. If you have to do it, I think that a card with a comment such as 'dd or dc has learned so much and has loved being in your class' would be more meaningful to the teacher than a bottle of wine, a box of chocs or some smellies....

(I know, howls of rage from those teachers and TAs who depend on the end of the year for a goodly supply of alcohol.. )

Needless to say, as a very elderly mum, no-one gave presents to the teachers when my children were at school!

I aSK THE kids, they like em they can give them

I think it depends on how much contact your child has had with the TA. A bottle of wine is a nice present especially if your DD has little to do with her.

Yes i agree with contact.
Unfortunately the more able you are the less you see ours...

Even if the TA doesn't drink they can always pass it on if they go to a friend's for dinner for example.

I sometimes get given wine (for helping at school) and I don't drink. So it either goes to a friend who does drink if I get invited over for a meal, or I donate it to the school raffle. Worthwhile either way and I wouldn't be able to afford to buy the wine usually either.

Smellies are more problematic as I come out in a rash to most things. So I never give those either. Chocolate always welcome, as are flowers, but a little pot plant lasts much longer. Bit late now but something like a herb pot (grown by your dc from seeds, and possibly decorate the pot) is thoughtful and useful.

Having seen how many 'world's best teacher' mugs there are in the staff room I would avoid this kind of thing now.

My ds is making chocolate cakes this year for his teacher and TA's. We will choose a pretty (but inexpensive) serving plate to send them in on for them to keep. He will write them a nice card and possibly sign the back of the plate so they can remeber who gave it to them in years to come.

When ds was in reception we got story books for the TA's to read to the children. One which had my ds's name in the title, and another which was his favourite book at the time. I still see them in class (and used) when we go through there.

I don't get many gifts (1:1 support rather than classroom assistant) but have really appreciated: pot plants, handmade cards/gifts, sweets, and a bottle of really nice olive oil from Marks.

I do think a heartfelt card means more than a present. It seems silly to me that every Christmas, Easter and Summer, teachers and teaching assistants get bombarded with 30 or so presents. However, a hand-drawn card, expressing personal feelings and thanks, must mean something and shows better than any present what a teacher or teaching assistant means to the child and parent in question. But then, I always hated being given things I didn't really want, so hate buying presents for other people, because the pressure to work out what someone I don't know very well might like is just too much to bear!!!!! I know I would always appreciate someone making the effort to draw me a card and write a personal message in it (rather than just a "thanks for everything"), though.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I will be writing a note and DD will be doing a card but I also wanted to buy a little something.