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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Homemade Christmas gifts for Reception teacher and TAs?

56 replies

andnowforsomemoreofthesame · 01/12/2014 13:58

DS1 is in Reception and I have NO idea what I'm supposed to give to people as Christmas gifts. DS has one teacher, 2 TAs and quite a few other people who seem to do the same job as the TAs. There are always to adults with the children, but it's different people in different days.

Should I give something to all of them? Or only to teacher and TAs? Or something "more special" to the 3 of them?

Is it ok to give them homemade maron glace? Will it sound weird?

I have just learnt how to make maron glace and I thought of making little jars of the thing for them. It is cheap and tastes as good as the "real" one (although it doesn't look as good). A jar of "real" maron glace costs more than 10 pounds (it takes 4 days to make, that's why it's so expensive!)

I just have no idea if people like maron glace.

I'll wrap them in foil, so should I give them to the office ladies as well?

(I hate social etiquette!!! I always end up doing something rude or OTT - never "right")

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Heels99 · 01/12/2014 14:01

Can you make something non edible instead?

capsium · 01/12/2014 14:03

I don't think you are 'supposed' to give the staff at the school anything in particular but they might like to receive something. I think the maron glace would be lovely. Tbh, whatever you give, there is the risk the recipient may not like it. Also I believe teacher / TA gifts should not be too extravagant and something a child could be able to give/afford themselves, since they are paid professionals, paid to educate your child.

Boomtownsurprise · 01/12/2014 14:06

Teachers don't like edible stuff that little hands made. Generally as they lick fingers, spoon etc. you might be the one to make but it will likely as not not be eaten.

My dd will make each a card. I'm not buying presents. Imo a home made card with love from the child is quite sufficient. Gets a bit weird otherwise as it's as if it's from me and I barely know them!

SunnySomer · 01/12/2014 14:09

Personally I think homemade is lovely, but would do something your DS can actively help with. Eg 1 year we made little spicy biscuits in a little bag; another year we'd made jam in autumn, he made little labels for it. Last year we made honeycomb dipped in chocolate. All these look quite pretty in a cellophane bag with a Christmassy ribbon! We only did a present for the class teacher.

EbwyIsUpTheDuff · 01/12/2014 14:10

I surveyed all my teaching friends and the general consensus was :
something the child has made is the best.
home-made food may end up in the bin as they don't know what your kitchen and hygene is like at home!
if the kid wants to buy rather than make, chocolates and biscuits and alcohol are generally acceptable. (unless you know there's a teetotal adult involved!)

My little boy is in reception and will be making tree decorations for his teacher and TAs (and any other school adults he chooses - probably receptionist, head teacher, and caretaker)

We haven't decided between fake teracotta clay gingerbread men, or candy cane mice/trees yet, I'll get him to choose at the weekend. I think the clay "gingerbread men" might be the winner, he likes cookie cutting!

I must remind his teacher that we need a list of adults he interacts with in school so we don't leave anyone out!
(and a class list for cards)

Original poster

andnowforsomemoreofthesame · 01/12/2014 14:11

heels I don't think I can make non edible stuff, and I can't think of anything non-edible they might like (homemade or not). I personally love edible gifts because they just disappear instead of taking space at home...

capsium I used to give chocolates to the staff of the nursery DS1 used to attend, and later found out people were giving scarves and proper gifts to their children's keyworkers.

OP posts:

AnnieLobeseder · 01/12/2014 14:13

I made a huge batch of cranberry tablet/fudge every year, pop it in Christmas-themed bags with ribbons and posh printed labels, and give it to everyone for Christmas, DC's teachers, work colleagues, friends and family alike. 'Tis lush and everyone seems to like it. So your idea sounds fine to me. But go for some nice (not necessarily expensive) festive packaging.

hazeyjane · 01/12/2014 14:15

Ds has too many teachers and TAs so I am going to buy a big box of chocolates for staff room and get ds to make a fancy label, then give it in the last week.

Original poster

andnowforsomemoreofthesame · 01/12/2014 14:18

Cross posted with a few people. Thanks for the suggestions.

It seems there is no consensus about edible things, but I wouldn't like the maron glaces to end up in the bin after taking 4 days to make them!

I didn't think about something made by DS

Ebwy do you think I could give the teacher a bottle of wine?

I definitely want to give something to one TA, who is lovely. And it would be rude to give something to one TA and not the other, I think...

OP posts:

MuddhaOfSuburbia · 01/12/2014 14:21

mmmmmm maron glace

have you got a linky so I can shamelessly nick your idea and pass it off as my own

Boomtownsurprise · 01/12/2014 14:24

Also some school collects the gifts together and then hand out so check how your school handles.

Things like bath stuff wine chocs etc

capsium · 01/12/2014 14:26

andnow nothing wrong with chocolates, unless you know a person hates them, no matter what other people might give. You seem very concerned in terms of doing what is considered the 'done thing', maybe I am less so. I think you easily afford to relax a bit more about this, maron glace, chocolates, wine, hand cream, scarves etc etc all are fine, unless you know the recipient will hate them IMO.

capsium · 01/12/2014 14:30

Personally, I even like to receive gifts, I wouldn't want myself because I then have lots of stuff to re-gift, to people who do appreciate it.

Original poster

andnowforsomemoreofthesame · 01/12/2014 14:47

Muddha I looked at a few recipes online and just created mine (I never follow recipes exactly). Just google "homemade maron glace" and you'll find a couple. The only thing is that I'm too lazy to cook and peel the chestnuts, so I bought the cooked ones - they don't look nearly as nice, but taste the same. Good luck! :)

Boomtown good point!

capium yes, I'm a bit "socially anxious" :) I feel I never "get" the rules in this sort of situation (in situations I'm confident that I understand the rules, I have no problem ignoring them and doing whatever I like) The fact that I come from a different country with a different culture doesn't help :)

OP posts:

capsium · 01/12/2014 14:48

andnow honestly, I would try not to worry too much. Everybody has slightly different ideas concerning good gifts, the fact is you are being thoughtful enough to give something and care about it.

Original poster

andnowforsomemoreofthesame · 01/12/2014 14:57

Thanks, capsium I'll try to keep that in mind!

OP posts:

Izzy82 · 03/12/2014 00:24

As a teacher, I'm not fond of getting boxes of chocolate. I usually get around 15-20 boxes of chocolates from my class at Christmas and not even the biggest chocoholic (such as myself) can eat that many. Most get re gifted to anyone that comes within 10 feet of me around the christmas period.

EbwyIsUpTheDuff · 03/12/2014 09:27

two of my teacher friends said their second favourite gift was a bottle of wine.

at least 6 said "best teacher" type mugs end up in the staff room for general use and get broken quickly.

all agreed small and home-made was best, and are still treasured years later.

hazeyjane · 03/12/2014 14:03

I think it is a bit sad to hear a teacher say that they are, 'not fond of getting boxes of chocolate' - the gift is a way of saying thankyou, and comes from the child, it seems kind of ungrateful to say, well everyone gives me chocolate and I can't eat that many!

The trouble is, if it is just a teacher and a TA, then small individual gifts or homemade is fine, but when it is 2 teachers and 7 TA's (as in ds) and then 2 teachers and 4 more TA's with the dd's (15 gifts in all) then those little gifts build up and it would be like a production line in the run up to Christmas!

A box of chocolates/biscuits and a handmade card/label to say thankyou and Happy Christmas, and if people want to re gift then that is fine.

EbwyIsUpTheDuff · 03/12/2014 14:34

trying to upload a photo of my reception-child's gifts to his teachers and TAs...

candy canes (£1), felt (£1), and glitter glue (£1)

patience in getting a 4 year old to do so many... gone!

Homemade Christmas gifts for Reception teacher and TAs?

MillionairesShortbread · 03/12/2014 14:40

As a former teacher I would never give home made food. I know my kitchen is clean, but a lot of teachers I know would never touch food/sweets children ahd made. They would of course be genuinely pleased and touched but even the designer cupcakes/things in mason jars get binned.

Similarly little homemade things - you honestly aren't going to keep 30x years teaching plates/mugs/with hands on /kitds artwork although it will be very gratefully received and the thought appreciated.

They may even forget which gift was whose if there are lots of them.

However, I still have all my special cards with lovely messages in ....

LL12 · 03/12/2014 15:17

I was once told that a tin of biscuits or something that could be shared out to all staff in the staff room was best.
And that it was best to no give something made by your child like a painted picture frame, painting etc as although it will be happily received, most teachers have nowhere to keep all these things and they usually have things like these made by their own children that they will keep instead.

dancingwitch · 03/12/2014 20:14

As the daughter of a primary teacher I'd say no to homemade edible gifts & no to homemade things that they are supposed to take home & have clutter up their house for years to come.
I'm planning on taking a couple of big boxes of biscuits in at the beginning of the week of the carol concert as stress levels will probably running a bit higher than so some of the staff might appreciate a biscuit with their coffee.

snice · 03/12/2014 21:05

A tin of biscuits or sweets for the staffroom is always appreciated. Most staff are very nervous of home made edibles-so would you be if you saw the number of children picking their noses, scatching their heads, wiping noses on sleeves, licking fingers, not washing hands......

TheMuppetsSingChristmas · 03/12/2014 21:09

I've given homemade biscuits/fudge/bon bons (alongside win) to teachers before, but only because I'm known at school for my homebaking & jam making (they know I'm good at what I do), I checked with them first and stressed that ds wasn't involved (germy kids hands etc!) and that I absolutely wouldn't be offended if they'd prefer just the wine. I think they were appreciated but in all honesty I'm not sure I'll bother again. It's labour intensive, expensive, and I'm not as fond of his current crop of teachers!

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