End of year gifts?

[comfycosy123]

I not sure what to do about if end of year gifts this year without it costing an arm and leg.

My son is in Ks1 and has two part time teachers and a TA and my daughter is in early years with one teacher and two TA's

I have no idea what to get , when my son only had one teacher and a ta I would usually get a voucher and something for the class room and some flowers or chocolates for the TA but it's just going to cost to much with there now being six!

Any idea ? I don't think the other mums would be up for putting £5 each into a group gift either ?

Tin of biscuits and write card to ks1 staff or similar. Or just do nice comments in a card - not everyone buys presents.

One of the best gifts I received from a 7 year old was a sketch of one of my favourite book/movie characters.
I loved it so much that I laminated it and use it as a book mark and every time I use it it reminds me how lovely she was/still is.

Marking place for ideas as this is the first year I need to buy something.
Didn't realise Christmas and Easter presents was a thing so didn't do those...
I was thinking no to mugs/keyrings etc and instead was thinking a voucher for amazon or something?Then they can use that for school stuff or something they want for themselves. And Ds can draw a pic/attempt to write a card (he's in preschool that's part of the school but only 3!)

DS makes a card and writes in it.

If the teacher has been particularly good, gone above and beyond, then i or DH will write an email to the head.

In 5 years we have never bought a gift nor contributed to one. No guilt felt.

We always bake (biscuits, brownies etc). Easy, cheap, and involves the child (they help with the baking). Buy some sellophane bags and nice ribbon - job done. Plus a card. I hadn't thought about an email to the Head - on balance that's probably the thing a teacher would appreciate most!

Mum used to do jars of sweets, we would choose the sweets and write their names for the jar
The jars were the ones mum always saved from the coffee and sweets just from the supermarket

This time of year you can often get mini boxes of chocolates in the supermarkets.

I usually get nice stationery-related things, got a whole load of little pots of paper clips, pin board pins and mini bulldog clips etc with owl lids from Wilkinsons, and a little bag of prosecco gums, Pretty notebooks, handwritten card from the kids. Sometimes a good bottle of wine, but the kids grumbled about passing them over last time we tried it!

We go stationary too... nice pens, post it notes, markers, notebooks

Thought is more important than cost. I speak from experience of that. I still treasure a handmade gift tgat was made very inexpensively but thoughtfully by a parent who wanted to thank me. I also treasure a novelty eraser which represented a joke I had with a child I had in my class. Now working at Trust level, both gifts still sit on my desk at work.

If it helps, I've bought my daughter's teacher an insulated coffee mug with a design featuring something she loves.

This year the parents are all clubbing together & we are going to put a fiver (or more or less - it is up to the individual) into a pot and then split it between the teacher & TA as Amazon vouchers - each child (if they want to) will make a thank you card for them too - works out so much cheaper doing it this way - if everyone chucks a fiver in it means the teacher will get £100 gift card & the TA a £50 giftcard - better than 30 packs of chocs or biscuits

We made up bags last year with a mixture of inexpensive items and a story. Cotton pad to help mop up the cuts A tea bag as its time to put your feet up. A candle because you brighten the Children’s path (only a cake candle). A paper clip to help you hold it together. A rubber band to remind you your flexible. A jigsaw piece as you fill in the missing bits to the kids. Etc. Went down a storm and I noticed all new reception parents had a similar welcome pack this year

That sounds lovely! I bet it will be remembered!

Our nursery has a large playground and the kids virtually spend most of their time there. We gave the teachers nice warm socks and little pots of hand cream/lip balm to take the edge off supervising energetic 4yr olds in all weathers.

Please don't let it bother you. I genuinely am grateful for any presents I get but they are not a requirement at all!! If you do want to give a present (and there is absolutely no reason why you should) please remember the TA too if they have done lots for your child. My class TA is amazing - you may not realise she has helped your child but I promise you she has.

Love the presents but the memories that remain are the really heartfelt cards from parents. I'll treasure those forever, really.

And yes, it's OK to give wine.

I'm struggling this year as I have so many to do - one child has a job share set of teachers, one of whom in particular has been amazingly helpful personally to me, the other child has had an amazing teacher - but her class has 3 TAs in for various points in the week, plus an additional TA who has done a lot of intervention work with her over the year, plus my other child's class TA, and then there's a TA that's done her nurture/social skills group all year for her... it could quite easily get ridiculous.

Haven't got a solution as of yet.

If you're planning on a voucher from the class, it might be worth checking with the school first? In theory, teachers are supposed to declare any gift worth over (?£25) for tax reasons, and some schools are putting strict limits on these now.