When did this trend of giving parents of new reception starters tea bags and biscuits with a poem start?

[Thisisa]

I’ve seen it around for a good few years - when and how did it start? Any reception teachers around?

Never heard of this.

Never heard of this

I have seen this (friend got given one), it's a bit twee but essentially it's attempting to get new parents to join the PTA.

It was a thing when my eldest was in Reception,14 years ago!

I've never heard of it either but the message we were sent about day 1 arrangements alluded to parents dropping their kids then going home for a cuppa...

Meanwhile, in the real world, parents raced off to work.

No idea what you're talking about 🤔

I haven't heard of it at schools but I have heard of it in a business context where a sales person writing out of the blue to potential customers might send them a teabag as a sort of ice breaker telling them to have a break and read their literature

Is it something like that?

Never heard of this!

I thought everywhere did it!

the day is finally here and now you are alone
Sit down to have a brew and reflect on how they’ve grown
The tissue is for you should you need a little cry
Now they are at (name of school) remember times gone by
By The time you eat your treat your worries can be gone
Because we already love and care for your little one

attached to a tea bag tissue and biscuit. It’s sweet but a bit cloying.

I am normally very much a ‘live and let live’ kind of person but there is something about that poem that makes me want to vomit a little bit. And it would definitely not attract me to joining the PTA, as I’d be concerned it would be full of parents gushing similar sentiments.
Of course, many people will feel a tinge of sadness when their child starts school, it’s the end of one era, the beginning of another. I felt it when each of my DC started school, and particularly with DC3, knowing it was the last of the preschool years for me. But there will be a vast range of other emotions felt by parents on the first day of school, including relief (and guilt at feeling relieved).
And as a PP pointed out, for many (most?) parents, the reality will not be returning home for a cuppa and feet up but rather rushing off to cram a days work into school hours!

That poem is shocking 😮

I didn’t get this for any of my three - I feel robbed! By the time I was waving off number three I was skipping out of the playground, so would probably have been a bit if I’d got it for him.

Never heard of it and find it overly sweet. I was glad when each of mine went to school and didnt miss them in the slightest. Was too busy working

I got one yesterday. Its a cute little gesture
🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't have kids, but if I did and got that message/teabag/unwanted gluten vehicle (which I hope is sealed), I think I might get a tiny sinking feeling for a moment about the kind of people I could be having to spend the next 13 years interacting with 😬 (i.e. the kind of people who think that that's a sweet, thoughtful gesture, rather than vomit-inducing, sappy, and clueless about differences in others' lives such as their work patterns). It would probably depend what kind of a mood I was in as to whether my mental response was that, or an internal shrug at something that's obviously not really meant for me but might cheer up someone else.

Its like one of those rubbish wedding gift poems, probably well meant though.

I would’ve been incensed by such twee, nauseating, patronising, infantilising nonsense. My husband on the other hand, would've taken it to work and made that tea and eaten that biscuit while shedding a little tear in the break room.

I bet they never give them to the dads…

Never heard of it and wouldn't have liked receiving it either. I don't take food off strangers as I don't know if they washed their hands first. Would have gone straight in the bin. Such a waste of time, effort but especially money.

I'd find it strangely insensitive to working parents given how much more difficult life is (and how many more things there seem to be to do and remember) when children move to school from full-time nursery or other childcare. The idea that school suddenly means that parents have time to put their feet up and have a reflective cuppa alone is very funny!

Didn’t happen here when my dd started reception this week! Must be a few PTAs who have lots of time on their hands.

Dd stared today - no tea, no biscuits.

Our school does this.

Not an overly soppy poem just a few nice words to comfort parents who might be feeling a bit emotional.

A teabag and a biscuit to go home and enjoy in peace.

Nothing more to it.

I'm a reception teacher and follow quite a lot of fellow teachers on Twitter etc, it's been a 'thing' for a few years. I don't like it - as others have said I think it's a bit patronising, there are plenty of parents who aren't going home to sob but have jobs etc to get to and are probably quite glad to be out of the Nursery years! In my experience it's usually organised by teachers rather than PTA, and part of the social media-fication of teaching where teachers compete to be as 'extra' as possible.

Never heard of this and that poem would have put me right off joining anything!!

I think around here it’s more common at nurseries when you leave your child for the first time. Not just limited to mums, my DH did the first drop off and received one.