I dread shopping for teacher’s gifts. I mean how many bars of soap and how many mugs does a teacher actually want or need? Can you suggest any gifts that might be a little more meaningful? Also, do I really need to send a gift to the secretary, the janitor, the principal, the lunch supervisor, the librarian, and everyone else on staff at the school. This is getting really expensive.
You’re right: even the most fastidiously clean, coffee-worshipping teacher can only use so much soap and so many mugs.In light of that simple (but often overlooked) fact, many parents are choosing to stray a little off the beaten gift path, opting for homemade gifts that are a little more personal and a whole lot less cliché. You might think about creating a mini-recipe book on your family computer or decorate a flower pot and filling it with a few holiday goodies.
Of course, this assumes that you decide to give teacher presents at all. Some parents choose to make a donation to a local charity in lieu of sending a gift. (Some schools routinely send notes home at the start of the holiday season suggesting that all parents go this route.)
Some parents and kids get a huge amount of pleasure out of making or buying gifts for teachers and other staff members. But you shouldn’t feel obligated to give a pricey gift to each and every person on staff, just because other parents at the school may be into gift-giving overkill.
Your best strategy if you do decide to go the gift-giving route? Recognize those people at your kid’s school who have made a genuine difference in your child’s life this year. That list will inevitably vary from year to year, so, in the end, everyone will get their just desserts. (Or flower pots!)
