Image by My Beadiful Designs via Flickr

Its the age-old question:  What do I get my child’s teacher?

Every year we are surprised by how extravagant it gets.  One year I had a battle with a room parent who wanted all parents to chip in $15 each for a gift card for the teacher. (Plus a $10 gift exchange, $3 for the party and a $5 donation to a christmas gift for the ‘room’–ie, games for the kids)  There were 24 kids in the room so she was planning on getting a $350 gift card for the teacher.  Now, I come from a LONG line of school teachers and administrators, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they deserve the best!  However, $350 was a bit extreme for one teacher!  After all of her donations were totalled up she was asking for $33 a family for a Christmas gift and party!  When some of us pointed out that certain families weren’t going to be able to give that much, especially when they had more than one child in school, she didn’t seem to care.  In fact, for those of us who insisted on giving the teacher a personal gift, she refused to put our child’s name on the ‘class’ gift, or let those children sign the card from the ‘class.’  The idea was it would make sure the teacher got a gift she could use, which is something I wholeheartedly agree with.  Yet the method can also mean that several families are left out of a class gift because they cannot afford the high price. Once the teacher got wind of what was going on, she was horrified.  Instead of taking the gift for herself she used it to buy small gifts for each of the kids in the class.  I still love that teacher more than I can say!!

Sorry for the personal drama story!  But it gets tricky, doesn’t it?  Teacher, assistant, PE, drama, bus driver, aides…the list can go on and on for all the people in your child’s life whom you should thank!

So let me suggest our favorite gift as an idea for you:  The Teacher Survival Kit.  Every year I spend the fall collecting small items for the kids.  If you’ve been stockpiling or following my site for awhile, chances are good that you have many of these items stashed away in your house too!  We put together a kit full of items every teacher can use, and give it to the teaching staff as a whole.  It goes to my child’s main teacher–but its used by all.  Here’s what we typically include:

• Box of tissues–What classroom can’t use more tissues?
• Bottle of hand sanitizer
• Baby wipes–always indispensible, no matter the class age!
• Cleaning wipes
• A package of Advil/Motrin/Tylenol –the little darlings aren’t always so darling!
• Deocorative air freshener–Have you ever smelled what a roomful of 9 year old boys can do?  I prefer flameless scented candles and I make sure its not too overpowering.
• Nice hand lotion–Bath and Body Works always has a coupon!  Teachers wash their hands dozens of times a day to prevent illness, and their hands desperately need the good stuff!  Plus it makes them feel good!
• Chocolates–Lots of nice individually wrapped chocolates.  I watch for Ghiardelli or Cadbury’s to go on sale every year after Easter and Halloween.
• Box of hot herbal teas or coffees–you’d need caffeine too when facing 25 10 year olds at 8 in the morning!
• Powdered, flavored creamers–to make that coffee a little more yummy
• Extra set of stretchy hand gloves (the kind that are $1)–kids always lose theirs, or a teacher finds themselves outside when they didn’t expect it!

We put all of this into a large gift bag and give it to the teacher.  We usually include something our child has made themselves as well-be it a drawing, a card, an ornament or something small but personal.  Since most of the items above are free at some point through the year, we can also include a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Panera if we want!

Every year teachers tell us they LOVE our gift!  My husband works at a university and students frequently bring him gifts as well to say thanks.  While we love the gifts, they can pile up quickly and become clutter.  For teachers, the same is true.  Each child is special to them, but there is only so much room for individual, heart-felt gifts.  I know my aunt was always torn as to whose gift went where!  This makes it simple–its a gift they can use, and appreciate, for months to come.  And we always hear about it months later–in March or April the teacher will stop us and say that they just finished one of the items and so appreciate having it there when they needed it!