It’s a difficult task for a parent to find the perfect gifts for their children’s teachers during the holidays, especially at Christmas. Often, what’s worrying parents most is whether the presents are right and how much they should spend, and who they should buy for?
We polled our parents and the general consensus was £5-£10 was adequate for a teachers gift, but the common thread which all of our parents echoed was only give what you can afford!
Some of our parents spend up to £50 on presents for teachers who had really helped their children that year, but this was well within their affordability range and was not common when we asked. Most gave gifts between under £10 and about 20% gave gifts up to £20.
What is becoming increasingly common is for parents to club together and buy a gift for the teacher from all the parents, one big gift hamper rather than lots of mugs and candles! From a rough poll done in our facebook group, this was now occurring at about 35% of schools and was growing in popularity each year.
About half of our parents also gave to the teachers assistants, and from those that did about half gave the same value gift as to the teacher, whilst the other half gave slightly less.
The view from teachers
A lot of teachers answered and most said that they didn’t mind how much was given, or if no presents were given at all. A simple thank you or handwritten card or picture painted by the child was equally welcomed. Those that did receive one class present said they preferred it overall as it meant they got something better and there was no embarrassment for the families who could not afford to give gifts.
Classroom assistants, who are paid much less than teachers, loved getting the gifts and really appreciated it when parents sought them out to give them a little special thank you present. Candles and chocolates never seemed to fail to put a smile on most educators faces!
Remember when buying gifts for anyone, not just teachers, it’s the thought that counts. Showing teachers how appreciative you are of all the hard work they do, the dedication they put into the job an the help they give your child doesn’t have a monetary value, lots of thank yous throughout the year can mean more to teachers than a big blow out present at the end.
So don’t put yourself under any financial pressure to buy for teachers, assistants or even the lollipop lady, a very sincere thank you note or conversation can mean much more!
Next Up: What Is a Good Gift to Give a Teacher for Christmas?
