Daycare Teacher Gift-Giving Ettiquette
Maddie may be leaving her daycare soon and there’s one teacher in particular whom we adore. She’s definitely Maddie’s favorite and I have to admit that I kind of love her, too. However, she’s not Maddie’s only teacher, or even the only teacher Maddie likes.
I’d like to get her teachers a little something to show how much I appreciate them taking such good care of my girl. However, I can’t really afford to do that and make the gifts worthwhile at all. Then I thought about just a little something for our favorite teacher, because to do nothing for her makes me feel crummy. BUT! I’m nervous that the other teachers will feel slighted… and they’d have every right to. Does this mean I ought not do anything for anyone since I can’t afford to give something to everyone? Or perhaps slip a little sumpthin’ sumpthin’ to our fave on the D.L.?
Or maybe I could make a bunch of yummy baked goods and take them up there for all the staff to enjoy? I’m totally on board with that because it’s relatively cheap, it will show I care enough to spend my time baking for them and it’s a way to include EVERYONE. Again, though, the nervousness is back because of all the negative comments I’ve read from teachers/other school staff on slamming gifts. It seems as though all that’s really appreciated is cold, hard gift cards and everything else is deemed a crappy gift. I don’t want to spend my time and HARD-EARNED money in order for someone to look down upon my gift, you know?
So, what do you think I ought to do?
Filed under: preschool
Well, now you made me realize I didn’t do anything at the end of the year but I was the end f the year teacher at the moment myself with a wedding before and after the last week of school to remember to get something. BUT, may I just say that from the upper level perspective, I’m surprised just to get little token things this year myself at Christmas including homemade goodies and just a $5 GC to that coffee place that’s on every corner. I even got a potted flower for the garden this year, how sweet of that student and a total surprise! So I personally think that your idea to bake something for the staff sounded the best (and quite honestly who are these teachers? last I knew I wasn’t in this for pay or gifts and I just enjoy the surprise bonuses if I actually get anything no matter how small).
1 Meg said this (July 2, 2009 at 6:26 pm)
As a teacher, I would say that the GC are definitely the most appreciated. Even a 5 dollar GC to Starbucks is awesome. The homemade treats are very thoughtful but I always feel odd eating homemade food from someone I don’t know very well. Flowers or a little plant of some sort are always a nice treat that can be very inexpensive. Honestly, a nice card expressing your appreciation can be the best gift-don’t stress yourself to spend the money if you don’t have it.
2 Nicole said this (July 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm)
I vote baked goods! Maybe you could give them each a card, and slip a gc inside your fave teachers.
3 Devan said this (July 2, 2009 at 6:37 pm)
Meg – You are the best teacher and the best cousin EVER! I wish all teachers were like you : )
4 Erica said this (July 2, 2009 at 7:10 pm)
I bake a mean cookie, so I usually do cookies for the staff as a whole, and gift cards for the main teachers. I’m not buying the whole damn daycare gift cards. I don’t think they expect it either.
I would think they would appreciate anything. That’s why they call it a gift.
5 Amelia Sprout said this (July 2, 2009 at 7:49 pm)
Ditto Devan’s idea. A heartfelt note goes a long way, especially in such a thankless job. It would be pretty easy to slip a gift card into one or all of them, too. Although, I have to say that as a former teacher, I wouldn’t have ever turned down homemade goodies…those are the best! P.S. Who are these teachers slamming gifts from their students? I can count on one hand the number of gifts I got in five years of teaching and I treasured them all.
6 Jana said this (July 2, 2009 at 7:58 pm)
I’m not a teacher and I also have weird feelings about eating baked goods from people I don’t know very well. Made it very easy to not gorge myself at work when people would bring treats in. But it is the thought that counts, and I’m sure they would feel very special to have any token of your appreciation even if they don’t eat them. Maybe a cute picture of Maddie and a sincere note of thanks would be nice if you don’t do the baked goods.
7 donna said this (July 2, 2009 at 8:40 pm)
Listen. Any teacher who looks down their nose at a GIFT needs a swift kick in the arse. I do understand that people sometimes are wary of eating things prepared by people they don’t know, but I’ve never met a baked good I didn’t like. I like the idea of doing cards for everyone and a giftie for your favorite if that’s what you WANT to do, not what you think you SHOULD do. She’s not going to go flashing her gift in the face of other teachers and I always loved the cards I received best anyway.
8 Mama Bub said this (July 2, 2009 at 11:04 pm)
I always give gift cards after receiving some strange gifts from clients in the massage clients in the past.
We had the same issue with Zoe adoring a certain teacher (who wasn’t even officially her “lead teacher”). We decided to give the same gift card to each teacher with a simple thank you card. To her favorite teacher, the card was more elaborate, telling her specifically what we appreciated about her care of our daughter and we also sent an email praising the teacher to her boss. Hopefully that was a good gift!
9 Jenna said this (July 3, 2009 at 12:01 pm)
above basic sentence construction FAIL. ARG.
10 Jenna said this (July 3, 2009 at 12:02 pm)
Whatever you do, if you give your favorite a card with your sincerely thoughts/feelings in it, it will mean a lot to her.
11 The New Girl said this (July 4, 2009 at 7:29 pm)
I am a preschool teacher (3 yr olds) and I can tell you that a card with personal comments and a hug are the greatest gifts of all. It is the thing we look forward to as we go about our year.
At our school, throughout the year our parents bring in home baked goodies and on our birthday and at Christmas usually give GC’s to our favorite stores/restaurants. All are appreciated greatly. As a preschool teacher the salary is minimal and most of us are in it for the kiddos and flexibility it affords us with our own families. Don’t stress out about it….just let your good sense guide you.
12 Katie Bee said this (July 24, 2009 at 10:55 am)