End of the year teacher gifts.
Just one more thing to do during this busy time of the year.
But damn, I really do appreciate what my boys’ teachers do.
And I totally phoned in Teacher Appreciation Week because we were getting ready for vacation and then we were gone for most of that week. Which caused me some guilt, but I figured I’d make it up with their end of the year gifts.
I even used to be a teacher. I know first hand all the work they put in.
They deserve lots and lots of gifts. Nice gifts.
Wine! They need wine. Oh wait, no alcohol on a school campus. That doesn’t work.
I’ll browse Pinterest.
Oooh, all the pretty things!
Damn, I’m not crafty. My kids could actually do a better job putting these things together than I could… and that’s not saying much. Nope, I’ll skip the crafty ideas.
And are they really going to use those cutesy things? Or have they seen them all on Pinterest and just rolled their eyes at how useless they are?
Oooh, now there’s a pretty gift basket idea.
Oh wait, if you add up everything in that gift basket and multiply it by the 4 teachers I need to buy for…. nope, that idea won’t work, we wouldn’t be able to eat for the next two months if I bought all that.
I wish I did have an unlimited amount of money to buy teacher appreciation gifts. I’d send my kids’ teachers on a cruise at the end of the year. Let them sail away to some tropical island where they could get the relaxation they deserve. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Too bad my budget would never allow for that. I should buy a lottery ticket…
Lottery tickets? Nah, that’s super lame, unless the ticket hit… I wonder if the teacher would split the winnings with me….
I should just go to Target. I can always find something in Target.
Lotion, candles, chocolate, summer supplies like picnic baskets and towels. I’d like any of this. They probably would, too.
But I bet they already have all this stuff. Or are getting it from the other parents.
What would they do with 25 bottles of lotion or candles? And I’m not even going to go near any of the “apple” themed junk. They either already have closets full of this stuff or they will soon, if they haven’t tossed half of it.
Hmmm… I wonder if I can get away with getting that teacher that I’m not really thrilled with something small and use that money towards the gifts for the teachers we adore…. unless they compare gifts and then that would be really awkward. There’s not much time left in the school year, but we will be back there next year.
Speaking of next year, I should start working on a gift basket early in the year, buying little things here and there so I can put together something truly spectacular by the end of the year. After all, those teachers (even the one I’m not overly thrilled with) do work so hard.
I should just throw a few little things in a gift bag, maybe do some sort of theme… summer, pampering, date night, movie night, kitchen, yellow, orange, pink, classroom supplies… yes, this will be cute.
Oh wait, add all these little things up, multiply by 4… this is still a shit ton of money. And will they actually use any of these things or will they just clutter up their desks?
Screw it. Gift cards for all!
I really do like giving gifts to teachers, even if I do go through the above thought process almost every year. You can see my Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas post plus ideas for Last Minute Teacher Gifts.
It really does go exactly like that. Though this year I did pick up something small a few months ago to hold the gift cards I have yet to buy.
We just did a gift card. I don’t do Pinterest. No patience.
I do this too!! I totally agonize over doing something creative, or at least something unique and also intentional… lots of thought to put into this!! And then the MONEY! ACK!! And all teachers really do need to get even dibs… it’s gotta be fair! Sigh… I always LOVED gift cards, when I taught! Good call. 🙂 (But then times that by 8 and WHOA!!!) Just too much… *Back to the drawing board again*
I’ve done gift cards to Dollar Tree and personalized stuff. A couple of years ago, I bought some terra cotta pots from Lowe’s, used a paint pin to write the school, the year, and all the children’s names in their class, put aloe plants in it, and gave that. Several years later, one teacher still raves about it. This year, a 88 cent colorable cup from Hobby Lobby, paper with the school colors and the names in the kids’ class. Worked like a charm.
If I didn’t think it was too inappropriate to just drop a bottle of wine on the teachers desk at the end of the year, I would! Instead, it’s gift cards!!
I know my son’s teachers really well after being in their class for over 2 years. I bought them Total Wine gift cards and had my son fill out a survey about why he loves them, the best part of their class, and what he’ll miss the most. I got teary eyes over his answers so I think this gift is a home run. Bonus it was easy!!!!