How many teachers/aides will you give gifts for Xmas?

[bigsis]

I'm thinking between the babysitters, teachers, their aides, I will have *at least* 7 to buy for. I used to do gift cards for $10 each, but now I'm thinking of getting something smaller :bag

I hate to be cheap, but I am what I am :)

What brilliant ideas do you all have? ;)

[hellokitty]

I am only buying for DS1 and DS2's main teachers this yr. Last yr, DS1 was also getting speech therapy, so I had gotten his speech therapist at school something as well. I usually keep my eyes open all yr long for a good deal for teacher's gifts. This yr, when target clearanced out their women's thermos hot and cold gift sets for 75% off, I grabbed up extras as teacher's gifts. They normally retail for $30, so I think that they are a nice gift and nice too, since they can be used for hot or cold beverages since they're insulated.

In the past I've also given vera bradley accessories (sometimes the clearance sales on the VB site are GREAT, and I know it's not everyone's style, but the teachers I get it for all are VB lovers, DS1's K teacher and I used to compare our VB purses all the time, lol), one yr I gave a nice set of reusable grocery bags. I also had one teacher who doesn't like gifts, she just likes books for her classroom and when I found out, I got her a nice hardback book for her classroom.

[longtallsally05]

Four: DD and DS each have a teacher and an aide in their classrooms. I bought them the same thing as I gave teachers last year: a 1 kg box of French dark chocolate truffles that I got for $5.00 at Costco (nope, that's not a typo...5 bucks). They taste great (we also bought a box for ourselves), and they come in a gift box so all I have to do is slap a bow on top and voila! Can't beat a deal like that, and they got raves from the recipients. If you have a Costco membership, get to the warehouse ASAP. They were already on the shelves a month ago in Raleigh, NC and last year the seasonal candy section was wiped out by Thanksgiving.

[longtallsally05]

Oh, something else you might look for @ Costco is gift cards. They often have deals on gift cards where you pay less than the dollar amount on the card. Last year I bought a $50 Build-A-Bear gift card for $40. Perhaps a gift card for tickets at a local movie theater might be in your budget if you get them @ Costco.

[Cam&Clay]

We spend a lot on our daycare provider, usually a gift card for $100. Since DS2 is only there 2 days a week this year, we might reduce that a little. He has a preschool teacher and an aide. I will probably spend $15-20 each on them.

DS1 is in middle school, so nothing for his teachers. His soccer coach, however, is practically part of the family. We usually get her a restaurant gift card for $50.

[MelissaTC]

The assistant teacher is included in the collection from the beginning of the year. But the band teacher is not. So we have to get a gift for him and for M's piano teacher. Not too bad.

ETA that we gave the piano teacher an iTunes gc last year.

[nfowife]

I will do the kids teachers (probably around $20-25 each), DS has an assistant in his room (probably $15 for her). Then there is the bus driver (probably $20 since it would be from both kids and I know her). Then I usually do $5 for each special teacher- art, music, PE, library. Then DD has a dance teacher and violin teacher. DS has a gymnastics teacher and swim coach. Probably do $10 for dance, $15 for violin and $5 each for the gymnastics and $10 for swim.
I do have a babysitter I use, but not very regularly, just for date nights or when the need arises. I'll probably do a $10 gift card for her when she babysits for me around Xmas time.
And then both kids have Sunday School teachers, a lead and an assistant. I will get them gift cards for Hanukkah. Wow, didn't realize I have so many people to buy for! It adds up!

[almostamom]

ONE! It's a big change from last year's EIGHT which included teachers, aides, therapists, and swim coaches.

Linda

ETA: We will give the teacher a gift card. Classes at our school usually give a small tree with gift cards attached as the "ornaments".

[DietCokeLover]

One preschool teacher for each DC, but I don't know yet what I'm going to do.

[Jo..]

Six, maybe seven.

Two teachers each, at each of my childrens' schools.

The administrator and the aide at Leah's preschool are amazing. I have known them for three years and they deal with my children daily. Adam went to the same ps before Leah.

Their karate teacher needs a gift. He works out of a church and gives lessons for $20 per month ($5 per week), which kind of freaks me out. It is too good to be true, so I think I will get him a BIG gift.

I may or may not also get Adam's Basketball coach a gift. Practices have not started yet. Coaches are volunteer parents, so if I like him, I will get him a gift.

I was thinking $20 for teachers/staff/coach and $50 for the karate teacher, but boy does that add up! ($170).

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'll chip in to the gifts. the parent organization collects from the whole school and pools all that $ and divides it up between all the specialists to buy gifts. Easy. I'll probably give $10-20 for that. I know my room parent will collect for the teacher and the aide and I'll give another $10-20 there.

Ds2's room parent asked for $40 last year at the holidays, iirc.

eta- I don't buy for the gymnastics' teacher or anyone else like that. Very few people here do- maybe 1-2/ class, if that. If one of my kids loved the teacher so, so much and really, really wanted to get them something though we would. That happened one time with Miss Beth...ds1 was going to marry her some day. :)

Beth

[Melanie]

7 for my eldest and 2 for my youngest. Luckily the classes usually do a class cash gift we can just add to. I like to give $40 to the main teachers, $20 to the assistant and $10 to the others (they teach in many many classes). But we'll see how the budget goes, it may end up being $20 for the teachers.

[snowbunnies300]

Between all three kids I think there are 24 teachers, aides and therapists. Thankfully they share a couple therapists or the total would be higher. I make my own jams and jellies. Though this year I don't think I made enough jam so might have to can some apple butter too. Each receives 2 jars of preserves as a gift.

I know last year I got very upset about a post wherein someone said teachers threw away gifts and most didn't want homemade items. They wanted cash or gift cards. I am still upset over it but have decided I can only chose what I want to give. If the person receiving the gift does not want it they have the right to do whatever they want with the gift.

[KrisM]

I do gift cards. I haven't thought of how many yet! Let's see...

I could just do the main teachers and have it be 4. Or include specials, speech, and violin, and be up to 11. Fortunately, most specials are the same, except for Chinese.

Question - if I include specials, do I do a full gift card for each kid, or can I split it into 2 or do a family gift and let each child give to half the teachers? Hmmm.

[maylips]

I've just gotta ask....why do so many of you do so much? Seriously, not trying to be snarky here, but the gym teacher? The extra-curricular teachers you already pay a monthly fee to?

I don't *think* people around here do that much for so many. If they do, then I guess I'm the odd man out because it wouldn't occur to me to spend $10-15 on every single person that touches my kids' lives.

[hannah]

I stick with the main teacher for DD (1st grade) and the preschool teacher and aide. I have knitted a scarf for each. For everyone (including DD's piano teacher) I will probably make peppermint bark which was a big hit last year.

[snowbunnies300]

I have so many to buy for because I have three autistic children two of which do not talk at all. Their teachers/aides/therapists are a part of our lives. I just could not skip. I also purchase flowers during teacher appreciation week and an end of the school year gift. During the year I made cookies, breads and treats to bring in at parent/teacher conferences and for no reason at all - I'm baking so why not send some to school in their backpacks.

Growing up my mom always purchased a gift for our main classroom teacher and she did purchase for the music and gym teacher as well. We were a small school so no additional specials as those were handled by the main room teacher. When I had a reading specialist we also got her something too. Once I was in high school (7th grade was HS) we no longer purchased anything for teachers.

What my mom purchased was small and always within our limited budget. Sometinmes she made the gifts.

[Jo..]

Between all three kids I think there are 24 teachers, aides and therapists. Thankfully they share a couple therapists or the total would be higher. I make my own jams and jellies. Though this year I don't think I made enough jam so might have to can some apple butter too. Each receives 2 jars of preserves as a gift.

I know last year I got very upset about a post wherein someone said teachers threw away gifts and most didn't want homemade items. They wanted cash or gift cards. I am still upset over it but have decided I can only chose what I want to give. If the person receiving the gift does not want it they have the right to do whatever they want with the gift.

If I had 24 teachers to buy for, you bet your butt I'd be giving them homemade gifts too. Actually, I'd rather receive homemade jam than a $10 g/c, but I know that not everyone feels that way, so I try to stick to gift cards. I "only" have seven people, though.

[nfowife]

I guess I feel like I want to show my appreciation for what the teacher does for my child. I feel like I can afford it, and something small like $5 to sonic is appreciated and shows that I thought of them.
I used to teach first grade and I feel like the art, music, PE teachers get forgotten a lot so I wanted to show them I didn't forget and I appreciated them.
I feel like I would like to scale back a bit....but I don't have the time or supplies to do something big and crafty. I will contribute to a group gift if one is organized, otherwise I get gifts from my children.

[PAfirsttimemom]

I will continue to follow this thread, as I also wonder how many teachers to buy for. Last year DS1 was in pre-K, and I bought for his teacher, the aide, and the lunch bunch teacher and aide, so 4 total. This year, I will potentially have all of those teachers for DS2 and a whole slew of K teachers for DS1, if I include the the main teacher plus all the specials: art, music, library, gym, computers/tech. The kids see the specials/lunch bunch teachers once a week. Will add up, to be sure, if I buy for all. Last year I bought LE totes for the teachers at a screaming deal (of course discovered on the BBB bargain forum), and they seemed to like them very much. Hope some other great deals/ideas pop up here!

[Melanie]

I've just gotta ask....why do so many of you do so much? Seriously, not trying to be snarky here, but the gym teacher? The extra-curricular teachers you already pay a monthly fee to?

I don't *think* people around here do that much for so many. If they do, then I guess I'm the odd man out because it wouldn't occur to me to spend $10-15 on every single person that touches my kids' lives.

Well mine aren't teachers I pay extra for (though I should do something for his music teacher, I'm not sure what). The other teachers are just as wanted as the main teacher, for our children. I would think it would be awful to exclude them when all the main teachers are getting cash gifts. They work just as hard, just as often, for just as little. I don't mind giving them less, as I said, b/c they are teachers in many many classes as opposed to just my child's class.

As a kid we always took in those small token gifts that teachers always get too much of (apple-shaped ornament, etc.). The group cash gifts actually relieve me of having to worry too much about it. If we can't give a lot at least it's going into a big pool...even if it's a year it is just $5 it comes to the teacher as $150 (though in reality some parents even give $100 so it's usually $3-400 or more, but we're not all in the same income bracket. ;)) I know in the case of our teachers they do not make very much money and we have lived in high and super high COL area. For the majority of them I have to wonder how much of a Christmas (or vacation) they could afford if not for their teacher gifts. Especially those which are a two-teacher family. We have had a teacher which asked us to donate to the school in lieu of a gift to her and I thought that was a really nice gesture.

[maestramommy]

Between teachers, aides, specialists, admin assistants, I probably have to cover 10 people. What I do is give a gift card to the actual teachers and aides, then everyone gets cookies. The specialists were harder because there at least 3 and some may work with my kid individually or not. So I would give a larger box of cookies for each office. The gift cards were usually $10-15.

We also give similar gifts to the kids' sunday school teachers and nursery care workers, so it really starts to add up:p

Oh, now I've just remembered the ballet teachers. Probably what I will do is give them cookies, plus the girls will make their own teacher a card. Maybe I'll have them help make and decorate the cookies?

[ZeeBaby]

Wow I am amazed people do so much. The BBB is always a learning experience for me. I am doing the DCP and DD1's two main teachers.

[elephantmeg]

DD has 4 daycare teachers, DS has 2 main teachers. I had not thought about the PE/music/library... and then where do you end up with stuff like guidance (she comes once a week so as often as they are at the library)

[[email protected]]

Our preschool organizes a collection and gives each teacher an American Express gift card. We'll have to see what DS' room mom does. There are two teachers plus a part time aide. Also, I'll probably get small cards for the science, computer, library, music and PE teacher. Wow! I need to ask around to find out what is done--he's in kindy so I have no idea,

[daphne]

Last year I gave gifts to my DD's teacher, the classroom aide, and the secretary. For DS, I gave gifts to both of his teachers, the director & the secretary; I also contributed to the class gift. Now that DS is in public school, though, I'm not sure what I'll do. I'll probably just chip in for the teacher's gift & give something on our own, as well, to his teacher.