Homemade Food for Teacher Gifts?

[hbridge]

As I'm getting the End-of-Year teacher gifts organized, I'm wondering how teacher REALLY feel about homemade food gifts.

I'm thinking about canning jam, salsa, pickles, ect. this summer and combining them with homemade chocolates or cookies at the holiays. Years ago I created completely homemade baskets for close to 15 people every year, so I've done this before, just not for teachers. We've only had a couple of teachers up until now, but suddenly I'm looking at close to 10 next year between teachers, aids, specialists, ect.

PLEASE give it to me straight. I hate to do them if it's not going to be appreciated.

Thanks so much.

[niccig]

Rants from Mommy Land had a poll on teachers about gifts, check here for advice

http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/2012/05/truth-about-teacher-gifts.html

[snowbunnies300]

I make home-made jams for teachers, aides, therapists and bus driver each year for Christmas (this year we had 28). They get a Hershey candy bar wrapped in a personal home-made wrapper for Valentine's day. They get flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week. They get an annual plant on the last day of school with a note attached that says "thanks for helping me grow". I also bake throughout the year and bring it into the school for parent/teacher meetings and IEP's. Not once did the home-made items not get eaten. I am known in our small school as the parent who always brings something to meetings and they look forward to see what I brought.

I have 3 ASD sons. I just cannot afford to be giving out gift cards to all of these people. I think you should do whatever is in your heart. It is the thought that counts. If they chose not to eat what you make that is their decision. You should not feel bad about it and they shouldn't either. We all need to make our own decisions and don't allow for guilt to take over.

[hbridge]

Snowbunnies: Great ideas! We've done Lindt chocolate in the past. I purchased a package of 50 and broke it down for Valentine's day.

No matter how much I love DC's teachers, it always is so difficult to come up with something appropriate. I hate giving "stuff" that they need to find a place for, which is why I always go back to food.

I'd love to get all 10 teachers gift cards, but it's not in the budget...

[traciann]

Dh and I are both teachers and we would give you different answers. He NEVER eats food given to him by students. He doesn't trust whats in it, what kind of kitchen it was prepared it, plus he is picky about food anyway. For me it would depend on the item...not usually sweets, but salty stuff I might. Honestly though you are really better off doing something else...instead of knowing that your hard work could be thrown away. I have given $5 giftcards to subway and sonic...because its all I could afford. Really when all else fails give a note of thanks, and send one to their principal as well.

[pinkmomagain]

Really when all else fails give a note of thanks, and send one to their principal as well.

I do usually get gift cards. But during the year I do send emails to the principal and/or cirriculum coordinators, superintendents, when I see outstanding work. The teachers are soooooooooooooooo appreciative of it and I feel so good doing it.

[boltfam]

I don't know....I think it depends on the teacher. When I was teaching, I was usually pretty hesitant to eat homemade stuff for the reasons PP mentioned. However, if I trusted the house it came from, I would eat it.

Once I got jam that I opened up and was definitely spoiled. There was stuff growing in it, which has made me hesitant to consume canned goods someone else has made, since I don't know if they were canned safely. I'm sure yours would be great but the teacher might be hesitant about home canned goods like I am.

I like the idea of either homemade chocolates or splitting a huge thing of chocolates from Costco or something. That's what I did for DS's Sunday School teachers this year. It really doesn't have to be anything big or expensive; it really is the thought that counts.

[lhafer]

I'm not a teacher, but I'm a nurse - and parents always bring in stuff to the staff and their "favorite" nurses...and I would never eat it. ESPECIALLY after learning that one mom brought in cookies she had made with milk...but not just any milk. HER BREASTMILK!! :barf: Yeah, so no, I wouldn't do homemade treats (not saying you would do that, I'm saying that your efforts would probably go to waste).

My daughter just finished Kindergarten, and the biggest hurdle for her this year has been writing and reading. She is really beginning to read pretty well, and can write now. So we sat down and thought about what she wanted to tell her teacher. I bought a Thank You card that was blank inside so she had all the room to write. And she wrote her a very nice card telling her what she liked about her teacher, etc. And I put a Visa gift card in it from us [the parents]. I think something like that goes a long way to being personal from our daughter, and also showing our gratitude towards the teacher for all her hard work this year.

[hbridge]

Thank you all. I think I will stay away from homemade food items.

DC often likes to make things for the teachers so we will stick with beaded goodies (necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, key chains, ect), notebooks, potholders, ect. (created by DC) and maybe Stonewall Kitchen jams or small gift cards ($5 just seems so cheap).

I love the teaching staff and DC is NOT an easy child so I really appreciate all they do and would love to recognize them with something wonderful. Store bought items just are not always in the budget; especially when I hear about other families in the district giving teachers $50 gift cards (from one family).

I try to make up for it by volunteering, chaperoning, and sending in whatever the teacher needs when I can. My fear is that we appear cheap or unappreciative.

Lhfer: Good for your daughter writing her teacher a nice note!

[boltfam]

. My fear is that we appear cheap or unappreciative.

As a former teacher, doing ANYTHING for the teacher does not appear cheap or unappreciative. Appreciation shows throughout the year.

[kerridean]

No. Gift card. Always a gift card.

[AnnieW625]

My mom used to work as an office manager at a small preschool-6 grade school and we always ate the baked goods people brought home. My mom also got an array of gift cards, and I think she got some canned items like jam.

If I were a teacher I would love some home made jam or salsa. I would do that and a gift card as well as a hand written note.

[hbridge]

For gift cards, what monetary value for each? Like I said, we will be at 10 next year (lead teacher, aids, specialists, ect.). At $10 each that's $100 and we would definitely do more for the head teacher and probably the specialists...

[AnnieW625]

Then I would just do a monetary gift for the head teacher, and maybe for the head specialist, but I would just do jams as planned and maybe bake some cookies or bring in pastries and a nice selection of teas for the office.

[Katigre]

Ok, I'm a teacher and get homemade food gifts. They are a mixed bag. Most of them are just junk food that I throw away b/c I eat a really healthy diet and have no use for homemade 'pretzel rounds dipped in white chocolate with an m&m in the middle' and stuff like that. I'd be more interested in things like jams.

But honestly (maybe it's just the circles I run in), food stuff is so individual that it's hit or miss with whether the gift will be truly appreciated and used.

[TwinFoxes]

I rarely eat/like food gifts, but I like getting the gift. :) It's usually a complete surprise, so I like the fact they thought of me at all. I'm not a teacher though (the youth of America are thanking me for that!)

[HannaAddict]

Never. Not done here. I would not eat home canned salsa unless I made it or
My grandma! No offense. :)

[AKMom]

I taught for 5 years and I almost never ate homemade goodies. I felt horrible throwing them away, but I was always afraid of what kind of kitchen they came from or if an ingredient could have been spoiled. Honestly, even a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Sonic is always VERY appreciated!! You really can't go wrong with a gift card!!

[klwa]

My mom was a teacher when I was growing up. And while she always was grateful to have been thought of, unless she knew the family well, she NEVER ate food gifts.