Do you ever find yourself struggling to figure out when you should be giving your child’s teacher a present, and when you shouldn’t? You don’t want other students and parents to think that you’re trying to earn special treatment for your child, but you do want to show your appreciation. It’s a difficult line to walk for most parents.
The good news? There are some great opportunities for giving gifts to teachers in a way that’s totally acceptable. Today, we’re going to cover some of the best reasons to give a gift to a teacher, and what you need to know before you get started.
Before Giving a Gift to a Teacher
The first thing to remember when you’re getting a gift for a teacher is that this can be an educational opportunity for your child. This is a chance for you to teach your child how important it is to say thank you, and practice generosity in their life. Ideally, any gift to a teacher should come from your child, so they can learn these lessons first-hand. A gift that comes straight from a child can also feel more meaningful to a teacher than one from a parent.
The next thing you need to know is when other people are likely to be giving gifts to the teacher. If you’re the only one who sends your child to school with a present, this could earn them some unwanted attention. Pay attention to the common times of the year when gifting is more likely.
Finally, think about how you can choose a gift that’s as appropriate as possible for your child’s teacher. Even if it’s going to be you, that’s giving the present rather than your child try to avoid any gag gifts that might come across the wrong way. Any present you get should be thoughtful, meaningful, and not too overly expensive. Try to see how much other parents are going to be spending or consider going in on a large gift with other students.
With those rules out of the way, here are the 3 best times to give a gift to a teacher.
Special occasions are a great time for giving a gift to anyone in your life. For instance, you might decide that you’re going to give your child’s teacher a present on valentine’s day, or on the last day of school before your kids break up for the winter holidays. If you know when your child’s teacher has a birthday, then you could consider giving them a gift then too – but only if other parents are considering doing the same thing.
Think about the kind of special days throughout the calendar that might be meaningful to your child and their teacher. You could even think about getting things like Easter gifts, or buying a present for a teacher when she or he announces that they’re expecting a child.
By the time the school year finishes, most students and teachers have been through a meaningful time together. It’s nice to finish the year off by saying thanks with a gift that’s meaningful from your child. Think about what kind of present you can get to show that you appreciate how much the teacher has helped your child, without spending over the odds.
Often, one of the most important things you can remember when you’re gifting at the end of the school year is to include a card with a message from your child. This heart-felt thanks will make a huge difference to any teacher. There are also occasions when you might decide to start the year off with a gift – but if you do that, try to make sure that the present is as small as simple as possible!
Finally, everyone loves a surprise from time to time – even your child’s teachers. Randomly giving gifts to teachers can be a difficult process, as there’s always a chance that you could come across as trying to earn preference for your child – so make sure that “just because” gifts are small.
If you’re giving gifts just because, make sure that you can link them to something meaningful. For instance, you might want to give a gift after your child overcomes a particularly tough academic challenge, or when he or she manages to accomplish something in school. Remember, a thank you note and explanation will help the gift go down the right way here.
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