I'm a teacher and, although I do receive things from the pupils (which are usually small or homemade,) the best gift is to see children smiling when they come into the classroom because they want to be there. And the ultimate gift is the joy of seeing them make progress. The cost for that? Nothing.
Lovely post.
I don't see anything at all wrong with getting a little present for a teacher you particularly like and who helps you/your child a lot, but Q are utterly deluded about what anyone would spend on such a thing. When I was in primary school in the 90s if you really liked a teacher you might spend a fiver on a mini Body Shop gift basket or something, I've never seen or heard of anything bigger being given. Well, except for at Oxford uni but that's a whole other kettle of fish.
My dad gets boxes of chocolates off students all the time, the likes of Celebrations or Heroes or whatnot, so also about a fiver. I think that's about right for a teacher present really, something small and fairly universal; there aren't many people who don't like or can't eat chocolate or at least someone in their house will. He does get stuff like bottles of whisky at christmas and the end of the academic year though, obviously those cost a lot more. His students always seem very grateful and enthusiastic, I certainly don't think they feel obliged. He doesn't especially want presents, he just wants the kids to do well and be happy. My (midwife) mother also gets boxes of chocolate and bottles of wine from patients all the time. Neither of my parents really drink and neither do I or my partner so we're all always drowning in bottles of it, ha. But both parents are very touched at being appreciated.
If kids/parents want to give presents to a favourite/well liked teacher so be it, but there certainly shouldn't be any culture of obligation to do so or anything like that. I don't really think there is, it's probably just flannel from the likes of Q.
Also obviously presents shouldn't curry favour with teachers or get kids out of trouble, and I really doubt they do.
There's a guy who cuts the grass, rakes leaves, trims hedges and so on outside my mum's house (as in the whole street, not just for her) and does lots of little odd jobs and things. He charges very little, is incredibly helpful and very nice and friendly, so she always gives him 50 quid in a card at christmas. Obviously that's a lot of money but he takes an absolute pittance the rest of the time and she really appreciates him. He's wonderful really, sometimes we've been struggling with things like a broken gutter on her house and he's stopped work to come and help us. Bless his heart.
Isn't the 'gift' to the bridesmaid the honour of the job?
Plus 'baby showers'. What in earth is all that about, apart from some useful device for the pregnant woman, who can go: 'right, give me and my unborn child loads of presents in return for some Lambrini and Hula Hoops, and if you don't you're basically disrespecting us both'. There really isn't any area of life or person who can't be 'monetised'. 'Baby Shower' also conjures up the unfortunate image of a load of babies falling from the sky.
But don't people get trillions of baby presents anyway, whether they have a shower or not? Also to be fair a baby shower is a bit more than Lambrini and crisps, it's a lot of work. Not that that means people should be rewarded with more presents or anything, just saying. I hosted a couple for friends and the food, decor, organising games and whatnot took an awful lot of time and effort. I mean of course different people will do it differently and there will be ones with less stuff, but generally it seems people do make a huge amount of fuss over it.
