Teacher, Babysitter, and Bus Driver Gift Ideas - Page 4

Every year I get flamed by someone or another for this, but every year I keep posting on behalf of all teachers (I used to be a kindergarten teacher). Please don't give them baked goods, candles, or scented things. I never ate anything that people brought in, and neither did the women I worked with. I don't like scented lotions, candles, etc. because they make my allergies go crazy. A scented thing is pretty personal and you never know if someone likes that kind of thing (unless of course they tell you that they do).

I like the ideas above that people posted about the movie bucket gifts and the mixing bowl with brownie mix and cookie mix (boxed and sealed, not homemade) if you want to do food or an actual gift. That is clever and will be appreciated! In my district, which is also very affluent, the parents are required to send in an $80 school supply fee at the beginning of the year, so the teachers really do not need supplies for the classroom. We give group gifts of CASH. That way the teachers end up with a couple hundred bucks to spend however they choose. It is always a huge hit, they are always very grateful. We also do group gifts of cash for the bus drivers. If your class doesn't collect money to do a group gift (or if you are just against that idea for whatever reason) then a small gift card is a nice gift. Okay, now I will duck.

I think baking is a really nice thing to do, but I have to wonder how many teachers/bus drivers actually eat it. I have to be honest; I wouldn't eat any of it. Who knows how clean someone's kitchen is or even if they've licked the spoon! I can only eat baked goods from people and family I know very well. I'd rethink making anything....it might end up being a waste of time and money that only ends up in the trash. I think specialty store packaged foods/cookies, etc. is more appropriate.

I've given beautifully packaged blank note cards; teas, body lotions, candles. I stop once my kids get into Middle School. It just becomes too much.

Well...over the years, friends and family that are teachers, as well as my own kids teachers that I have grown close to have told me when I asked, in regards to teacher gifts - no gc to 'teacher' stores, no lotions/bath stuff, no candles and nothing 'teacher related' (like apple paperweight, apple ornament etc). So I just try to avoid those items if I can...it's weird, that so many teachers have told me that same things! They must get inundated with those things...

We've been giving the 4 piece box of Godiva chocolates ($4.50) with a heartfelt card to our kids bus drivers. I write in the card about how grateful I am to have a safe driver for my children etc

I still give to all my kids teachers - even my older son who is in middle school. They actually seem to appreciate it more, since I think a lot of people don't do it when their kids get older. For the kids teachers, I really give a variety of things. It depends on how well I know the teacher, the grade level etc I do give to all my kids teachers - even the art teacher, gym teacher, music teacher etc - since I work in the office at both my kids schools, I often bring in several dozen homemade cookies for the office staff/break room...they disappear within a day, and since I bring them in the day I'm working, I know people are eating them because they thank me/ask for recipes etc If they weren't getting eaten, I would stop doing that. I always have my kids write in the card for their teacher - what they've liked most about the year so far.

This year I'm giving all the teachers the 4 piece box of Godiva chocolates ($4.50), a cut glass snowball tealight holder (got them at IKEA last year after Christmas for $1 each) and I need to decide whether I'm going to do poinsettias or cyclamen plants - or maybe something else, I haven't decided yet.

I've also given things like forced paperwhites, forced amyrilis, sm pine trees, poinsettias, gift cards (although I try to avoid doing GC, but sometimes you just don't have any other ideas)...items for the classroom - like one year I found out that a teacher needed more big dictionaries for the class, so that's what I got for her for Christmas and she was thrilled! Another time I found out that one teacher really wanted an electric sharpener for the classroom, so again, that's what I purchased.

I know I mentioned this in another thread but after reading, Nickel and Dimed by Barbra Ehrenreich, I really take into account the challenges faced by many service workers.

Many of the bus drivers around me are not rolling in dough. My children's busdriver is very large and for her health I would not give her baked goods. We give her gift cards to supermarkets. Who doesn't need groceries? And she can choose what she wants to spend it on.

I also give supermarket gift cards to the aids in my kids' preschool because I know they are underpaid.

Maybe these gift cards free up the recipients budget so they can buy other things they really want and need.

Each year for female teachers, I usually make some handstamped note cards. I tie them in a pretty ribbon and include a nice pen. Sometimes I throw in a plain or vanilla scented candle or a pretty container for the cards. This year I found cute notecards and matching post it notes in the $1.00 bin at target so that's what they are getting.

I did this last year for family friend gifts and teacher gifts and all loved it! Target dollar spot has plastic popcorn boxes that are fun to stuff and then wrap in cellophane. I bought one for each family member. Being room mom helped knowing my teachers likes and dislikes because I had her fill out a questionnaire at the beginning of the year.