Class Gift

[hegsag]

I was class mom for my dd's clas year. Alot of work & time go in to being a room mom...I believe that maybe this mom is tired of the same parents helping out/contributing and the same parents not participating. As a room mom you can see the trend of who helps and who doesn't. Maybe it's time for her to give up being room mom next year if that is the case. I always included every child in the class gifts. I didn't have them sign the card instead I wrote a nice note and signed it by the whole class. She would open the gift during the holiday party & all children would watch her. Nobody needs to know who gave or how much each person gave -- to me that's being petty. From my own experience, the younger kids get so excited watching the teacher open the gift/gifts from them ... why exclude them? My guess this mom is just being bitter and maybe needs to give up being room mom next year...

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I like giving teachers our own gift and card.

 

[LuvLDM]

I think it's mean spirited to only allow the children who contributed to sign the card. Perhaps the parents don't have extra money to spend on teacher gifts or they just forgot, either way I don't it's very nice to punish a 7yr. old for that
In the Op's situation I would just send in my own gift. Not necessarily because I disapprove of the way the room mom is handling the "card signing" but because I think the craft project idea is stupid.
Sorry if that offends.

 

[dogluva]

Thank you for all the responses. I actually emailed the mothers and asked what the craft was and how I didn't think it was right that some sign and some don't. She wrote back and stated that she did not mean that they would actually sign it-their names would be put on the card by a mother. I am fine with this. This way, no child feels bad (sorry, I think if we can avoid making a child feel bad then we should). So she did clear this up for me. I just wish she had written this in the letter. Come to find out, it was not approved by the principal anyway. Had she cleared it with him, she would have been asked to rewrite it. I guess I have a problem, too, with random notes being sent home with my child.

I actually think it is a nice gesture, really I do. I just know, as a teacher myself, that some kids cannot put any amount of money in. I work in a very poor school and I got one gift last Christmas. It was home made. I did not care who gave and who didn't. I don't expect anything, I am doing my job (one that I love).

So, again, thanks for your replies. Everything has been cleared up. I am going to just have my daughter pick out her own gift. I don't care if her name is not on the card.

 

[PatsGirl]

I don't think kids should be asked to bring money for a gift at all. A craft and homemade card from the class is great and those families that decide they can afford a gift and want to do so can buy whatever they want from their own child.

FWIW, my kids always had several teachers so purchasing gifts was not done in my home nor was I ever asked to donate to a class gift We do however make Cape Cod Turtles for all the teachers and bus drivers, etc. and if my child has/had a teacher they wanted something special for, I would buy a cute plate to put the candies on. The other candies are given either in Xmas ziploc containers or gift bags.

This year we've added another dimension ~ gingerbread men cookies

 

[kidzmom3]

is this a brand or a special type of turtle candy??

 

[Ceila]

I have often declined to go in on a group gift organized by the room mom, since we like to do our own thing. I have never expected that my child's name would be on the card. We didn't participate in that gift, so why should his/her name be listed as one of the gift-givers? I don't think it would be nice to physically have the kids sign a card while leaving some kids out, since little ones of that age wouldn't really understand why they were excluded. But I think what the room mom is actually doing (per the OP's update) is just fine.

 

[PatsGirl]

Kidzmom3: Cape Cod Turtles are a passed-down tradition in my family for a easy kid candy recipe, basically melted chocolate (milk, sweetened, or dark, your choice) combined with broken cashews and craisins spooned onto foil where they harden for a couple of hours and then can be packed for gifting. People love them

 

[kidzmom3]

Kidzmom3: Cape Cod Turtles are a passed-down tradition in my family for a easy kid candy recipe, basically melted chocolate (milk, sweetened, or dark, your choice) combined with broken cashews and craisins spooned onto foil where they harden for a couple of hours and then can be packed for gifting. People love them

yummy sounding!


I love that my kids elementary school did not allow any gifts to teachers for any reason. There was a list of classroom needs and you could get something off of that if you wanted to. The list ranged from :
gallon size ziplock bags
specific books
scarfs for movement class
lysol wipes
art supply

 

[PatsGirl]

I love that my kids elementary school did not allow any gifts to teachers for any reason. There was a list of classroom needs and you could get something off of that if you wanted to. The list ranged from :
gallon size ziplock bags
specific books
scarfs for movement class
lysol wipes
art supply

Love this idea~but we'd probably sneak the candies in too