How much do you spend on teacher gifts?

[TiffanyK]

I'm wondering how much you spend on teacher gifts for your kid's music, dance, sunday school teachers.

 

[klj27]

This year I spent:
1st grade teacher: $25
2 4th grade teachers: $15 each
tiger scout leader: $10
Girl scout leaders: nominal gift because I am a coleader with them
piano teacher: $20 (2 kids)
bus driver: $20 (2 kids)

I spend more on these people than a lot of family members. I feel like my parents, siblings, etc. have been blessed with a lot. I want these people to know how much I value them and appreciate the job that they do. In some areas these are probably low numbers, but where I live they are on the high end. Also, I give giftcards so they can put to use however they would like.

 

[CheapMom]

I have stopped buying individual teacher gifts last year. The class mom takes up a collection and buys a gift card for the teacher and I contribute $5 for each homeroom teacher.
Everyone gets a bag of homemade cookies and a card.

 

[sarahg311@hotmail.co]

For my 7 year olds teachers:

$25 for 2nd grade teacher
$25 for religious ed teacher


For my 4 year olds teachers:

$15 a piece for his preschool teachers

 

[daisyduck123]

DS's 2nd grade teacher...$35.00
DD11's middle school teachers....$5.00 gift cards to Starbucks
swim coaches...$25.00 total (there's 4 of them)
DS's music, p.e., art teachers - $8.00 each (sees them 1 - 2X per week)

 

[lookingforward]

$25 for grade school teachers.
For junior high and high school it would be almost impossible to buy for all, so if they have a favorite teacher I give about $25.

I always buy gift certificates, usually to a chain restuarant or coffee place.

 

[tripplanner2]

Wow, I live on Long Island and these numbers seem high. I am trying to take a collection at my daughters preschool and the other moms want to contribute a total of $8 for 3 people, divided $5, $2, $1. I don't think it is enough, I thought $20 for the 3 but I am the minority.

 

[DianeV]

Believe me it gets frustrating doesnt it? I tried to do this with my kids and gave up because some didnt want to do it etc. I think you can get away alot cheaper by donating $5 a teacher then buying something!

 

[mom23boys]

For my DS (3) Preschool Teacher
$10 each (2 teachers) - I am organizing a class gift
Plus a Yankee Candle Tart Warmer Gift Set ($20 Tota)

For my DS (6) teacher
$10 to class gift
Plus a Yankee Candle ($20)

For Religious Education Teachers
4 total Teachers - Each got either a Yankee Candle or the Tart Warmer Gift set. (Total: $40)

So total for all Teachers $110.

 

[HaleyB]

Everyone gets gift cards because I know from boards like this, that is what teachers want

I do $20 for homeroom teachers (two kids, so $40)
$10 each for two special ed teachers that work with my son ($20)
PE, Art, Music $10 each ($30)
Both office gals also get $10 gift cards ($20)
We have a student teacher in my daughters class and he works harder than anyone so he gets a $20 gift card too.($20)

This year I am doing Target cards all around I think my total is $130.

Another option (I did this last year) that is a little less than $10 a person is an Apple Pie certificate from Marie Calanders(sp?)

 

[My2Cinderellas]

oh man, I am cheap compared to you all!

I spend $8-10 per teacher for a gift at the end of the school year, either gift certs to the local bagel shop, or a small pot of mixed flowers.

Christmas is usually food that the girls have helped make. One year was a snack mix, last year was a tin of homemade cookies.

Each girl gives to her teacher, if there is an associate in the room fulltime or separate literacy teacher, then they get gifts too. DD7 started piano, so that's another gift this year. I also take a big cookie tray with a card into the teacher's lounge, so the specialty teachers (art/music/etc) and support staff get something as well.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

My son is in Pre-K and the class mom has taken a collection of $15 per child. This will include gifts for 3 teachers, baby gifts for their other teacher on maternity leave and flowers for end of the year. I also bought each teacher my own gift from my son, a pedicure kit. I figure this is perfect since they are on their feet all day! The kits retail for over $20, but since I am a bargain hunter, I got them for $4.99 each! What a deal!

I also have two bus drivers to get something for. I was thinking a small bag of gourmet chocolate popcorn for each of them. Is that cheap? Should I be getting them something more??

 

[barkley]

my kids go to a one room school house-so there are 2 teachers and 1 teacher/principal. this year i bought each of them a bisque ornament of the cross. i found them the mikasa outlet, retail price $19 each/outlet price $7.99, but on holiday sale for 20 percent off. so it worked out to $6.39 each.

i loooooove good outlet shopping.

 

[beattyfamily]

I usually spend $15 on teacher and $10 on assistant teacher.
I usually give the bus driver chocolates or cookies etc...
I usually end up contributing to the class gift too but not this year because both homeroom moms want $10. and I'm on a tight budget this year, unfortunately.

I sometimes forget my DD's CCD teacher (Religious education) but hopefully, thanks to this thread, I won't forget. I'll probably spend $10 on her. She's a teenager so maybe movie passes.

 

[d4est]

Wow...am I cheap?? I have always spent about 10-15 dollars for my DS's teacher, but this year (3rd grade) he has 3 teachers (homeroom teaches LA, social studies/math teacher, & a science teacher). I bought the two female teachers a snowman ornament & the male teacher a box of candy. To the gift bags I will add some "wreath" candies I found on another thread (quick/easy Christmas treats).

I am still not sure about his "specials" teachers (music, gym, art, library). I think I will give them some of the wreath candy & call it good. I am not rich.

Bus driver always gets something too.

 

[grlpwrd]

I managed to really come below what I had budgeted and I plan to give a little more than I anticipated this year. Surprisingly, we had a lot of bills and expenses this month (2 property taxes, 2 insurance bills, 1 medical bill, and $$$ worth of landscaping in the past few months) and I was unsure if we would even celebrate the holidays.LOL... Thankfully, I made it work by planning.

3 bus drivers - GCs

lunch ladies - huge box of chocolates
janitorial staff - huge box of chocolates (my brother is a school janitorial supervisor and the stuff they do )

6 grade school teachers - reindeer candy jars which cost less than $3 to make or potpourri balls (lavender, rose, and cedar) which has become a tradition for my kids to make each year.

6 high school teachers (1 female + 5 males) - $5 to $10 GCs - my dd is in a gifted program and they really challenge the kids and are wonderful.

2 Girl Scout leaders - cookies and ice cream gift baskets (cost less than $7 each because I used coupons or got stuff on sale)

3 martial arts instructors - snack and fruit gift baskets

I spend more on these people than a lot of family members. I feel like my parents, siblings, etc. have been blessed with a lot. I want these people to know how much I value them and appreciate the job that they do.

klj27, my sentiments exactly!

 

[soccerchick]

Here's what I've done so far:

DD6 kindergarten teachers (2) $10 gift card each to Target
DD6 bus drivers (different one for am and pm) $5 McDonald's gift cards
DS2 preschool teachers (2) $10 gift cards to Target

grlpwrd -- thanks for the reminder about the support staff. Maybe I'll get a big box of cookies to take up to school for the office, librarian and custodial staff.

 

[Dismom+two]

some of you think YOUR cheap?? You would be suprised what I spentthis year. My daughter and I were at Michaels (crafts) and there was a clearence rack. We found little packs of notecards with different pictures. For art, there was a paintbrush, and music and band both got notecards with a music stand with sheet music on them. They were 50 cents!! Her teacher got a coffee mug that was like $6 or $7 and going to fill with her favorite choc. treat. I feel it's not how much you spend, it's what you get and does it fit that person. My DD brought her art teacher her gift yesterday and she was THRILLED with the notecards!
Please don't condem me for being cheap.

 

[mercydisney]

Dismom+2 I will never flaim you I will commend you. I think the teachers will appreciate a gift they can use no matter how much it cost. I have way too many teachers to give presents to to spwnd so much many on each. Last
year Walgreens had 75% off christmass items and gifts. I bought a whole bunch and intend to give a gift to all the teachers DD10 wants to give to ( math, art. music,. gym, etc.) She believes christmas is a time of giving, (my budget doesn't) . Anyway for her regular teachers I will give a sale item w/Gift certificate. I also have DD5 who thinks if her sis gives to all her teachers she must to, since she just started school. I don't mind giving all gifts especially since they make my children's lives special it just gets very expensive.

It' the thought that counts.

 

[fiveforall]

kindegarten teacher-25 Outback cert.
2nd grade teacher-25 Outback cert.
5th grade teacher-25 Outback cert.
PE coach-movie basket---25 Blockbuster card, popcorn, and candy
Sunday School teachers---Bath and Body lotion and Bath and Body spray
karate teachers---candy trays
soccer coach-tshirt and soccer desk pen holder thingie
teacher aides---homemade cinnamon rolls