Teacher Gift - Sweets?

[HLAuburn]

So as the daughter of a teacher, I know we LOVED getting all kinds of goodies from her students - banana bread, brownies, cookies, caramel corn - you name it! We snacked on it all Christmas break.

I've waiting until the last minute to get DD's teacher a gift, so I'm trying to decide if sweets are a good idea or if I'm just pushing my own childhood memories on everyone else! So for all you teachers out there, do you like getting sweets and other treats as gifts? I know my mom and her colleagues joke about the dreaded "coffee mug" gift (I think my mom has 1,000 - and she likes coffee!), but is food the same way?

FWIW, I would buy something at a bakery or somewhere like that rather than make it.

I'm open to other suggestions too....Thanks!

 

[marcyinPA]

I'm a preschool teacher, and I enjoy getting chocolate and treats. Unlike many of the teachers here on the DIS, I eat homemade goodies and have no problem doing so. I teach in a private school that costs $$, so not just anyone sends their kids there. I figure their kitchen can't be any dirtier than a restaurant kitchen, and I eat out from time to time!

My only suggestion would be to add the ingredient list to your gift, in case of allergies. I have no food allergies so I eat anything, but there are people who do have allergies and would likely throw your treats out if they don't know what is in them.

 

[Hannathy]

The Dis is the only place I have heard that teachers don't eat what is brought in. The teachers in my family and friends eat what they are given and I know the teachers in my kids school do because I have seen them do it.

I think what you are suggesting is great.

 

[gifchick]

I give my DD teachers wine, the way I look at it, if they don't like it, it can be re-gifted....

 

[walkerag]

I'm going to run by Target where they hopefully still have thie bags of Lindor chocolates on sale for 2 for $5 and get a bag for DD's 2 teachers. I know I'd love to recieve Lindor chocolates

 

[Tinkermommy]

I bought my teachers a Philosophy gift set. It was Double-Chocolate Cake Shampoo/Body wash/Bubble Bath with Vanilla Frosting lotion!

It smells yummy and no calories!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

After reading how teachers don't eat the homemade goodies, we started sending in their favorite snacks from the store. DD12 took in a huge bag of pretzel M&Ms for 1 teacher, and a bag of Starburst for another, etc... - she just paid attention to what the teachers liked to snack on through the year. The teachers loved that she had noticed their favorite snacks and immediately opened up her gifts and started eating right there at their desks.

We always try to send in things for the classroom as well but it was nice to give the teachers something that they could enjoy right away.

 

[RadioNate]

I give my DD teachers wine, the way I look at it, if they don't like it, it can be re-gifted....

My mom got a bottle of whiskey once, lol. That was great

In addition to all the #1 teacher stuff she always got boat loads of Christmas themed pot holders/towels/placemats and hordes of candles.

She never ate homemade food. It never even came home. She pitched it at school. My old neighbor used to have her kids make and decorate cookies for their teachers. One of those teachers rents my house and said she's always thrown them out. I didn't have the heart to tell my neighbor. Of course that now they are neighbors I don't think she'll be pitching them.

I think something store bought would be ok. I know our teachers here like store bought stuff from parents. We donate deli type trays for meeting days. The school requires it all to be store bought and labeled for allergy purposes.

 

[Witch Mountain]

Last year, we sent in homemade peppermint bark and my kids teachers apparently dug right in!

My aunt and uncle were both teachers and I ended up with some of the body washes, powders and the like as a kid that they didn't want. That and the coffee mugs seemed to be very common gifts.

As a result, I've tried with my kids to change it up. Gift cards to bookstores or video stores. The past couple of years, money's been tight, so it's been homemade items.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

As a preschool aide, I love everything our parents give us. It makes us feel special and appreciated knowing our parents took the time and expense to give us a gift. This year, I'm taking it easy on the sweets, although I love them! No cookies or candy are worth gaining back an ounce of the 40 pound I just lost! If I get any, I will share it with other coworkers and my family.

We're giving my son's main teacher a hand-knit scarf that I made. The others are getting cocoa packets and candy in goodie bags. My other son goes to a specialized school and has 9 staff members that work with him at various times. They ladies are getting a goodie bag with a small tube of lotion or bubble bath with some candy tossed in. These are relatively small gifts, but I know they'll be appreciated.

 

[daisyduck123]

My favorite gifts are gift cards (no amount is too small)...love those $5.00 cards to Dunkin' Donuts and the $10.00 gas cards!

I don't mind receiving store-bought candy, but almost always give it away.

Homemade goodies - - they go onto a tray in the teacher's lounge. I just won't touch them.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

My kids teachers have always eaten homemade treats. I just sent in birthday treats with my boys this week. One took brownies and the other took cookies. Both their teachers ate them. They even pass out the extras to other teachers, principals, and other adults in school. Most people do eat them.

However, after many years of giving away homemade treats for holiday gifts, I am really not doing it much anymore. I have read too many negative comments on the dis about it.

After reading on the dis, I have kind of started feeling negative about giving teacher gifts. It really stresses me out. I really only give gift cards now. Now I stress about what ones to give. We live in a rural town, so no starbucks or dunkin donuts for us. I don't even know if the teachers like it anyways. Gas cards seem so generic.

This year one teacher got an amazon gift card, and the other a gift card for Outbacks. I tucked each card into a pair of gloves so it would be more like a gift.