We all know that teachers do a marvellous job with our little and big kids, and come Christmas time, most parents like to show their appreciation with a gift. Whether it is a home baked slice, a hand-drawn card or a voucher for the movies, a little festive ‘thank you’ treat is a lovely way to honour a much-loved teacher.
It is not always this straightforward however and one anonymous mum contacted Mamamia to describe how the teacher gift-buying situation had spun out of control at her child’s school.
Rebecca* mum to eight-year-old Amelie* was happy to part with some hard-earned dollars for a teacher present, until she was shocked by the amount she was being pressured to contribute by her fellow mum ‘friends’.
“A few of the parents I know had got together to decide on a present for the class teacher. I was okay to contribute something, but I couldn’t believe some of the ideas the other parents were swapping on the What’s App group. I had been thinking movie vouchers or a gift basket from a department store, but I was overridden by ideas of luxury day spa vouchers, city break packages and entire weekends in the wineries!”
Rebecca told Mamamia that the donation per family was expected to start at fifty dollars in order to reach the desired combination for this lucky teacher’s generous gift. This was in addition to an individual teacher present.
Another mum, Cathy, who is married to a school teacher, told Mamamia that like Rebecca, she felt group presents were excessive for a few reasons.
Top Comments
I have 2 kids in primary. The class reps volunteered to organise group gifts for the teachers. Parents can contribute as little or as much as they want. Generally it falls between $5-$20. I contributed $20 for each teacher cos I feel they deserved it. But it's nice that it isn't a set amount so that all families can have a part in the gifts.
I doubt the veracity of this story. As a former teacher I know that I would have been prohibited from accepting anything of a higher value than a token chocolate crackle.
I'm a current teacher and I don't doubt this story at all. It happens, particularly if you're teaching in a relatively affluent area. Most gifts are pretty modest - boxes of chocolates, flowers, movie vouchers - but you do get the occasional parent who goes overboard or a group of parents who decide to go in together on something more expensive.