Are you a parent that struggles every year with what to get your children’s teachers as an end of the year (or holiday) gift?
As a former teacher, the parents were very generous around the holidays and at the end of the year with presents of appreciation. I would actually have to make multiple trips out to my car to bring them home. Although I was very happy for such generosity, I also felt a little guilty. I often would get things I didn’t need or use and give them away. Lotions and candles are great, but you can only moisturize your hands so many times a day.
Then I got an idea. I knew parents wouldn’t stop altogether with sending a gift, so I that if they wanted to give a gift, a donation to a charity would be wonderful. I even gave suggestions of charities I liked.
On that last day of school, I still received some presents, but many of the families followed my suggestion and donated instead. Some even had their child choose a charity they thought I’d like (I’m into nature, so I received one for the Audubon Society, which was great!).
So parents, if you want to give your children’s teachers a gift they can really appreciate, consider donating. Not only does the money go to a worthy cause (instead of scenting the house with the waxy smell of sugar cookies or lavender), but it teaches your child a lesson in giving. You can also get your child involved by having them think about what charity the teacher would like (or give to a charity your child or family personally supports).
Most charities have ways to easily donate online--simply google the name of the charity. Just think—no more having to shop around for a last minute gift!
And teachers, I hope you’ll think about offering this idea to your parents. All I did was send out a note to the parents in my newsletter. I would recommend doing it about 3 weeks to a month in advance, as one year my parents had already pooled money together for something else.
Below is a list of types of charities I have suggested to my students’ parents or donated to myself. Happy giving!
- American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
- Autism Speaks: http://www.autismspeaks.org/
- Ronald McDonald House (offers families a place to stay while their child is being treated for a serious illness or injury in a hospital far away from their home): http://rmhc.org/
- TAILS Humane Society: http://www.tailshumanesociety.org/
- Critter Corral (a guinea pig rescue): http://crittercorral.org/
- Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation: http://ocfoundation.org/
- American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
- March of Dimes: http://www.marchofdimes.com/
1 comment:
Excellent gift guide. I so much of the time gave gifts to both of my sons classes, as I know the teachers cannot afford everything. I gave more to my youngest sons class, as they were special needs, and with the teachers there and our gifts, the children soared!!
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