Here's something I'm very curious about – why do some jobs attract Christmas bonuses and not others? I work hard for my coaching clients, but that's my job. I certainly don't expect anything extra for it, though a thank you email is always nice.
But for someone who provides a good service – for example, our milkman whom I've never met, but never lets us down – I will give a Christmas tip.
And I always get my children's teachers a Christmas gift, usually wine. I figure that one size fits all, and if they don't want to drink it they can always pass it on to someone else. Last year, for a change, I made chocolate brownies and sent them in to be shared in the staff room.
When my son was in reception I was the class rep, so I organised a collection for the teachers. Some people didn't want to give to this, preferring to do their own thing. But many did and we ended up collecting enough for a nice set of Space NK vouchers for the teacher, and Marks & Spencer vouchers for the classroom assistant. The staff were very grateful, and the parents seemed quite pleased with this as it made life easier for them. We did encourage the children to still do their own individual cards so they could write their own thank you message to teacher.
But should we even be doing this? Aren't teachers just doing their job, without needing some Belgian chocs and a bottle of Cava to show it? Shouldn't they be thanking you for the privilege of spending time with your lovely offspring all day? What about the other school staff who also support our children but get forgottten about in the gift rush?
What do you think? Do you buy gifts for teachers? If not, why not? If you're a teacher, what do you think about gifts from parents? Leave a comment below