Worst Daycare Teacher Presents

The worst presents that I or any other teacher I know have been given

Teachers in any school, preschool or daycare appreciate the thought and time involved in giving holiday teacher presents, but sometimes the sentiment behind the gift is lost in translation.

1. A few years ago one of my fellow teachers was given a denim jumper featuring ABCs and 123s and a healthy smattering of apples. Miss Memmott regularly wore fleece pull-overs, khakis and sweaters. With the gift came the explanation that the mother had noticed that Miss Memmott wore clothes that were more appropriate for a "college student" and that she had bought the jumper to show her what would be more appropriate.
2. Candy-- usually this is a welcome stress-allieviator, but around the holiday season our daycare is deluged with so many treats that we subtly throw away some and regift other portions.
3. A mother gave one of my co-teachers a gift certificate for a party-based cosmetics company, and later she found out that the certificate was only good if she spent $50 of her own money first.
4. A mother gave my co-teacher and I homemade kahlua. (It is usually a no-no to give alcoholic beverages to your teacher, but thankfully this mother asked us first if it was alright.)
5. A fellow teacher's face regularly broke out, and a parent gave her a gift certificate for a well-known medication for this condition. While the teacher would have appreciated the medication, she began to feel that others were paying a great deal of attention to her condition.

Something I just have to say again and again-- no apples! No apple pins, no apple scarves, no apple earrings. And no little red schoolhouse items either. If your daycare providers really liked these items, they would wear them. Before buying any of these items think, have you ever seen any of your daycare teachers wearing anything like this? If unsure, observe your teachers for the short amount of time that lasts before the holidays.

Be sure to visit my article, Daycare Teacher Gifts for gift ideas that won't make your daycare providers cringe.

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