I come from a family of teachers and each Christmas I hear about all the gifts they have received from their students. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law are all teachers and have received some very thoughtful gifts in the past that they have enjoyed so I thought I’d share them with you and I’ve also made a list of items that they may get too much of or that may be a bit too personal to give an educator.

Let’s get into the gifts!

What teachers want!

Gift Cards –

Non-specific gift cards are great! (Visa, Mastercard, etc) They may not live near a target or a certain restaurant but if you want to get a gift card maybe get one, they can use anywhere. Or on Amazon! That way they can shop from the comfort of their home!

A gift card to Starbucks is a good idea if you know your child’s teacher drinks coffee.

Gift certificate to get their nails done. This one is tricky. Have you seen the teacher’s nails painted? If so, this might be a great gift. If nails don’t seem to be a priority, then maybe try something else. It might not be their thing. If you do want to go this route, then I suggest finding a salon close to the school, so they can go after work. Make it as convenient as possible for them. Teachers don’t have a of free time.

Greeting Cards –

Cards and hand-written notes are wonderful. My mom loves to get notes from her kiddos and parents. We wrote one to our daughter’s teacher at daycare this year thanking her for all that she has done for Isla in the last year. We also plan on taking breakfast (donuts) up the last day before they let out for Christmas break. Every teacher wants to know they’ve made a difference.

Gifts for the Class –

Gifts for the class room are always welcome! Teachers often must spend their own money on things like supplies and tissues for the students. Some new pencils, crayons, or boxes of Kleenex are wonderful gifts. You could even split this gift with other parents if you wanted to.

You can’t go wrong with any combo of those gifts. Or get them all. I mean, they spend 8 hours a day with your kid, right? Worth every penny.

What teachers don’t want!

Here are a few things to stay away from and I’ll explain why:

Chocolate –

Don’t get chocolate. Teachers get chocolate for everything. Halloween, valentine’s day, Easter, etc. They often get so much that they must bring it home for their children to eat. On second thought…. Go ahead and get chocolate. My mom likes Reese’s. Wink, wink.

Clothing/Perfume –

Don’t buy clothes for a teacher. You might not get the right size, or it might not be their taste. It’s also a bit personal to buy someone clothes. Do you buy your neighbor clothes? Or your dentist? Didn’t think so. Better to steer clear of this idea and while we’re on the subject – no to perfume as well. Have you ever worn a perfume from an acquaintance? Probably not. You put it in the gift drawer and re-gift it. Picking out perfume is a process and it’s one that typically the person wearing wants a say in.

Jewelry –

Jewelry is also one of those things. A little too personal. It also might not be something they would normally wear, and you don’t want it to be a waste.

Coffee Mugs –

A lot of teachers that I know seem to get a ton of coffee mugs. These tend to accumulate and eventually end up in a garage sale down the road. (This is where the Starbucks gift card would be a good alternative.)

Homemade Food –

Homemade food is also one that teachers see a lot of. It’s a very sweet gesture that little Timmy made some cookies but are you 100% sure that he washed his hands? I’d stay away from this because the odds are that it may go to waste. Especially if the teacher has a food allergy and they can’t see what ingredients were used when the item was made.

Instead you could do a gift basket from Hickory Farms or something like that. I know for a fact that teachers like summer sausage. And cheese. Okay, maybe that’s just me.

I hope this list helps you decide what to do for your child’s teacher for Christmas. If you have any ideas for things not mentioned, please leave a comment down below. I’d love to hear from you.

Happy gifting!