FReeper Family Table

Giving appropriate gifts to various people has always been a difficult thing for me - I don't know why, because I truly enjoy giving gifts, but I just have the dickens of a time deciding who and what.

I realize many of you homeschool, and for others school is already out, but I've still got 2 weeks to go before school gets out and beieve it is customary to give a small token of appreciation to the teachers.

I'm wondering how you all handle such situations, and not just teachers at the end of school, but others at other times, such as Christmas.

For the teacher, how about one of those U.S. Mint commemorative Silver Eagle dollar coins, this year of course...

For others, such as nieces and nephews, wifey and I get them a Proof Set for either Christmas or birthday beginning at birth; makes a nice collection by the time they turn 18 and the tap shuts off.

Either-or only costs in the mid $20's.

I generally get teachers movie passes. With so many students, things like candles and plants (no matter how nice) can become overwhelming. Movie passes don't take up any space, they're usually good for a year, and I don't have to guess at what the teacher's personal tastes are.

That is such a great idea. I have given movie passes to my sister-in-law because going to movies is her favorite thing in all the world....but I should really expand on it for other gift-giving.

We have a program at our parish called Together We're Better, it is a convenient way to buy all manner of gift cards and certificate. At Christmas we usually give a gas card to our pastor since he drives around so much to visit the sick, and we gave a restaurant card to our deacon and his wife last year.

I also give a lot of cub scout/girl scout products at the holidays....when it's cub scout popcorn and girl scout nut/candy time, in the fall, I buy cases of the stuff and wrap the tins for easy gifting.

Just remembered something else! My daughter's brownie troop had a field trip last fall to a soy candle shop, and I was hooked! I bought several as gifts last Christmas....I love soy candles, they have a stronger scent than most petrol-based candles.

Personally I think the whole gift-giving mania is unhealthy. It's one thing for parents to give children birthday and Christmas presents, and for relatives and close friends to give useful wedding presents to a new couple just setting up a household. But this non-stop gift-exchanging between all sorts of people is insane. Most of the gifts end up gathering dust or being "re-gifted". A huge amount of money is being spent on trinkets that nobody needs or even really wants. And many people end up spending money they can't afford, because they feel they have to give gifts.

The teacher would probably appreciate a heart-felt letter or card thanking her for the very specific ways in which she's been helpful to your child. And she's likely to hang on to the letter, and read it again from time to time as she sorts through personal papers, even long after she's retired. Notes written by the children themselves on cards they made themselves, are also often saved and prized by teachers. On the other hand, the mugs, candles, apple-shaped paper-weights, and other assorted gift shop junk will be stuffed in a closet, and then thrown out next time the closet is de-junked, by which time she won't have the faintest recollection of who it came from.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.