THE school holidays are almost here and unless you organize in advance, that means scrambling to buy a last-minute gift for your child’s teacher.
But if you’re a parent who has everything set up until the day before teachers hang up their summer cards, there’s still time to get something ready.
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Like me, most parents want to show their appreciation for the teachers and assistants who care for their children five days a week.
I take my hat off to anyone who can get my two sons, aged ten and six, to start learning, because they are difficult at home.
But which teacher really wants another bottle of wine or a scented bubble bath?
With a whole summer to keep the kids entertained ahead of me, I wanted to keep costs down so I picked up some cheap groceries from Home Bargains, Tesco and Temu.
I made them into beautiful gift sets for her two teachers and two teaching assistants, costing less than £5 each.
Home Bargains
When it comes to high street stores, Home Bargains has one of the best selections of teacher gifts I’ve seen this year.
And while there’s a fine line between “tatt” and “treasure,” there were some really cute options on offer.
For all you teachers who wear glasses, there’s a glasses case emblazoned with the words “Awesome Teacher” for just £1.99.
There’s also your standard swamp mug, with a cute twist with the slogan “This teacher is out of coffee” for £1.99, as well as a “star teacher” mug and pen set for £2.99.
There were also “World’s Greatest Teacher” keychains for 99p and a cute stuffed apple for £1.99.
My favorite was an adorable little fake plant, with the words “thank you for helping me grow” on the front, which cost just 99 cents each.
I bought two of these as well as one of the glasses cases and a “Thank You Teacher” candle for £1.99.
Temu
It doesn’t have the best reputation, but personally I’ve never had any problems buying from sites like Temu or Shein.
And I’m always amazed at how much you can get for your money on these sites.
Should you buy a gift for a teacher?
IF you’re wondering whether or not you should buy a holiday gift for your child’s teacher, look no further…
As the summer holidays approach, fabulous senior digital writer and mum-of-two Sarah Bull weighs in on whether you should feel obliged to buy your children’s teachers a gift to mark the end of term.
Sarah said: “It can be expensive trying to keep children entertained for six weeks out of school.
“But before the end of term, parents across the country are also trying to budget for gifts for their children’s teachers.
“With teachers, teaching assistants, SEN specialists and other well-loved staff to shop for, it can be an expensive business.
“And while many schools actively discourage parents from spending their money on end-of-year gifts for teachers, I consider it an obligation.
“After all – I know how tough my kids can be at home, and their teachers have to keep them under control most of the day – so don’t they deserve a token of appreciation?
“I also wouldn’t want my children to feel left out when their friends arrive at school armed with presses for their teachers.
“While some parents come away with gifts, with alcohol and flowers popular choices, I will do my best to stay within the £5 mark for each of the four members of staff I will buy for.
“And with some fabulous options in stores like Poundland, Home Bargains and B&M, it should be easy for me to stick to my budget.”
As with any store, you have to wade through the cheap junk to find the hidden gems.
But I really think I found some.
It’s also my first year shopping for a male teacher, as my children have always had female teachers up until now.
Since my son and his teacher share a love of reading, I wanted something that reflected that, so I went with this “Thank you for being part of my story” highlighter for £1.49.
It also seemed like good quality when it arrived and had a cute feather detail on the end of the marker tassel.
For my daughter’s primary teacher, I got a cute makeup bag that said “teach them, love them, watch them grow” on the front, and that was just £1.28.
I also received two thank you cards for the two main teachers – one of which my daughter could personalize by adding things like what the teacher helped her with and what she likes most about her.
What one was 78p, while the card I bought for my son to give to the teacher it was £1.07.
I also received two packs of mini sunflower pendants for the assistant teachers, which came with a little verse and cost just £1.34 for two.
So I bought a pack of 10 brown paper bagsfor £1.98, and a thank you stamp for £3.14 – both of which I will be able to use in future gifts if not used this time.
Using the stamp and an ink pad I already had, I was able to create a beautiful ‘thank you’ pattern on the front of the brown bags.
I also have an eight pack thank you cards for £1.53 – again which I will be able to use on future occasions – which came with its own envelopes and sealing stickers.
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Tesco
I picked up the rest of the parts I needed for the bags from Tesco.
It was here that I really took advantage of the store’s offers and Clubcard prices, buying chocolates and sweets at a reasonable price in the supermarket.
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It’s also a good idea to think about other things that could be a welcome addition to the bag, like some biscuits – which are usually a lot cheaper than boxes of chocolates or sweets.
I ended up opting for two packets of sultana and oat biscuits from Tesco to £1.25 a pack.
In addition to two packages of gingerbread cookies with spicy stems, also for £1.25 each.
I also purchased a roll of silver gift ribbon from here, which I will use to make cute additions to the bags when they are finished.
Gifts for Teachers on a Budget – The Ultimate Package
Teacher 1 – £4.67
Temu makeup bag £1.48, Temu card 78p, Temu gift bag 17p, Home Bargains plant 99p, Tesco biscuits £1.25
Teacher 2 – £4.99
Temu bookmark £1.33, Temu card £1.25, Temu gift bag 17p, Home Bargains plant 99p, Tesco biscuits £1.25
Teaching Assistant 1 – £4.33
Temu TA Token 75p, Temu Thank You Card 17p, Temu Gift Bag 17p, Tesco Biscuits £1.25, Home Bargains Glasses Case £1.99
Teaching Assistant 2 – £4.33
Temu TA Token 75p, Temu Thank You Card 17p, Temu Gift Bag 17p, Tesco Biscuits £1.25, Home Bargains Candle £1.99
TOTAL SPENT: £18.32
Finishing touches
The last item I wanted to add to the gift bags is something I couldn’t afford.
I asked my children to draw pictures for the teachers and teaching assistants to include in the bags.
Because I’m friends with several teachers, they’ve told me many times that homemade gifts like this mean so much more than some of the expensive things other parents spend on.
And kids love doing this too. So it’s a win!
If you’re really strapped for cash, ask your kids to draw a picture or make a small clay model for their teachers.
Or, if you have a garden, why not have them pick some flowers that you can turn into a beautiful homemade bouquet.
They will enjoy choosing them and the teachers will be equally pleased.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
