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December 13, 2018

GIFT GUIDE: [mostly] Handmade Gifts for Teachers

Contributed by Lana Diaz, Recruitment & Advancement Specialist

As a parent, I find myself feeling stuck each year, around this time, on just what to give my child’s teacher to express my gratitude for all they do year round.  I always wonder, what is it that would mean the most to them?

So, this year, I asked our Doodle Bugs! teachers to share stories of their most unforgettable presents. Seeing their responses brought such joy and reminded me that, it’s the thought that counts. Their answers helped me to think beyond materialistic gift-giving and more about symbols of appreciation.

1. The best gift I ever received from a parent/child in my class was this hand drawn photo of the child and I with a photo of us underneath! It still sits on my desk!

 

2. The best Christmas gift I received from a child was a mug filled with chocolates from a child I never actually had in my room. I would see her come in, in the mornings and I would always say hi to her and her parents. Her mom gave me a mug filled with chocolates with a note that said “Thank you for being so kind in the mornings, and greeting us! You’re the best!”

 

3. The best Christmas gift I have ever received from a parent or child in my class was this class Christmas ornament. It was my favorite gift because it was customized to include everyone’s names in the class that year.

 

4. The best Christmas gift I ever received was from my very first 3-year-old class. I was leaving to move away and begin my life with my soon-to-be husband. It was my last day at the school and he handed me this hand drawn picture of HIM (the child!) and I getting married instead because he wished I was not leaving and would be there for Christmas. I will be celebrating my third wedding anniversary on December 19th, but this heart-felt drawing has not left my refrigerator since the day we moved into our new home.

 

5. I don’t usually get many gifts because I’m in the kitchen but the best Christmas gift I received from a child was this handmade star ornament that has been in my windowsill for a few years now. He was a quiet, sweet little preschooler that always took time to give me hugs! I was so surprised that he and his mom thought of me.

 

6. The best Christmas gift I have ever received from a parent or child in my class was a handmade photo book of photos we had taken together. It was my favorite gift because it was customized just for me. My Lead Teacher received one customized just for her too. The thought and effort she put into this really showed! It really brought the appreciation for Tadpoles photos full circle and showed how much the bond that was created between her son and I really meant to them. My relationship with his mom has grown even more to this day even though he’s moved on from our toddler room. I keep it on my dresser and my own kids even enjoy reading it now and then.

 

7. The best Christmas gift I have ever received from a parent or child in my class was this mug! It was my favorite gift because it really made me feel like I made a difference in the child and parent’s eyes! Last Christmas was my first Christmas at Doodle Bugs!, only being there about a month and a half. When this parent gave me this gift it meant so much to me because she could already see how much I cared about her little one and that I was one of the people who was there to help her child grow!

 

8. The best Christmas gift I’ve received from a child was a canvas that the child had painted with the thing we loved to draw together – Owlette as a mermaid! It was my favorite gift because mom told me she had been working on it every day for weeks, spending a little time painting and drawing it every day after leaving Doodle Bugs!. The corner said “I love you Liam! Love, Maya” I have it hanging up in my art studio at home!

 

9. The best gift I ever got from a parent and child was a picture frame filled with their favorite pictures that I had taken of their child during the school year . It was so cute and thoughtful to put them together like this!

 

So, in a season that often becomes so much about the list of people we are buying for, this served as such a heartwarming reminder that the gift of appreciation is priceless.