Mamacita says:  School will be out soon, for those of you with kids, and even those of you without your own kids will not be able to NOT notice all the children all over the place, during what used to be school hours, in a few weeks.  Those of you who are curmudgeons – and who isn’t at times? – need to get your WalMart, grocery store, and Target fixes satiated within these next few weeks, because it won’t be long until you’ll be seeing kids everywhere at any time of day.  As long as they’ve been taught to behave properly, I love to see kids out in public; however, kids who misbehave and run wild in public just plain suck, and that’s a euphemism for something so awful, some of you would mapquest my house, ring my doorbell, and slap my face in righteous indignation that I would dare suggest your kid be required to behave, not realizing that whatever the age, public behaviour IS everybody’s business you really don’t want to get me started on kids who have never been required to exhibit good public behavior.

It’s also time to be thinking about giving your child’s teacher a gift of appreciation.  After all, this dedicated professional has spent more time with most people’s children than their parents have, and deserve some little something to show them you care.

Might I suggest – nay, command – that you NOT give your child’s teacher a candle, statue, t-shirt,  mug, plaque, hanky, seasonal brooch, earrings (unless they’re actual jewelry),  snowglobe, poster, book (unless you know for sure it’s one she/he really wants),  or a framed picture of your child?  Teachers have more than enough of that stuff, and we never really liked most of it in the first place.  Trinkets are something that must either be displayed or packed away, and who has the space to do either?  The third option will be explained later in this post.

What your child’s teachers really want are gift cards to restaurants, stores, and cool educational websites.  Your child’s teacher would genuinely appreciate some genuine appreciation.  Teachers have very little spare time; gift cards to restaurants are really appreciated.  The best educational toys are found online, and since science isn’t tested in most states yet, science toys would be met with grateful thanks that would make you shed a few tears, yourself.

Teacher Appreciation certificates, good for merchandise, are also well-received.  The simple act of letting a teacher know that he/she IS appreciated is really all we want, but a little swag added to it is nice, too.

I know it’s easy, heading to the Dollar Tree or WalMart when it’s time to get a little something for Billy’s teacher, and anything sincerely given is sincerely appreciated.  But if you want your child’s teacher to remember you forever as a parent who KNOWS, go for the science toys, swaggish appreciation, restaurant cards, and even a mall card, good for every store in the shopping center.  If the teacher has young children herself/himself, fast food cards are a lifesaver; you know how much YOU appreciate having the wherewithal to run through the occasional drive-through, well, a teacher is just like you, except he/she has 30 children instead of three.  If your kid is in secondary school, please don’t forget those teachers, too.  Elementary teachers always rake in the loot, but junior high and high school teachers, who deal with hundreds of students each day, are often forgotten.

Amazon cards are lovely, too.

Oh, and that third option,  for dealing with the onslaught of the candles, picture frames, and trinkets?

Summer yard sale.  Do you really want to see the gift your child gave his/her teacher on the ten-cent-table?

But then, what would YOU do if you were given forty trinkets every year?

So, do what I tell you.  Gift cards.  Restaurant cards.  Science toys.  Certificates of appreciation/swag-of-choice.

Amazon card. iTunes. (Make sure the teacher uses iTunes first.)

Teachers are people, you know.  Most of them are INTERESTING people.  They have actual LIVES, lives that really don’t include ten thousand candles, statues, picture frames, and “World’s Best Teacher” mugs.  They don’t really want more wax and ceramics, but they could really, really use some useful things they can use at home or in the classroom.