A woman is cautioning parents about presents teachers “don’t want” as the Christmas holidays approach. Most UK schools finish for Christmas at the end of this week, giving educators a much-needed break.
While it’s not compulsory, many parents opt to give their child’s teacher a small Christmas gift as a gesture of gratitude. However, selecting something suitable for someone who isn’t a mate or relative can prove challenging. From homemade cards and chocolates to candles and even Stanley Cups, teachers can find themselves lugging home a car boot packed with presents.
That said, there’s invariably one child who brings something rather peculiar – last year, one teacher was given a half-eaten Mars Bar by one pupil, while another received a ‘borrowed’ engagement ring, reports the Mirror.
One American primary school teacher, Natalie, revealed there are three items she would “rather not get” as a festive thank-you gesture.
However, following her frank TikTok confession, she’s been labelled as “ungrateful”. The content creator, posting under @primaryfocus, amassed over 16,000 views after addressing the matter online.
She explained: “If you’ve been in the classroom long enough, you will have gotten one of these ‘gifts’ that’s not quite the blessing you hoped for. Here’s three gifts that teachers don’t want.
“Number one – anything in a Victoria Secret bag. I don’t care that you didn’t get them underwear, that lotion smells bad – and now you have a Victoria’s Secret bag on your desk. It’s just awkward.”
The second gift Natalie suggested teachers don’t appreciate is sweet treats for the entire class. The North Carolina educator explained: “Listen, it’s cool that you want to get everybody donuts but you need to ask ahead when and if the teacher is OK with that, because what it is for us is a giant sugar high from all of our kids and then the sugar crash. It’s just way too much sugar, especially for the little guys.”
She continued: “And last one, they don’t want your advances. I’ve had a few dads try to come on to me over the years and it is uncomfortable. Remember you’ve got the entire school year to work together. Maybe just go online and find someone.”
However, her candidness sparked a backlash from TikTok viewers, deterring them from wanting to buy gifts for their children’s teachers. One user commented: “Reason why I don’t give teachers c**p.” Another posted: “Ungrateful.”
“So negative, be grateful they got anything,” another added. One user wrote: “With ungrateful teachers like you, I’d rather not give anything to any teachers.”
A fellow teacher responded: “As a preschool teacher, it’s disappointing you think this way.” Yet, another viewer agreed with Natalie’s sentiments: “I agree with this video.”
Another user suggested that if parents do bring sweet treats for the class, they should distribute them before the children leave for home. They advised: “That’s why you pass the treats out right before dismissal.”
