Running moms ragged with Teacher Appreciation right before Mother’s Day

[Anonymous]

Card or email written to thank them for their hard work, that is appropriate to put in their file for review.

That and maybe a gift card are all that is really necessary. All this other bs work means nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is about to graduate high school and from the time he entered Kindergarten, I saw what a ridiculous event that was. I spent years on the PTA board of his elementary school, and noticed so many teachers who didn't really want food (they were on diets, or were wary of home-made), and found awkward displays of gratitude, well... awkward. They'd rather have well-behaved students, receive short emails of thanks from a couple of parents, and perhaps a little gift card if you're so inclined. No food or gifts or big shows.

You've been entirely had. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing.

Thank you. I'm a former teacher and former PTA board member and current mom. I wish we could just do away with the whole thing. As a teacher, all I wanted was a nice note copied to my principal. I didn't want any gift cards, or fattening lunches, or a yogurt truck, or anything else. Just a nice note. As a mom, this week is just too much. I ignore it. I wish PTA people would stop doing this. To be honest, it feels like out and out bribery - a couple of SAHMs, almost always white and upper middle class, lavishing a bunch of gifts on teachers and then expecting us to give them and their children special treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all these people getting upset at feeding some teachers and sending in some gift cards. Multiple people have said that you don’t have to do anything and certainly not everything. No one will know you didn’t send in fruit or bagels for the staff breakfast. Have your kids write a note or not.

One year, I forgot and my kid brought in a gift card and hand written note the following Monday. One year, I sent in happy birthday gift cards because I didn’t have my act together. This year, I thought staff appreciation was last week and had extra time and participating in all.

Because it has moved from genuinely showing appreciation to expected tasks made up by women for other women to do. The degree of this expectation and obligation various from school to school, but at most schools, it is there. It is no longer a show of gratitude, but another several things (mostly) women feel socially obligated to do.

I sent it some snacks with my kid to stock up the teacher lounge today. I didn’t feel obligated. I didn’t have to do it. It was easy and I did it. At drop off, I dropped off the snacks and some front office said they loved the snacks I brought in. I saw other parents bringing in tangerines, soda, k cups, etc. these are items you could very easily have picked up at your weekly grocery run.

My kids can make cards today after school and I will write a thank you card. They can take it in tomorrow or the day after.

This sound like something people do to make themselves feel better because they “did” something and can cross it off their list. Is this really appreciation? As a professional, I find it beyond bizarre that sending in granola bars and clementines is somehow doing me a favor or showing gratitude. This is more about PTA and getting pats then about actually thanking teachers. If it was, people would write heart felt personal notes and be done.

Speak for yourself. I have always enjoyed a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner. I appreciate thoughtfulness. I like food and snacks.

DH doesn’t care about this stuff at all.

I wouldn't complain about a few snacks or a nice lunch, even if I can rarely eat it because I don't know what's in it and it's probably junk food. Still, I'll brave a brownie or too and enjoy it. But what I don't like is when they go way overboard and start collecting money from parents to give every teacher some expensive gift card, or shower us with trinkets all week - coffee mugs, gift baskets, T-shirts, and so on. It feels awkward and I feel like these same parents are the ones who expect to be given special privileges. Sadly they often are, by the principal.

[Anonymous]

Teacher Appreciation Week has become Appreciation Month this year. It’s really dragging on… It’s out of control. None of this nonsense existed when we grew up.

[Anonymous]

No one wants 20 individual wilted flowers plucked from gardens on the way to school. You all are crazy. It’s forced appreciation with the demands from the classroom moms. They don’t need a cart of snacks being wheeled through the hallways either.

[Anonymous]

I rarely do much for Teacher Appreciation month because I always hate employee appreciation activities. My experience is that management does lame employee appreciation activities in order to try and make up for low pay, bad culture, and poor systems and services. So you wind up at some bagel breakfast on a Thursday, making small talk and having to feign enthusiasm and gratitude for something you aren't very excited about, when you'd really rather be back at your office finishing up a project.

So I do low key things that don't require awkward conversation or gratitude. I'll have my kids make a car and send in a gift card. We make the gift cards no more than $20 because my DH works in government and he wouldn't be allowed to accept more than that, so we figure teachers are in the same boat. We also try to buy things from the teacher's Amazon wish list throughout the year and ask what they need for the classroom at parent teacher conferences and back to school nights and try to get it for them.

I think the flowers, snacks, treats and gifts are appreciated by some but others don't care. It's not my style and I refuse to be coerced into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is about to graduate high school and from the time he entered Kindergarten, I saw what a ridiculous event that was. I spent years on the PTA board of his elementary school, and noticed so many teachers who didn't really want food (they were on diets, or were wary of home-made), and found awkward displays of gratitude, well... awkward. They'd rather have well-behaved students, receive short emails of thanks from a couple of parents, and perhaps a little gift card if you're so inclined. No food or gifts or big shows.

You've been entirely had. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing.

Thank you. I'm a former teacher and former PTA board member and current mom. I wish we could just do away with the whole thing. As a teacher, all I wanted was a nice note copied to my principal. I didn't want any gift cards, or fattening lunches, or a yogurt truck, or anything else. Just a nice note. As a mom, this week is just too much. I ignore it. I wish PTA people would stop doing this. To be honest, it feels like out and out bribery - a couple of SAHMs, almost always white and upper middle class, lavishing a bunch of gifts on teachers and then expecting us to give them and their children special treatment.

But to get back to OP's original rant: Teacher appreciation week is a vile conspiracy to deprive her of full relaxation before, and enjoyment of, her precious Mother's Day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one wants 20 individual wilted flowers plucked from gardens on the way to school. You all are crazy. It’s forced appreciation with the demands from the classroom moms. They don’t need a cart of snacks being wheeled through the hallways either.

Cool. So what did you suggest when you joined the PTA? Or volunteered as a room parent? I mean, I agree re: the flowers and too much food etc. but I'm wondering, what have you done to change that beyond whining about it, above, to strangers on DCUM? And if you're a teacher: Well, you're the T in PTA so again...what suggestions or plans have you made to try to alter the culture and suggest other, more welcome acknowledgements?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is about to graduate high school and from the time he entered Kindergarten, I saw what a ridiculous event that was. I spent years on the PTA board of his elementary school, and noticed so many teachers who didn't really want food (they were on diets, or were wary of home-made), and found awkward displays of gratitude, well... awkward. They'd rather have well-behaved students, receive short emails of thanks from a couple of parents, and perhaps a little gift card if you're so inclined. No food or gifts or big shows.

You've been entirely had. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing.

Thank you. I'm a former teacher and former PTA board member and current mom. I wish we could just do away with the whole thing. As a teacher, all I wanted was a nice note copied to my principal. I didn't want any gift cards, or fattening lunches, or a yogurt truck, or anything else. Just a nice note. As a mom, this week is just too much. I ignore it. I wish PTA people would stop doing this. To be honest, it feels like out and out bribery - a couple of SAHMs, almost always white and upper middle class, lavishing a bunch of gifts on teachers and then expecting us to give them and their children special treatment.

Nice slam on SAHM, race and income level there.

You do realize that a lot of PTAs are full of white SAHMs with not-always-upper-but-decent income because they are the ones, being SAH, who have time for school volunteering? If you can figure how to get others to volunteer more, please, have at it. What do you suggest? We'll wait to hear your plans!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who planned this? Every damn year, the week leading up to Mother’s Day is Teacher A-Freaking-ppreciation Week. I appreciate teachers and do more than my part to celebrate them multiple times a year—gift cards and buying from Amazon wish lists multiple times a year, contributing to numerous PTA lunches and coffee carts, volunteering as a chaperone and helping with class parties, on and on. I do gift cards, notes, and a SignUpGenius contribution for the Teacher Appreciation Week stuff.

But why must we run mother’s ragged during this specific time? It’s like squeeze all the juice out of the lemon before celebrating moms on one DAY after they’ve spent a week doing things for teachers. It’s a lot, on top of a full-time job and all the other things we do as moms.

You get overwhelmed with this stuff? This is a nothingburger. Most parents don't even participate. LOL

Unclench! You don't have to do anything for anyone. Just quit the beetching. You are so tiresome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you. I'm a former teacher and former PTA board member and current mom. I wish we could just do away with the whole thing. As a teacher, all I wanted was a nice note copied to my principal. I didn't want any gift cards, or fattening lunches, or a yogurt truck, or anything else. Just a nice note. As a mom, this week is just too much. I ignore it. I wish PTA people would stop doing this. To be honest, it feels like out and out bribery - a couple of SAHMs, almost always white and upper middle class, lavishing a bunch of gifts on teachers and then expecting us to give them and their children special treatment.

I am an Asian American mom who used to give generous cash gifts ($100 each) to all teachers that taught my kids. Once the $limit came into place, I gave during teacher appreciation, thanksgiving, Jan-Feb period and end of school year. There was no need for teachers to give my kids special treatment. They were already excelling in academics, ECs and leadership. Also, my kids were well behaved, followed the rules etc. Yes, we too are UMC and I am a SAHM. We had the financial bandwidth to give cash gifts to everyone. To the truly exceptional teachers, we wrote the notes and copied the principal.

[Anonymous]

My kid's birthday is right before Christmas and I hate being run ragged buying gifts and planning a party and sending Evites when I should be binge-watching Hallmark specials and eating decorated sugar cookies and dreaming about all of the expensive gifts I'll get to unwrap.

Every damn year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's birthday is right before Christmas and I hate being run ragged buying gifts and planning a party and sending Evites when I should be binge-watching Hallmark specials and eating decorated sugar cookies and dreaming about all of the expensive gifts I'll get to unwrap.

Every damn year.

Now this is a rant I can get behind. Damned kid birthdays cutting into mulled wine and sappy romcom time is totally not cool.

[Anonymous]

How hard is it to buy a gift card? And who cares if it's the week before Mother's Day? What exactly is the problem? If you are a mom, OTHER people are supposed to do stuff for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is about to graduate high school and from the time he entered Kindergarten, I saw what a ridiculous event that was. I spent years on the PTA board of his elementary school, and noticed so many teachers who didn't really want food (they were on diets, or were wary of home-made), and found awkward displays of gratitude, well... awkward. They'd rather have well-behaved students, receive short emails of thanks from a couple of parents, and perhaps a little gift card if you're so inclined. No food or gifts or big shows.

You've been entirely had. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing.

Thank you. I'm a former teacher and former PTA board member and current mom. I wish we could just do away with the whole thing. As a teacher, all I wanted was a nice note copied to my principal. I didn't want any gift cards, or fattening lunches, or a yogurt truck, or anything else. Just a nice note. As a mom, this week is just too much. I ignore it. I wish PTA people would stop doing this. To be honest, it feels like out and out bribery - a couple of SAHMs, almost always white and upper middle class, lavishing a bunch of gifts on teachers and then expecting us to give them and their children special treatment.

But to get back to OP's original rant: Teacher appreciation week is a vile conspiracy to deprive her of full relaxation before, and enjoyment of, her precious Mother's Day!

It’s HER DAY. No, week! No, month! And so forth.

Sad.