Gifts for teacher?

[purplesparklies]

My 10 year old says he doesn't like his teacher this year and he doesn't want to give him anything for Christmas. He said doing so would feel fake/not true to himself.

I am giving him a week to come around... This is a tough one. On one hand, his teacher is kind of a jerk and I can see why my son wouldn't want to give him a gift. I want my son to have the ability to set his own emotional limits. On the other hand, giving teacher presents isn't all about liking the teacher, it is about appreciation for all that they do. We still have time to work it out...

My 10-year old feels some negativity toward his teacher this year as well. I think partly because he is struggling with adjusting to upper elementary teachers who are not warm and fuzzy like his lower elementary teachers. I try to remind him that they are not there to be his friend. They are there to do a job and that is to teach. Liking the teacher is nice but not required. I also remind him that everyone has bad days and people are often dealing with stresses and worries we know nothing about, such as problems at home or illness in the family. That helps him view it less personally because he tends to be quite sensitive. He is still a bit cranky about it but we are working on it.

Could you do a gift from the family? Just a token of thanks for the work he/she does even if it may not be the way you would like it done. A kind word/gesture can work wonders.

Good luck.

 

[House Cat]

My 10 year old says he doesn't like his teacher this year and he doesn't want to give him anything for Christmas. He said doing so would feel fake/not true to himself.

I am giving him a week to come around... This is a tough one. On one hand, his teacher is kind of a jerk and I can see why my son wouldn't want to give him a gift. I want my son to have the ability to set his own emotional limits. On the other hand, giving teacher presents isn't all about liking the teacher, it is about appreciation for all that they do. We still have time to work it out...

My 10-year old feels some negativity toward his teacher this year as well. I think partly because he is struggling with adjusting to upper elementary teachers who are not warm and fuzzy like his lower elementary teachers. I try to remind him that they are not there to be his friend. They are there to do a job and that is to teach. Liking the teacher is nice but not required. I also remind him that everyone has bad days and people are often dealing with stresses and worries we know nothing about, such as problems at home or illness in the family. That helps him view it less personally because he tends to be quite sensitive. He is still a bit cranky about it but we are working on it.

Could you do a gift from the family? Just a token of thanks for the work he/she does even if it may not be the way you would like it done. A kind word/gesture can work wonders.

Good luck.

It's good to know that I am not alone!

I like the idea of a card or family gift. We will see if my son will come around.. This is his first male teacher. The classroom presence is much different from the warm, caring female teachers he's had in the past. I think the contrast is good for him. He wishes he had the other fifth grade teacher who is a woman.