Another "Xmas Gift for Teachers" Question :)

I always prefer gift cards that are actually for something like a movie. In the days of video rentals I used to give Blockbuster gift cards with a box of microwave popcorn. Think along those lines - Dunkin Donuts, a favorite bakery in town. You can give different amounts too. Most of the time teachers & helpers don't compare wht gifts they got. $5 Dunkin Donuts to helpers allows for more to the teachers. If you're a Costco member you can get discount movie tickets there that you could give to the teachers...

The teacher-gift thing gets better as they get older. Now that my kids are in middle & high school we don't give any teacher gifts.

$10 in free gas is $10 in free gas!! I think it's great.

I'd do a $10 gift card for some type of coffee/breakfast place vs a gas card.

What some of parents do at my preschool is cater a breakfast. This way all of the teachers can indulge and feel special. One mom did it this morning. She brought, bagels, muffins, juice, and fruit. She set up a table with a Christmas table cloth and a beautiful card showing her appreciation. It was very nice, and heartfelt.

I gave each of my kids teachers a basket of school supplies from the supply 'wish list' they handed out at the beginning of the year. I ran the idea by several teacher friends first and they all loved it, said this time of year is when they started to run out and people were less willing to send in stuff mid year.

I think whatever you can afford is fine. I have a similar situation with buying for several teachers so we did $5 gift cards to Dunkin Donuts. I know it isn't much, but it really was all I could afford and I wanted to recognize all the teachers. In the past I have done ornaments with chocolate in them or mugs with flavored coffee or hot chocolate.

Whatever you can afford is absolutely fine. But also, is it strictly necessary to give 5 people gifts at the preschool? I'd just stick with the actual teachers in your child's classroom. Otherwise, you set a precedent of having to do that at all gift-giving occasions. Just have your child make a cute card for his favorite teacher (the one who isn't his classroom teacher), or do a drawing or something. And then give gifts to his actual teachers. The other thing you can do, if you're handy in the kitchen, is to make cookies and give all of these people a plate of cookies. Then just give the teachers the gift cards.

I really would not do a gas card. You are right that $10 wouldn't be a big deal. I like when gift cards 'cover' a typical bill. For one person I do $5 at Starbucks, $10 @ Panera $20 @ Barnes and Noble etc.

Plus a gas card is really not fun at all. You want there to be a little gifting pleasure invovolved for the recipient. Something that is a treat. While it is always nice to save on gas its not so much a treat-or something they wouldn't do for themselves.

Any amount you give is still a gift. I think about it in terms of, if every parent were able to give $5, wow that would be a really nice Christmas for the teacher. Not every parent can give $5, but some will give $10, so it should work out all right.

I'm in a similar boat. My youngest has daycare teachers, PreK teachers, a speech teacher and Sunday school teachers (volunteers). I also have a kindergartner with afterschool teachers and Sunday School teachers. I simply cannot afford to give all of them $20 gift cards, but I think they appreciate the fact that I give them something and that they are appreciated.

Well, I think you have to do whatever you can afford. A minimum of $10, I would think, if you're doing a gas card. But if that's too much, then do what you can.
Also, I don't think you have to give everyone the same amount. The head teachers can get more than the volunteer grandparents. Also, the teachers from the other preschool class don't need as much as your son's own teacher. So maybe give some of them $20 and others $10.
Another option is to bake something (if it's not too late) like yummy cookies or pumpkin bread to give to the non-head teachers. Have your kids make them nice cards and give them the baked goods in lieu of a gift card. It's a lot cheaper but still a nice gift.

We do either gift cards or lottery scratch off tickets. Suppies for the room or a store tht they can get the supplies from. As you know teachers spend a lot of money on thier classroom kids :)

I think a $10 gas card is fine. Anyone would love that to go towards their gas. I'm glad you mentioned that I never thought about a gas card. I gave my daughters teacher a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory. She mentioned she loved food and shopping gift cards. I got the asst teacher a $5 gift card to starbucks.

Do you have a gas/grocery combo place there?
Seriously, what you can afford is fine. Even $5 off of a tank is great, right?
You could include a note like "to help you get to school for more of that GREAT teaching", etc. and a note about how, specifically, your child has been inspired, motivated, helped or touched by that teacher really is priceless!

If you feel your amount is too little for a gas card--how about a $5 lottery ticket for each?

I do $5 gift cards for Tim Hortons. It is enough to buy a box of donuts, or coffee and a donut, or a lunch. I also give each teacher a dozen homemade shortbread.