5 Tips to Keep It Stress-Free
Teacher Appreciation Week is here, and while parents do enjoy getting in the spirit of recognizing and thanking their children’s teachers, we all know it can be a hectic week on top of already busy family schedules. If you’re staring down another week-long teacher appreciation extravaganza and biting your nails, find some relief in these 5 stress-free tips:
1. Connect with your room parent. Be prepared with what to expect and communicate with your room parent to clarify when and where you can donate/help. If there is a daily expectation of parents, i.e. bring in a flower on Monday, potluck dish on Tuesday, small gift on Wednesday, etc, be ready and leave reminders for yourself on the fridge, the mirror, your phone, you name it!
Does this sound like you? “My son told me two minutes before carpool pick up that it was ‘give your teacher a flower’ day at school. I panicked, ran across the street to my neighbor’s backyard and clipped some of her wildflowers. I ran back to the stop and the carpool mom is waiting there, sees the flowers in my hands and asks if I can go cut her some!” - Delia T. of Virginia and mother of 3
2. Use VolunteerSpot’s free online signup sheets. Coordinate the teacher appreciation potluck, donations for gift baskets and classroom helpers with VolunteerSpot right from your desk! Easy online scheduling, 24/7 access for class parents from their computer or mobile device, plus automated reminders make it the go-to, stress-free solution for wrangling class parents for all the important week’s activities. Click HERE to get started
3. Know the rules. Don’t get caught in a PTA kerfuffle; know the teacher gift rules before you go shopping. Is there a dollar limit you should be aware of? Are gifts to be given on a certain day of the week?
4. Get inspired. The most meaningful teacher gift is something that comes from your family’s heart. A few simple searches on Pinterest for boards like this one with tons of teacher gift ideas give you inspiration for creative DIY presents, cute free printable signs and gift tags, as well as fun ways to wrap up a simple gift card. Check out more Teacher Appreciation Ideas over on VolunteerSpot, click HERE
5. Involve your kids. Ask your child to draw a picture or write a personal note about what she loves best about her teacher. Your child’s input will wipe away any stress that might come with contributing to Teacher Appreciation Week.
