There has been a lot of conversation around here about what to get my son's teacher. I come from a family of teachers, and they inform me that their staff room cupboards are bulging with coffee mugs from Christmases past. So, a mug is out. I've also witnessed that teachers get a lot of boxed chocolate and baked goods. My son's teacher is a runner -- fit as fiddle, thin as a pin. Scratch that idea. Teachers also get enough plants to open a small greenhouse business. Hmm. Do we want teachers to tend to plants or tend to our children? Because the whole purpose of gift giving, I think, is to communicate to someone that you appreciate them, the gesture shouldn't be, in any way, a burden to them. So, my son and I decided to give his teacher something that won't be around next Christmas: handmade soaps. These
melt-and-pour soaps were so fun and easy to make, and I like the fact that my son played a huge role in their creation. It's his teacher, after all.
Other possible not-here-next-year gifts: hand-dipped beeswax candles, "busy teacher"
bean soup, and handmade
styrofoam block print note cards. What are your not-here-next-year ideas?
My son's school conducted a number of fundraisers just before the holidays, which I think is great because it serves to remind us that Christmas isn't just about us -- that there are others out there who could really use our help. Being somewhat passionate about animals, my son told me that he was disappointed that his school wasn't raising money for animals. I asked him what he'd like to do about it. He suggested making more soap and selling his soap to neighbours to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund. So that's what we did. There are lots of terrific organizations in need of support year round. I'm hoping that I'll remember that when the Christmas season has passed.
