She has bought a photo album with plastic insert covers. In every case, the 39-year-old mother Priscilla Ivens from ‘s-Gravenzande put a sheet of paper with a text and a matching’ gift ‘. On one of the pages it says ‘You have a nice year of it’ with a bag of baking powder. Further on, an empty balloon sticks to the text ‘You often needed a long breath’, and with ‘whether I will remember everything is to watch’ is a bag of instant coffee.
“I saw the gift on Tiktok,” she says. She bought the document with the texts online, the photo albums at the Hema. Ivens manufactured three copies for the teachers of her two children. All in all it cost around fifteen euros.
Almost all parents of primary school children will recognize it: farewell gifts for teachers and whether masters are buying (and sometimes tinkering) now that the end of the school year is approaching. There are schools where parents purchase one joint gift for the teacher, led by the class parents. But often children, from all the years, give something personal.
It used to be a drawing, later a chocolate or a mug was added. And now children often give presents with funny, heart -warming or complimenting texts. Preferably there is also ‘teacher’ or ‘master’ on the packaging. The ready-made presents can be purchased at garden centers, bookshops, lifestyle shops or via dozens of web shops. With around 6,500 primary schools and around 150,000 teachers, there is a serious market for these types of gifts.
Gift items in the store too nice in The Hague.
Photos Folkert Koelewijn
Encouraging
Emmy Dingemans from Giessenburg sells 150 different presents with warm or encouraging groceries through its webshop 100centleuk.nl. She delivers to a thousand stores and to private individuals. Her favorites: a tube with tea in a package with the text ‘Speaking is silver, chat is gold’, a scented candle with ‘keep shining’ and a body butter with ‘you are worth gold’. Dingemans: “How nice is it to hear that?”
The presents are suitable for all kinds of occasions. But, says Dingemans, parents also like it when the message is really for the teacher. And so she sells body lotion with the text ‘Miss, I smear it, thanks for everything’ and lip balm with ‘Thank you teacher, big kiss’ – her best -selling product. For Masters, among other things, there is a ‘beer’ shower gel ‘SOP with hops’ and a fake beer can with a ‘tough men’s boxer’ in it.
In Winkel too nice in the Ypenburg district of The Hague, there are soap hearts on large tables, notebooks with hearts and bags of bath salts, soap pumps and chocolate bars with ‘nicest teacher’ on it. “Everything sells well,” says co-owner Monica Vermeer. “Also online.”
Of course you don’t want a teacher with 30 children to get 30 bottles of shampoo
“Parents also love glass jars.” She points to a jar of heart sweets with a card ‘Heart-Stick thank you’. There is an ‘ehba’ set in another: first aid for farewell. In it a candy watch ‘Thank you for the great time!’, A handkerchief ‘for the difficult moments’ and a bacon ‘It was bacon-tacular’.
Ten years ago Vermeer started the farewell gifts. “Since Corona it has exploded. Parents wanted to thank teachers extra and that trend has remained.” Marieke Lodewijk from Hengelo sees the same. “Turnover has tripled compared to four years ago.” Via Thankdjuf.nl she sells more than 450 products with, among other things, sweet, encouraging texts. And with her laser device she can personalize things. On a tea box she puts ‘Tea Time Miss Annemieke’ or on a beehotel engraving ‘Thank you for let me grow’. She also sells tins with candy, for example, ‘look of appreciation’ on it. “People like to order something ready-made.”
Cost
What do parents spend now? According to the interviewees about 30 euros per family. Most gifts cost between 5 and 10 euros, with outliers to 25 euros. Parents often have several children, with several teachers, and often the leaders of the shelter, the director and the caretaker also get something. There are parents who go over the top, they order huge packages.
Are teachers waiting for all those presents? Vermeer van Winkel too nice says that some teachers come by to indicate what they would like, so that Vermeer can advise parents in a targeted manner. “For example, some teachers save a certain service. And of course you don’t want a teacher with 30 children to get 30 bottles of shampoo.”
A mother from the neighborhood of Breda tells ‘rather anonymous’ how her child’s teacher once got a huge teddy bear. The hug also wore a shirt with a class photo. “What does anyone have to do with that mess?”
She was also in front of the class years ago. The presents are well intended, but not always handy. “I got bottles of wine while I don’t drink. Or flowers while we went on vacation.” The best gift? “An e-mail from a mother who described what I had meant for her child. With examples. I will never forget that.”
Gift is ready and can be given to the teacher.
Photo Folkert Koelewijn