Slacker Suggestion #4: Saying Thank You

All good over-scheduled slackers know that they owe A LOT to the people in life that help them get everything done. From time to time, you absolutely need to stop and tell them just how much you appreciate them. This is especially true if you are a parent.

On the top of my list of people to thank are my son's teachers. There are six of them in his pre-school classroom, and let me tell you those ladies WORK. Everyday they make sure 32 little kids don't kill themselves on the play yard, get them ready for kindergarten, make sure they eat a nutritious lunch and snack, help them go to sleep at nap time, and generally love and connect with them while we parents are away at work. All for pretty modest wages and little societal prestige. Now that I look at that list, "Thanks" seems kind of inadequate.

I wish I could give them all gifts that captured how much I value their contributions, but I'm unfortuantely not Oprah. So, in addition to a heartfelt "thank you" I made these small gifts at the end of this year. (You could also use this idea for xmas gifts for teachers).

Below is my cheat sheet for a cute, affordable "thank you" gift (especially when you have many to give!):

TEACHER'S NIGHT OFF GIFT
1. Buy the following supplies: Popcorn boxes (from a party store or theatre concession stand), box of microwave popcorn, boxes of movie style candies (I got Jr. Mints, etc at Safeway), Gift Cards for local video store or Netflix, pkg of yellow tissue paper, and "best teacher" ribbon or button.
2. Unfold the popcorn boxes and place yellow tissue in with edges sticking up. Fill with 1 box of candy, 1 video club gift card, 1 bag of microwave popcorn and "best teacher" ribbon or button.
3. Fill out the "Teacher's Night Off" instruction gift card (doc is posted on this blog for your use) and secure instruction card to gift or tuck inside. Write name of teacher on popcorn box.

Print the following instructions on a card of small piece of paper mounted to the front of the popcorn gift bag. Be sure to write a personal thank you note to go with it.

1. Pin “Best Teacher” ribbon on shirt before going to video store. Shamelessly solicit compliments and admiration from video store staff.
2. Use gift card to rent movie with actual plot, good dialogue, and total absence of cartoon characters.
3. Pop popcorn and place in popcorn box. Feel free to wipe buttery hands on sweat pants without fear of “setting bad example.”
4. Eat all candy in box. Do not share. If anyone approaches candy, grab box greedily and yell: “mine!” like an ill-mannered 3-year-old.
5. Repeat as necessary or until gift card runs out of credits.