Our Five Favorite Holiday Gifts for Teachers, Coaches, and Nannies

The people who care for our kids are some of the most influential people in our kids' lives. Our teachers, coaches, and nannies teach our children in so many ways. They help development minds, hearts, and a sense of self. Most days, they don't get nearly enough credit for their impact on our world.

For all they give and do, they're deserving of so many thank yous and recognition, and the holiday season is the perfect time to do that! Below are our five favorite holiday gifts for teachers, coaches, and nannies, that show just how thankful we are for them. Also, let's face it, even if they would never say so, they probably don't need any more mugs or candles.

Something personal - This one isn't easy to link to or give you solid suggestions around. If you know your teacher/coach/nanny's interests, planning out the perfect gift can be so much more meaningful than the standard gift. If you want to formalize this process and help other parents find the perfect gift, use a survey to find out what the teacher likes and share it with the other parents. Something like this would work well! Need some ideas to get your creative gift-giving juices flowing? Here are some of our favorites!

• A gift card to a gardening center for a gardener
• Memorabilia for their favorite sports team
• A tank, headband, and water bottle for a runner (it's a bonus when you can relate it to the recipient! We gave our runner teacher these items that said, "I can do hard things" from https://www.hertribeathletics.com/. We attached a note that said, thanks for teaching me to do hard things!)

What A Crock Meals - These people who give so much to your kiddos? They also provide that much to their families, communities, and everything else they do. They're busy. You won't find any busy person (especially if they have a family of their own!) who will turn down a meal delivery! Save them time by letting them skip the meal prep and enjoy some easy dinners on you! What a Crock offers multiple meal service options that you can customize to the family's tastes. There are plenty of meal kits out there, but those still take time and prep work. What a Crock lets you place a meal in your slow cooker in the morning, and you'll have a delicious dinner by the evening. The lucky recipient won't have to lift a finger! 

Coffee or Tea - OK. I know we said they were sick of mugs and candles, and sometimes people throw coffee gift cards in with those gifts. However, if you know what your gift recipient likes to drink, then getting them supplies or a gift card to enjoy that beverage will be much appreciated. Let's be real, most people who work with our kids run on a steady stream of caffeine and if we can support that supply, all the better! You can find some ideas for tea lovers here and coffee lovers here.

Supplies - Most teachers, coaches, and nannies provide supplies for their kiddos out of their own pockets. If you can find out what they need or what their dream items are, that would be a significant gift. For teachers, if you want it to be a surprise, you could check out Donors Choose to see if the teacher has a request posted they are hoping to get funded. For coaches and nannies, check out their supplies and see if you can identify anything that needs to be repaired or replaced. 

Amazon Gift Card - When in doubt, an Amazon gift card is a perfect fallback gift. You can order it online and have it sent by email if you run out of time, which let's face it, we all do at some point! While we usually stay away from more generic gifts, but there are times that a useful and flexible gift fits the best. Amazon has everything from teaching/sports supplies, to clothes, to snacks, to books. The recipient will definitely find something they want or need through Amazon, and they'll appreciate your support when they do!

Another tip to make these gifts extra special would be to team up with others in the class or on the team to make the gift even more significant and more meaningful. Combining forces can be especially useful when the teacher or coach as a need that is bigger than a standard holiday gift.

As we gear up for another holiday season, we hope you avoid the stress and find joy and love in the season. We hope you can find ways to reduce stress so you can slow down and enjoy it. Maybe place an order with What A Crock for your own family so you have one less thing on your to-do list!