Holidays are a great time to show certain people in your lives how grateful you are for all that they do for you. Teachers often fall into this category, especially if they make that extra effort to understand and accommodate your child’s allergy, be it food, environmental or something else, or their asthma. They have busy, busy days and to make sure your child is safe and well is another thing they have to do, and doing it well means a lot.

Here are some good ideas for gifts that will help them see how important they are and how meaningful their extra attention to your child’s allergy is. As the trend now is class gifts and you may have chipped in already, these don’t have to be expensive, but they can be a personal token of your appreciation.

• A nice ornament (but not a teachery one) that exemplifies their personality or hobby. One year my daughter’s teacher was also a dancer and we got her a ballet ornament which she really loved.
• Make her a meal to have over the busy holidays. Again, it doesn’t have to be extravagant, but a nice pot of soup and fresh salad would be perfect after a long day at school or shopping.
• Often in cold weather, the teachers have to be outside with the kids during recess. Maybe a scarf or gloves in her favorite color would keep her warm.
• Tie it in somehow to your child’s allergy – for instance, if he is allergic to bees, get his teacher some yummy tea and a jar of local honey. If it is peanuts or nuts, even eggs or gluten, make her some allergy free cookies to show her how good they can be. If it is environmental and your child is always sneezing, maybe a fun tissue box to brighten the classroom. A sense of humor is always a good thing!
• Because of all the sneezing and sniffling in the classroom, teachers wash their hands a lot. Get her some nice lotion to prevent her hands from drying. You can purchase nice lotion for not too expensive, but it may be something she wouldn’t buy for herself.
• I know one of our teachers has a young child with allergies and it’s all new to her. Maybe a cookbook or cute Epipen case would be good for her, even one of the many t-shirts for young children with allergies.
• Most of all, try to make it personal. If she loves coffee, a Starbucks card would be fine, but if she hates that place, don’t do it. If she is into gardening or her pet, go with that, but stay away from all the generics that teachers tend to get. If you absolutely can’t think of anything, one of the best gifts is a beautiful thank you from your child. Remember, teachers are in it because they love it, a thank you is always welcome.