We can all relate to the confusion of what to buy your child's teachers when the school year comes to an end. We want to show our appreciation for what they do, but we also don’t want to go overboard. So, what are the best presents to give teachers?

Keepsake

A lovely idea for a gift is something with real meaning. It could be an item that includes a photo of the whole class and a message written from each student, like a photo album and collage. It requires a bit of extra organisation from the parents, but it's sure to be a fun group project that shows how much the kids care! Another classic keepsake is a mug, which every teacher needs throughout the day. You could personalise it with their name or find a design with a keepsake message that will always make them smile. Featured Design: 'Personalised Teacher Mug - Helping Me Grow'

Stationery

What is more useful to teachers then stationery. There are many products in the genre that you can buy and is of a particularly good price. For example, pens, stickers, notebooks, or even classroom signs. These gifts can also be improved by being personalised with either the teachers name or a simple ‘Thank you’ or ‘Best Teacher’. An example of a good product that we have at Dotty About Paper is our range of personalised Notebooks or note cards. You can even make some of these yourself, like a handmade classroom sign. Featured Design: 'The World Needs Teachers - A5 Personalised Teacher Sign' What could be more useful to teachers than stationery? There are so many products out there, with a wide price range to suit any budget. Pens, notebooks, stickers, and even classroom signs are available - useful and thoughtful! These gifts can often be customised with the teacher's name or a simple message, like 'Thank You' or 'Best Teacher'. If you're feeling creative, you could even have a go making some of these yourself by decorating a plain notebook, making a classroom sign, or creating a unique pen selection. Featured Design: 'Smart Stationery Pattern - Blue - Personalised A5 Exercise Books - Pack of 2'

Something to Relax

Every teacher needs to relax and wind down after a day at work. So, a present that can help them unwind is a good gift idea. A candle is a great example - useful, beautiful, and a necessary household item. Or you can create a hamper with cosmetic products, like face masks. Just remember to be careful what you pick, because the teacher may have allergies.

Food

Tasty treats will always be appreciated! The likelihood of the receiver liking the present is very high and they are not too expensive. You can even go that extra mile and get chocolate, cookies, or cakes personalised with a message. Once again, though, watch out for allergies! It's also always best to get shop-bought treats rather than making them yourself when presenting them as a gift.

Leaving school can be an expensive time. There are presents and cards to buy for those you are saying goodbye to, as well as the price of celebrations. But when it comes to teachers, how much should we spend on gifts?

Spending for One Teacher

You don't need to feel like you have to buy expensive gifts for each teacher. If you have one teacher that taught all the subjects, then it might be a good idea to spend more on them than you would if you had several different teachers to consider. Up to £15 is very generous and gives you a good range of product options to get them. Or you could make something for your teachers by hand. This will not only save some money, but it's also more personal. They're sure to be thrilled to receive something so unique and special!

Spending for Several Teachers

If you have several teachers to show your appreciation to, spending about £5 on each person would be a good budget. You can get something small, like a stationary product that they will find useful. But there are other options, too. Boxes of chocolates are also a classic that most will appreciate!

 

Featured Designs: Fun Kraft Paper Flowers and Neat Stationery Collage - Green - Personalised A5 Exercise Books and Fun Kraft Teacher Thank You Cards

If you wanted to make the item a bit more personal, but don't feel confident making something yourself, you could order a customised product. Spend that extra bit of money and get something personalised with the teacher’s name. For example, with just over £10, you could get a unique sign with their name on it, exercise books, or handy note cards. You do not have to spend lots to be thoughtful and generous. Just keep your teacher in mind and find something that suits them!

 

Featured Designs: Neat Pencil – Red – Personalised A5 Exercise Books and Neat Pencil – Blue – Personalised A6 Note Cards

A leavers book is the perfect way to keep memories alive. It is always sad when things come to an end, especially when it involves saying goodbye to people you would normally see every day. But a leavers book can help you to leave on a high note! Writing in each other’s books shows your appreciation for the friendships you've built. So, what should you write?

Add memories

Adding a personal touch with one of your favourite memories makes your message unique. A funny or sweet story, like the time you first met, is always a good idea. Other recent memories will create a snapshot of your time together. You could even go on to say that you will continue to make new memories in the next stage of your lives. When they look at the book in the future, reading all these special memories will take them back to a specific time that you both treasured. Featured Design: 'Fun Doodles - Personalised A5 Wiro Bound School Leavers Book'

Keep it short and sweet

You can keep your message short and sweet and still give the same memorable effect. For example, just saying something about what you treasure most in your friend makes it personal. Maybe it's a comment on how your friend always makes you laugh or how much you admire one of their talents. Classic goodbye phrases, such as ‘I will miss you’ and ‘Good luck in the future’, will bring the message to a perfect end.

Add photos to make it personal

Adding photos will create visual memories and give a very personal touch to your words. Photographs showing memories or stories that you write about will help bring the book to life. There is nothing better then looking back at old pictures, after all! This is especially true for an important event like leaving school. If you can, adding pictures both old and recent will show how far you have come together. This will all give your message an attractive look that has had lots of effort put into it. Featured Design: 'Navy Scattered Flowers - A5 School Leavers Book'

Working from home with your kids can seem daunting. If you haven't been in this situation before, then it can be tricky to handle. But, it can (and will) be done successfully! Here are our top tips for working at home with kids:

Establish a routine

The first step in being able to successfully work at home with kids is to establish a routine that works for both them, and you. To prevent both you and your kids from mindlessly snacking, set up meal times throughout the day. This will be beneficial for your health, as you will get some much needed time away from the computer screen, and won't be having unnecessary nibbles. You may want to prepare your meals the night before or in the morning, to ensure your time throughout the day is used efficiently. Play time is also an essential for kids! Set them up with a wide range of toys to keep themselves occupied, and be sure to join in every once in a while. If you have younger kids, be sure to add nap time into this routine. This will allow you some time to seriously buckle down and get things done. Remember to be realistic with your schedule. You may struggle to fit everything that you had planned in - but that's okay!

Reward Systems

Having a reward system with your kids is perfect for this situation. You can reward your kids for keeping themselves entertained and behaving well whilst you're at home. The positive reinforcements will motivate them to keep up these good behaviours. Featured Product: Unicorn Magic - Personalised Reward Chart & Reusable Stickers A reward chart is the perfect way to do this. Every day your child will collect stickers for their good behaviour, and at the end of the week will get a treat. Such as pocket money or a movie night.

Set boundaries

Don't be afraid to set boundaries! You can't be there for your kids all the time, and you need to let them know this. Explain that you will be spending most of your day working, and that it is important for you to have alone time. Reassure them that you will still be there to play with them, and that you won't be far away.

Have a dedicated workspace

Another tip that is sure to help you out is having a dedicated workspace to do all of your office work. You will find it hard to work if you're using your laptop on the sofa. Instead, set up a table, add a touch of desk stationery, and keep all your work related things together. It will help you get into the right head-space, and will keep your work and home life that little bit more separate! Featured Product: Be-Leaf In Yourself - Desk Planner If you have younger kids, be sure to set up your workspace in the same room that they will be spending most of their time, so you can keep an eye on them. For more tips on creating your workspace, check out our other helpful blog 'How to Create the Perfect Workspace'.

Take breaks

Ensure that you are taking regular breaks, and that you are using this time to give your kids your attention. Play a game with them, or read them a book. This will keep you both happy, and ensure that you're still having quality time together. A 20 minute break every 2 hours will also break up your day into more manageable chunks.

Let go of perfectionism

Some parents really struggle when working at home with their kids, as they want to be giving both their kids and their work 100%. This is not possible! During this period of working from home, you need to let go of perfectionism. This may mean that you do let your kids watch more TV than usual, or you let them have a few extra snacks throughout the day. This is okay! As long as you know that your kids are healthy, safe, and happy, then that's all that matters.

A helping hand

If you live with your partner, you should also ask them if they are willing to split the kids time with you, so that you have more time for work. Splitting tasks will help you both stay sane when working from home! We hope that this blog has given you some useful ideas for how to work from home with kids! Check out our other blogs for more advice on working from home, and much more.

Wondering what to get your children's teacher for the end of the school year? There are so many different choices at dotty about paper! Our research with real local teachers suggests that their favourite types of gifts are definitely personalised. Here are a few ideas that we think would be the talk of the teacher's lounge!

Personalised Note Cards

For a stationery-obsessed teacher, you can't go wrong with personalised note cards!

It's a lovely luxury item that they may not have thought of buying for themselves therefore, is sure to be appreciated.

Featured Product: Quotation - Personalised A6 Note Card

They are perfect for use in the classroom as well as at home, and can be used to write notes to coworkers and friends!

Choose from a wide range of sophisticated designs to find something that suits your teacher.

Notebooks

A set of notebooks is also a beautiful gift. Pick a design that matches their classroom or simply something sweet that made you think of them! Teachers love being organised and writing out to-do lists so this is a wonderful gift with so many uses.

Featured Product: Smart Stationery Pattern - Blue - Personalised A5 Exercise Books - Pack of 2

Personalise with their name as something to use at home.

Featured Product: Chasing Rainbows - Personalised A5 Exercise Books - Pack of 2

Personalised Reward Charts

Teachers will love you for gifting their classroom a reward chart!

They're super easy to use. Therefore, they're a great way to motivate children's behaviour and encourage them to do their best whilst learning.

Featured Product: Football Crazy - Personalised Reward Chart & Reusable Stickers

You can even personalise the tasks to suit their year group! It's definitely ideal for those of you who have younger children in key stage 1 as I'm sure your teacher is working hard on their reading, writing and spelling!

Rewards could be things such as early lunch, end of the day games or first refusal on break-time snacks!

Height Charts

A lovely height chart is also a great personalised gift for teachers to use for years! Personalise with "Mr/Mrs **** rising stars"!

Featured Product: Unicorn Magic - Personalised Height Chart

Choose from a wide range of cool designs - it's the perfect way to brighten up a bedroom or playroom.

We hope you have enjoyed this blog, and now have some lovely personalised gift ideas! Don't forget to check out our other Teacher blogs too.

Using a height chart is so easy, and can also be a lot of fun! Here is our simple guide to height charts:

Find your ideal height chart

First you'll need to find your ideal chart! There are so many different designs online, so be sure to look for something that suits your child. Featured Product: Unicorn Magic - Personalised Height Chart Find a chart that matches their bedroom or playroom - it's a wonderful way to decorate, as well as to see how much your little one is growing, too.

How to use

First look at where your height chart starts. Some charts will start from zero centimetres, whilst others will start from 60 centimetres or more. Featured Product: Football Crazy - Personalised Height Chart You'll then want to position it around this far off the floor, attaching your chart to the wall securely. There are many different ways to put your chart on the wall, including blue tack, Velcro strips, command strips, or pins. Choose from whatever suits you best, but remember that most ways to attach a height chart to your wall will leave marks.

It's ready!

Once you have attached your chart to the wall, it's ready to use! You can then regularly measure your child against their chart and see how much they have grown. If your child has any siblings, you can also measure them, too. Featured Product: Go Wild - Personalised Height Chart If you choose a super fun design, such as our 'Go Wild' safari-themed design, you can compare their heights to the different doodles. It's a great way to learn about numbers, too! We hope you have found this blog useful! If you have a question about our height charts, why not pop us a message? We are always so happy to help you out.

Creating your own personalised placemats is easy! Whether you decide to hand-craft them or buy them fully personalised, it is sure to be a lot of fun. In this blog, we will be telling you how to personalise our kids placemats. Read on to find out more!

Choose your favourite design

First, find a cool shop that sells personalised placemats (like us!). Here at Dotty about Paper, we have a wide range of fun designs that kids of all ages will love. Whether you're after a placemat for a child who's dinosaur-obsessed, loves animals, or is a budding farmer, you're sure to find what you're looking for! We have designs for both boys and girls, as well as gender-neutral styles. Featured Product: Personalised Kids Placemat - Green Farm Tractor Our personalised placemats have a durable laminate finish, making them perfect for dinner or play time. Simply wipe them down with a damp cloth to clean.

Add your wording

Next, add your unique wording. We recommend to add your child's name, however we can add any wording that suits you - why not get creative? To personalise, simply type your wording into the box on the product page, and we will do the rest - it is so easy! Featured Product: Personalised Kids Placemat - Cute Safari Animals Once you have fully personalised your placemat, it will be added to your online basket where you can go on to purchase. All of our personalised placemats cost just £9.99 - amazing value for the high quality! Wondering about how to order yours? Check out our guide or get in touch. We hope you have enjoyed this blog, and find your perfect kids placemats! Don't forget to check out our other blogs - we have a blog for everything stationery related, as well as a blog for any occasion.