Gifts for kindergarten teachers at the start of the school year: Czech parents debate where good manners end and excess begins

A debate has erupted in one of the online groups for Czech parents: should you give gifts to kindergarten teachers right at the start of the school year? The question was raised by a mother who had never heard of such a tradition, but stumbled upon social media posts claiming that without a gift, a child risks never becoming the teacher's favourite.

When a bouquet is no longer enough

According to those taking part in the discussion, gift-giving has turned into a whole system in some kindergartens and schools. One mother said that parents in her group chip in for presents for five teachers, cleaners and other staff at once — adding up to almost a thousand crowns per child.

"It feels like a flower or a box of chocolates just isn't enough anymore," one user wrote anonymously via the "Blue Horse" (Modrý koník) account. At her child's kindergarten, she said, parents bought brooches costing around 730 crowns each — roughly 4,400 crowns spent on brooches alone, another 2,400 crowns on bouquets, plus a cake and refreshments.

The author of the post asked: is this still gratitude, or has it become a competition among parents over who can give the most? Another commenter recalled a case where a mother gave a teacher a holiday trip worth tens of thousands of crowns, calling it a sign of "completely different times," where "the main thing is to give a better gift."

A teacher's attention isn't for sale

Even more troubling to many in the discussion is the idea that a gift could influence how a teacher treats a child. According to one mother, a phrase keeps popping up on the social platform Threads: "Don't give anything — and don't be surprised if your child doesn't become the favourite."

The problem, commenters note, isn't the gift itself, but its price tag and the expectations tied to it. If a parent believes their child will be treated worse at kindergarten without a gift, then the motive is no longer gratitude — it's fear. Teachers themselves find this strange too. "Why should I favour anyone because of a gift? Things like that shouldn't matter at all," one kindergarten teacher responded.

Recognition the teachers have earned

There's another side to this debate: the kindergarten teaching profession has long been described as demanding, undervalued and overloaded. Kindergarten teachers spend entire days with small children — resolving conflicts, wiping away tears, handling illnesses, dressing and feeding kids, and giving them constant attention — all while carrying enormous responsibility.

Perhaps that's why some teachers simply see a gift as a pleasant gesture of thanks. But as one participant in the discussion pointed out, an expensive gift isn't the most valuable thing a parent can offer: "Expensive gifts often feel to me like just an excuse — a way to make up for a parent's absence throughout the whole year. But believe me, what makes me happiest is when you spend time with your child at home and send them to kindergarten well-rested, hugged, and content."

A flower given from the heart is one thing. A bottle of pricey alcohol, jewellery worth several thousand crowns, or worse, a paid-for trip in the hope that the teacher will remember your child as "the good one" — that's an entirely different matter, one where the line of what's appropriate starts to shift dangerously.

Why at the start of the year, of all times?

A gift at the end of the school year has an obvious explanation: parents are thanking the teacher for the months gone by, and children are saying goodbye. At the start of the school year, things are different — there's nothing to be thankful for yet, and if a gift is meant to set the tone for the relationship between parent and teacher for the entire year ahead, it can easily look like an attempt to "buy" good treatment in advance.

Around Prague, based on reporting by flowee.cz