I originally posted this last year, but since I know so many parents are starting to think about those end-of-year gifts, I thought it was a good time to re-post. Cheers!

It’s that time of year again when children’s eyes glaze over in class, teachers are fervently counting down to the last day of school, and parents are scrambling to throw together cute teacher gifts. Since my mom is a teacher, I know just how much those little tokens are truly appreciated. To help out those of you who are currently racking your brains for brilliant ideas, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite gifts that I’ve put into my “when Olivia is in school” file.

Apple Cupcakes
From make and takes
Slap on some red frosting, a green gumdrop leaf and a pretzel stem, and you’re good to go!

Summer Tote Bag
From The Lovely Cupboard
Help your child’s teacher really relax this summer with a tote bag full of fun magazines, a beach towel, sunglasses, flip flops. . . all the necessities for soaking up rays at the pool or beach!

Bucket of Hugs
From Little Pumpkin Grace
Pick up some cute containers in the Dollar Spot at Target, fill them with Hershey’s Hugs, and attach cute little tags. Done and Done!

Potted Plant
From Giggles Galore
A cute idea, with or without the additional gift card. If you don’t want to bother with the hand painted ruler, you can just spray paint the entire pot with chalkboard paint.

Strawberry Pickin’
From eighteen25
I LOVE this because it’s just so stinking adorable. Fill a strawberry crate with assorted strawberry goodies (soaps, candies, candles, fresh strawberries) and add the little sign. Perfect for summer!

Thirst for Knowledge
From Tatertots & Jello
You can find these plastic straw cups for pretty cheap at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Have your child write a personal note to his or her teacher and put the note along with a gift card to Tropical Smoothie, Jamba Juice, etc. inside. You could even include some of those single serving lemonade packets.

Wise Owl
From Lisa Storms
This is definitely for the crafty mama. Fill this little owl bag with homemade cookies, candies, whatever you want. So sweet!

Apple Rice Krispie Treats
From Gourmet Mom On the Go
Use a package of Jell-O for coloring, Tootsie Roll Minis for stems, and a #68 icing tip (or other leaf tip) for the leaves. Package these four to a box and tie with green ribbon or yarn!

Photo courtesy Shutterstock

I came across this post by Rebecca Eckler on Mommyish the other day. It’s poignant, honest, and the frustration is palpable. It caught my attention because I was just talking to my coworker about this very thing. My daughter is only a year old, so I’m not yet juggling a school schedule, but I see many of my colleagues do it on a daily basis and am in awe. From my observations, this article is not at all overstated—it’s HARD. . .and I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.

I’d love to know what company would be willing to accommodate the kinds of demands that are placed on parents these days by schools and (let’s be honest) by our children themselves. I don’t mean to say that schools necessarily require parents to attend daytime activities and events (though some may), but who wants her kid to be the only one without a parent there for the school concert or the science fair or whatever?  Trust me, working moms feel guilty enough as it is without this added bonus! (And why these events aren’t being held after at least 4:30 p.m. is beyond me and another subject entirely.)

If you have school-aged children, do you find that their school(s) hosts daytime events on a regular basis? If so, and you’re a working mom, how do you manage it?

I’m truly curious—I feel like I should take notes or something to make my life easier when the time comes!