DEAR AMY: Every year, we host an exchange teacher’s aide from Latin America, as part of our child’s elementary school dual language program.
Our current exchange guest is a 22-year-old man who has less means than we do.
He has given us unsolicited gifts; these are souvenirs from American cities and theme parks he’s visited. A very kind gesture to be sure, and we thanked him.
That said, some are trinkets that we do not want, and would likely throw out.
I believe they would be meaningful mementoes for him to bring home.
Is there a way to politely give them back to him before he leaves in a few months?
– Polite Parents
DEAR PARENTS: Even though your motive is kind, no, I don’t believe there is a polite way to give back these gifts. Doing so would highlight all the wrong things, including the fact that you don’t want these tokens.
Also, please don’t throw these things out. After the teacher’s departure, you could photograph the collection and send him the photo with a letter: “We thought you would enjoy this reminder of all of your adventures!” After that, you could donate these trinkets to Goodwill.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
