Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Just For Fun - What Is The WORST Gift You Have Ever Gotten From A DCfamily?
crazydaycarelady 12:45 PM 10-16-2012
I am very appreciative of all of the gifts I get from the dcfamilies and they are usually very nice and generous. I always write a thank you note too! But this one time:

I got a nail kit that had a little file and a pair of clippers in a little plastic case. It came from the Dollar Tree. I KNOW it is the thought that counts but this family - I kept their 2yo for 10 days while they went on a cruise!!!
Reply
PolkaTots 12:47 PM 10-16-2012
A jar of pickles. I absolutely detest pickles! At least it was wrapped in a pretty dishtowel
Reply
itlw8 12:52 PM 10-16-2012
The worst gift yet best thought was when dcm took dcg to the dollar store and waited 30 minutes for her to make u her mind She bought a dog toy for my dog and a small hand mirror so I could see how pretty I was.

Cheap but memorable
Reply
sharlan 12:59 PM 10-16-2012
A bath set with soap, body spray, etc in a HORRIBLE scent. It went straight to the trash. I know it's the thought that counts and I feel bad that she spent so much on it, but it STANK.

I lied and told her how much I enjoyed using it.
Reply
daycare 01:05 PM 10-16-2012
Egyptian cookies that were stale horrible and really old.

One of my DCK was very excited to find cookies from my home county at TJMAX....So she gave them to be for my b-day...

She knows that I don't eve eat that kind of stuff...lol let alone the fact that it was probably sitting on a shelf some where for a few years.....lol
Reply
daymommy 01:24 PM 10-16-2012
haha, some of those gifts crack me up! You gotta wonder what people are thinking sometimes! Most of my families don't give me gifts, but the ones who have have been very thoughtful and generous. I'm lucky I guess! Although at 7 months pregnant I could really go for that jar of pickles right now!!!
Reply
Blackcat31 01:28 PM 10-16-2012
A loaf of organic 12-grain bread.

It was already over a week old and had a piece cut off the end as if someone already tasted it and decided they didn't like it so they re-gifted it to me.

It was the thought that counts though.
Reply
spud912 02:00 PM 10-16-2012
I've had some random stuff, but it's always with good intent and needed to some extent. I would say the only thing that went straight to the trash was re-gifted training panties for my dd. Some of them had some minor stains. The mom was distributing clothing that no longer fit her dd to younger children. I really really appreciated the thought but I think that's one of a few used clothing items that I would not use (unless it's passed from older sibling to younger sibling, but not outside of the family). I know it's silly and I'm sure it was thoroughly cleaned and perfectly ok, but I just couldn't bring myself to keep them. I felt terrible throwing them away though!

Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
A loaf of organic 12-grain bread.

It was already over a week old and had a piece cut off the end as if someone already tasted it and decided they didn't like it so they re-gifted it to me.

It was the thought that counts though.
Wow, that's hilarious!
Reply
daycarediva 02:44 PM 10-16-2012
Best babysitter award, from the dollar store. (I am NOT a babysitter dagnabbit!)

Most memorable was a CASE of wine. One bottle for every month of the year. Especially ADORABLE because one weekend a month dcb goes to grandma's, and Mom mentioned that we both needed a bottle of wine the day he comes back! I used it just as the note said too! It is now my favorite wine!
Reply
MyAngels 02:53 PM 10-16-2012
I got a Christmas plaque once from a very well-to-do family. It came from one of the most expensive stores in town. It was beautifully wrapped by the store (they do that for free with any purchase). On the back was the clearance sticker - something like $2.97. I happen to know that once something goes on clearance at that store you take an additional 60% off the marked price, too .
Reply
MissAnn 03:09 PM 10-16-2012
Once I saw one of my DC parents post on Facebook the gifts (pintrest inspired) her kids were giving to their teachers. OK...there were 2 gifts and she has 3 kids. Yep....I was the one left out. This was for teacher appreciation week. Only one parent acknowledged teacher appreciation week....and they were all teachers themselves. It was not a good week for me. I think that for teacher appreciation week we should all have our paid vacation!
Reply
Unregistered 03:53 PM 10-16-2012
One year I got a scruffy Christmas ornament that looked like it had come from someone's trash can because they didn't want it anymore....LOL! AND with it was a box of "Elvis" chocolates like you would get at a gas station...and they were white from old age....bleccchhh.....this wasn't a hard-up family either but they obviously didn't care that I had toilet trained their twins, kept them longer hours, kept them unexpectedly on short notice, etc. Oh well!!

One of the BEST gifts I got one time for my birthday (which I never tell anyone when it is but this one mom happened to see my hubby out shopping for my birthday gift) ...I had told HIM about the cute little stuffed rabbit that I absolutely loved...he for some reason told the mom and SHE bought it and had her boys give it to me the next day for my birthday....with a sweet card that said, "To our second Mom"...I outright bawled over that one...LOL!
Reply
Unregistered 09:20 PM 10-16-2012
For Christmas last year I got a stuffed snowman, after I took the bag off, the dcb said "Oh, we used to have that at our house but my mom didn't want it anymore."

Gee, dcm, thanks for the used gift.
Reply
Kaddidle Care 04:13 AM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by itlw8:
The worst gift yet best thought was when dcm took dcg to the dollar store and waited 30 minutes for her to make u her mind She bought a dog toy for my dog and a small hand mirror so I could see how pretty I was.

Cheap but memorable
I think that was awesome! Too cute!

I don't think I ever got anything really horrible - perhaps a candle that I didn't like the smell of but everyone's taste is different. I appreciated all of it mainly for the thought. Hand Made cards with the child's signature (including backwards letters, etc.) were the best.

I found it interesting that the children that were the most difficult to work with and you spent the most time with - the parent(s) never gave anything. I guess they felt our pay checks were enough because after all it's an easy job with everyone's little cherubs.

Last year one of our boys gave us each a nice little gift bag and as he handed it to us he said "It's a candle - SMELL it!" Sort of took the surprise out of it but they did smell good! He was just too cute. I think he helped pick them out.
Reply
lovemykidstoo 04:47 AM 10-17-2012
I really haven't had any horrible gifts. I guess if I had to pick it would be the eucalyptus scented bath set. Surprised that Bath and Body works even makes that. Who wants to smell like eucalyptus?

Something else that bothered me even though on the surface it was a great gift was when I got a $50.00 gift card for Christmas. That was great, but this family owns a company and I found out that they gave their employees $200 bonus as their Christmas present. I would think the person that takes care of their child every day would deserve the same.
Reply
SunshineMama 05:12 AM 10-17-2012
I have never gotten any bad gifts. Last year, a dcm got me a really nice candle and a $30.00 gift card to TJ Maxx, which was really nice. The others just didnt bother with anything.
Reply
crazydaycarelady 06:08 AM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by :
I found it interesting that the children that were the most difficult to work with and you spent the most time with - the parent(s) never gave anything.
I have found this to be true also! I once watched a kid several times late - the dad mentioned that at Christmas they would have to give me a really nice gift. Haha They gave me a dishcloth and a dish scrubber. I was thinking "Seriously, this is the "really nice gift"?"
Reply
JenNJ 06:14 AM 10-17-2012
A framed picture of their kids. Because really, I must not see their faces enough. And where do you put a picture of kids that aren't yours?
Reply
Lilbutterflie 06:30 AM 10-17-2012
I got a Christmas gift from a daycare family. It was 6 weeks AFTER Christmas. She kept telling me that she had it at home but kept forgetting it, blah blah blah. Then one day she called and said she was going to be late picking up her children because she wanted to stop by her house to get it. She showed up a half hour LATE that day. She brought me a brown paper bag from the store she bought it from, with an unwrapped coffee mug in it.

No card. No wrapping paper. 6 weeks after Christmas. Picking up 30 min late to give it to me.
Reply
Creek 06:36 AM 10-17-2012
I don't think I have ever received a 'bad' gift. I've had some awesome DCP. Every Christmas (I've had this family for going on 4 years) they give me money, first year was $250, last year it had gone up to $500. I was SHOCKED the first and every Christmas since. They also get me jewelry every Birthday, I just got a gorgeous necklace this past birthday. Other families, I've received gift cards to Chapters or money as well. I once got a glass juice jug and matching glasses - I loved it.

I don't mind not getting anything (I've had families that haven't, and that's totally fine), but I prefer nothing to a used loaf of bread (sorry pp, lol)
Reply
Cat Herder 06:54 AM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
A framed picture of their kids. Because really, I must not see their faces enough. And where do you put a picture of kids that aren't yours?
I have MANY of these, along with calendars, photo books, keychains and coffee mugs with their family photos on them.

It is such an odd choice (I give them hundreds of photos of THEIR kids each year, not mine), IMHO, but I guess that means they are viewing us as honorary "Aunts" or "Grandparents" ? IDK...

I scan what I can to have in the classroom slideshow picture frame. The rest I toss because I simply can't store them all.

Personally, I spend about $25 per kid and put a lot of thought into them. I then let the kids make their parents/grandparents gifts. I would love it if they gave something to MY KIDS. I don't need holiday gifts, those are about the KIDS, IMHO.

Oh.... man did I go off topic. Sorry. I need coffee.

Anyway, my worst gift was 8 Ball shot glasses. They had the black pool balls with a big number 8 on them... I don't play pool and I don't drink. IDK, maybe it was a hint?
Reply
DaisyMamma 07:23 AM 10-17-2012
Oven MIT with muffin mix. I DO NOT BAKE! Dcf knows this.
Another dcf gave me a $10 gc to local nail place. I DO NOT GET MY NAILS DONE, EVER.

Wouldn't you know that the first dcm loves baking and second dcm always has her nails done.
Reply
Childminder 07:59 AM 10-17-2012
My worst is coffee mugs, every year I get one, or two. I don't drink anything hot and everyone knows this besides I'm certain they came from the $ store or are regifted. Everyone tells me to store them because they usually are Christmas related but seriously I don't have room and if I had kept each one I would have about 100 by now.

I truly would rather not get anything. Most of my parents are single and state pay, they need to spend their $ on the kids.
Reply
Brooksie 10:04 AM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Most memorable was a CASE of wine. One bottle for every month of the year. Especially ADORABLE because one weekend a month dcb goes to grandma's, and Mom mentioned that we both needed a bottle of wine the day he comes back! I used it just as the note said too! It is now my favorite wine!
LOVE THIS! What a great idea. I can only hope one of my DCMs thinks the same way!!
Reply
Sugar Magnolia 11:08 AM 10-17-2012
1.Fruitcake. Yummy. Not.
2. Coupons. Hate 'em.
3. Earings. Dont have pierced ears.
Reply
Kaddidle Care 12:24 PM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by Childminder:
My worst is coffee mugs, every year I get one, or two. I don't drink anything hot and everyone knows this besides I'm certain they came from the $ store or are regifted. Everyone tells me to store them because they usually are Christmas related but seriously I don't have room and if I had kept each one I would have about 100 by now.
Hey - if you have enough you can fill them with candy or tea bags or cocoa mix and have the kids give them to their parents! (I guess you should use the really old ones for that.)
Reply
Oneluckymom 12:47 PM 10-17-2012
Originally Posted by Creek:
I don't think I have ever received a 'bad' gift. I've had some awesome DCP. Every Christmas (I've had this family for going on 4 years) they give me money, first year was $250, last year it had gone up to $500. I was SHOCKED the first and every Christmas since. They also get me jewelry every Birthday, I just got a gorgeous necklace this past birthday. Other families, I've received gift cards to Chapters or money as well. I once got a glass juice jug and matching glasses - I loved it.

I don't mind not getting anything (I've had families that haven't, and that's totally fine), but I prefer nothing to a used loaf of bread (sorry pp, lol)
WOW...you dont want to term that family ok, JK!!

I have been doing this over a year...nobody has given me anything. Although, I have always given something special to their kids for their Bdays.
Reply
spud912 01:12 PM 10-17-2012
Actually, my sister is the culprit bad-gift-giver. I'm talking about huge piles of old magazines on stuff I do not care about at all, religious books (and she is a member of a religion I do not agree with), and old junk she is trying to get rid of. My dh tells me that I need to tell her to just stop giving me stuff, but I know she means well. Most of what she gives me ends up immediately in the trash. Last year she gave my daughters stuffed animals that had been sitting outside in the rain for months. She had washed them, but had a funky smell .
Reply
daycare 01:22 PM 10-17-2012
We have a contest after Christmas called fear the funk christmas Junk party.

YOu have to bring in your worst christams gift and the winner of the worst gift gets $50.00

every year I win with the gift that my MIL gave me....I feel so bad, but she does not know about it....lol
Reply
Reply Up