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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do You Buy Presents For Kids?
Malmom 06:45 PM 12-01-2013
I have in the past- I stay around the $15 range per kid.

This year I have several new kids, so parents won't be expecting presents. Would it be bad if I don't purchase presents this year? I honestly would rather take that $15 per kid and sink it into the daycare, buying toys and supplies. I'm just wondering if I would feel awkward if they get me a present and I don't get them anything in return.
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Annalee 06:52 PM 12-01-2013
Originally Posted by Malmom:
I have in the past- I stay around the $15 range per kid.

This year I have several new kids, so parents won't be expecting presents. Would it be bad if I don't purchase presents this year? I honestly would rather take that $15 per kid and sink it into the daycare, buying toys and supplies. I'm just wondering if I would feel awkward if they get me a present and I don't get them anything in return.
My FCC program takes a family from the Angel Tree and the dcp buy gifts for this fam. I buy the dck a gift. This year, they are getting T-shirts with my dc logo on it and a homemade crochet toboggan... Sometimes we go after christmas and get some gifts that are priced down as well for the next year....like we got these t-shirts for a $1 and used them this year. My aunt has the machine to put the logo on. I love to find bargains.
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Crazy8 08:21 PM 12-01-2013
I have skipped it some years, but I usually do buy them a little something. Usually in the $10 range. This year I am down a few kids (2 just left in the last 2 weeks) so I don't have many to buy for.
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Cradle2crayons 03:00 AM 12-02-2013
Originally Posted by Malmom:
I have in the past- I stay around the $15 range per kid.

This year I have several new kids, so parents won't be expecting presents. Would it be bad if I don't purchase presents this year? I honestly would rather take that $15 per kid and sink it into the daycare, buying toys and supplies. I'm just wondering if I would feel awkward if they get me a present and I don't get them anything in return.
This year, I took all the kids to get their picture with Santa and I used my camera. I am sending he free print home with each family and using the digital for something special. My two parents with five kids total can't afford professional pictures of their kids so I'm going to give each family an enlarged print of the kids.

Then I got each kid a book. And I'm making each kid a throw and a matching pillow with their name on it with fabric I already had.
We adopted two families this year also.

I did but my special daycare girls and her infant brother a few things because I know mom can't afford to buy more than three presents total for them this year. And a very sweet member of this board is helping. And another very sweet member sent a happy box a few months ago so the kids would have some warmer clothes since they had NOTHING. Literally for winter.
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MotherNature 05:38 AM 12-02-2013
I only have a couple, so I get a couple little things, like an ornament theyd like and some candy or snacks in a stocking. I do about $10 as well..
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VTMom 05:59 AM 12-02-2013
I do about $10/ kid as well. Every year I get a book and some sort of craft. This year it's a book and art supply kit.
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sally 06:06 AM 12-02-2013
This year I got my dcks each a coloring book and crayons and I bought neat ornaments to put each kids picture in to give to their parents. I also bought some neat foam ornament kits for each kid to make and give to their parents.
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Leigh 06:15 AM 12-02-2013
I buy presents. About $25-$30 per kid. I think maybe I spend too much,but my parents pay me a lot more than the other daycares in my area charge, so I feel like I need to get them something more.
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LaLa1923 06:22 AM 12-02-2013
This is my first Christmas with the daycare and I am buying presents. Everyone's gift is around $25.
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Play Care 06:53 AM 12-02-2013
I usually buy each child a book and that's it. I spend less than $5 per child. With two young children of my own and a large family, we just don't have it. While we do deduct it off taxes it still shelling out the cash upfront.
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MsLaura529 07:00 AM 12-02-2013
I spent about $10-$12 on each child's gift (the boys got a Jake and the Neverland Pirates guitar and the girls got a fisher price tea set), and then they are making 2 keepsake type gifts for their parents.
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nanglgrl 07:07 AM 12-02-2013
Originally Posted by Play Care:
I usually buy each child a book and that's it. I spend less than $5 per child. With two young children of my own and a large family, we just don't have it. While we do deduct it off taxes it still shelling out the cash upfront.
This is what I do also. I buy 2-3 books from Scholastic per child and rarely go over $5.00.
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Blackcat31 07:19 AM 12-02-2013
I have 12 daycare kids. Instead I require the kids to each bring an item to donate to a designated charity.

I want the kids to learn to give as well as receive.

I do plan some really fun seasonal activities for them so they definitely don't miss out on the fun of the holidays!
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KDC 07:34 AM 12-02-2013
Last year I had the kids pose for pictures as a group/individual and bought clear plastic ornaments from Walmart for $1 each, bought some red and green tinsel and had their pictures printed and posted on the inside of the ornaments with clear glue dots. One side individual and other side group with the tinsel in the middle, I put a cute bow on each one and they turned out super cute! We do lots of other little crafts throughout the season. I also give a nice hard covered book and sign it (Knuffle bunny, Spiderman - whatever they're interested in), and I create an annual DVD with the kids pictures as a slideshow set to music with their friends and a 'blooper' video section. All together it probably comes out to around $10/kid... and all my time to do the DVD project.
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AnneCordelia 07:40 AM 12-02-2013
I spend $10/kid for a small present. Usually I buy them a classic book.
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Brooksie 07:47 AM 12-02-2013
I will not be buying presents for the kids. We will do crafts to send home but I don't feel the need to spend money on the dcks for things outside of daycare. I'm not making enough money for that and tbh all the kids I have are spoiled. They will have plenty of presents. I will probably send everyone home with a candy cane or something on Monday since we will be closed Tuesday- the following Thursday. If I were concerned that the kids weren't going to be having a good Christmas I would get them set up through Adopt-a-bear.
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thetoddlerwhisper 09:39 AM 12-02-2013
i always do something for them. this year im doing a stocking. our dollar tree has little character hats with santa, reindeer, snowman, etc. and walmart has santa bath squirters so those will go for sure. and we had a large donation of small stuffed animals a few weeks ago so im going to machine wash them and put one per stocking. who knows what else ill grab though. usually about $5-$10 a kiddo
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Lorri 05:42 PM 12-02-2013
I have a big party and buy them about 5 dollars on a gift. I got webkinform amazon for girls and monster trucks for the boys
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daycare 05:59 PM 12-02-2013
I have 14 kids and will buy each one of them a board game and book.

I will also require each family to GIVE a new or used item to a family in need.

We also make gifts to take to the SR home.
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jenn 06:17 PM 12-02-2013
I shop on Black Friday! I get $15-$20 gifts, but only spend around $10
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cheerfuldom 07:45 PM 12-02-2013
I don't buy gifts for the kids but will help them make something for mom and dad as well as a small ornament or perhaps a goodie bag with baked goods since we do a lot of baking around the holidays. My daycare kids are very spoiled/fortunate and I don't want to send home toys that will be trashed and forgotten in few hours. If we do give out gifts, they are handmade items from my husband and me.
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MCC 08:01 PM 12-02-2013
I got them each a gift. I put a limit at $10 each. I got the preschoolers each a set of three puzzles (walmart had them for $3 on Black Friday). I got the two newborns each a carseat toy, and I got the 9 month old and 7 month old a "lift the flap" book.

We have several special crafts coming up, and I'm taking the 3 preschoolers to see Frozen next week, I'm really excited about this!
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jessrlee 03:47 AM 12-03-2013
I always get every child a new set of pajamas for our polar express party. I also made them paper bag stockings I will fill the night before with candy, and trinkets. I but candy and give away stuff after the holidays and have a huge stash
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littleblossoms 05:23 AM 12-03-2013
One book each.
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Maria2013 05:50 AM 12-03-2013
I only do B-Days for the kids
.... I don't buy a gift for the families for Christmas cause I don't want them to feel they have to buy something for me (although an extra 100 is appreciated ) and cause I wouldn't know what to get them, I do however buy some kind of Holiday arrangement (chocolates, cookies, etc) to celebrate the end of the year, I buy the same thing for everyone and give it to them on the last day before Christmas
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NeedaVaca 05:56 AM 12-03-2013
I got all kids the large pillow pets with their favorite characters for $5 each on Black Friday! I will also send home cookies the kids decorate in a tin (bought last year after Christmas for pennies). I make ornaments and other keepsakes for the parents. This year I am putting a BW picture of each child on this sticky paper that will wrap around a tall glass vase with a tea light inside. I hope they turn out!
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originalkat 01:51 PM 12-03-2013
I usually get them something REALLY CHEAP like a dollar store stuffed animal and put it in a pretty package. I hand them out after our Christmas program each year.
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Starburst 02:20 PM 12-03-2013
The FCCP I used to work for used to by birthday and Christmas gifts for the DCKs (all the families all went to the same church so they all celebrated it). She would usually spend about $10 (maybe up to $20 occasionally) on 1 big nice birthday gift and just go to the $1 store (or the $1 aisle of other stores) and get about $10 worth of toys on Christmas (dolls, cars, crayons, coloring books, etc) for each child; she usually had about 20 kids enrolled total (different times of course). And she also wrote it all off as a tax expense.
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