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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do You Give DCP Gifts?
Tdhmom 07:50 AM 11-22-2013
I have a daycare family that gives me a pretty hefty bonus for Christmas. They voluntarily gave me a raise over the summer as well. I always try to do fun keepsakes for them that their twins make...with that being said, I am completely stumped this year!

Last year we made hand print ornaments and turned the fingers into snowman. Even if it's buying something for them this year, I need something very thoughtful! I couldn't ask for a better dcf.

Any ideas?
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Heidi 08:33 AM 11-22-2013
I have the kids make them a craft like a hand print thing. Haven't decided what yet this year. I don't normally do "product oriented" art, but make an exception for Holidays.
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Tdhmom 08:37 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by Heidi:
I have the kids make them a craft like a hand print thing. Haven't decided what yet this year. I don't normally do "product oriented" art, but make an exception for Holidays.
I've pinned a bunch of DIY ornaments. I like the ones where you can see how much they've grown for the year. Probably end up doing another hand print. Just curious what everyone else does
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butterfly 08:44 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by Heidi:
I have the kids make them a craft like a hand print thing. Haven't decided what yet this year. I don't normally do "product oriented" art, but make an exception for Holidays.
I do the same. I don't do any other gifts for the parents. I do purchase the kids a small gift.
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MyAngels 08:45 AM 11-22-2013
Pinterest is where I go when I need ideas for holiday keepsake crafts.
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Tdhmom 08:51 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by butterfly:
I do the same. I don't do any other gifts for the parents. I do purchase the kids a small gift.
I do get the kids a small gift as well! Pinterest has overloaded my head with ideas and I can't pick just one lol
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hope 09:00 AM 11-22-2013
A craft or ornament along with a nice bottle of wine
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BrooklynM 09:07 AM 11-22-2013
I have a few hand and footprint artwork crafts, but other than that, for each child I am making a photobook off of shutterfly. I have one for the child that is an ABC book with pictures of them in it. For example, A is for Apple and it shows a picture of them eating an Apple. I have another photo book for the parent that chronicles their child throughout the year, thanking them for sharing their child with me. I'm almost done putting them together, it's been hard because it makes me so emotional putting it together, lol. I'm also making 1 slideshow with music to give as a CD, but it won't be personalized for each kid, it will be about all of the kids and our year here. I cry everytime I work on it. You would think someone died or something. I don't know why pictures set to music is like an instant cryfest for me?
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Cat Herder 09:17 AM 11-22-2013
I usually theme my gifts towards the kids and do an heirloom craft or two. Of course I usually get re-gifts from their office parties... (yes, we are on to you guys and yes we will post the photos)

I know many of those photo sites have CHEAP photo calendars this time of year.

Pick 12 cute photos of the kids, upload them... have them in a week. EASY

Or... pick one photo, upload, put it on coffee cups instead. EASIER
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Brooksie 09:21 AM 11-22-2013
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We made these last year for the parents. Its a crappy pic I took off one of my dcms fb. Its all done with hands and feet besides the eyes nose and mouth, oh and the Halo as well. They are very cute framed I'll probably do them again this year since I don't have any of the same kids.
Attached:
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Soccermom 09:48 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by Tdhmom:
I have a daycare family that gives me a pretty hefty bonus for Christmas. They voluntarily gave me a raise over the summer as well. I always try to do fun keepsakes for them that their twins make...with that being said, I am completely stumped this year!

Last year we made hand print ornaments and turned the fingers into snowman. Even if it's buying something for them this year, I need something very thoughtful! I couldn't ask for a better dcf.

Any ideas?
I make CDs for the DCPS with pictures that I have taken of their kids throughout the year. I take pics of them playing, sleeping, doing activities, taking nature walks, daycare parties, etc....then I make a CD with music that they can watch on their TV and see how much fun their little one had. It also gives them a chance to have pictures of their children that they otherwise would not be able to take.
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Tdhmom 09:51 AM 11-22-2013
All of these ideas are great!!! Thank you guys!!!
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snbauser 10:41 AM 11-22-2013
I don't do gifts for them other than a keepsake or two from the kids. We are doing the handprint suncatchers this year. I typically do the cd with music at the end of our school year since I focus on preschool and prek and cater to school employees.
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TheGoodLife 10:53 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by BrooklynM:
I have a few hand and footprint artwork crafts, but other than that, for each child I am making a photobook off of shutterfly. I have one for the child that is an ABC book with pictures of them in it. For example, A is for Apple and it shows a picture of them eating an Apple. I have another photo book for the parent that chronicles their child throughout the year, thanking them for sharing their child with me. I'm almost done putting them together, it's been hard because it makes me so emotional putting it together, lol. I'm also making 1 slideshow with music to give as a CD, but it won't be personalized for each kid, it will be about all of the kids and our year here. I cry everytime I work on it. You would think someone died or something. I don't know why pictures set to music is like an instant cryfest for me?
LOVE both of those ideas!!
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preschoolteacher 10:56 AM 11-22-2013
Originally Posted by BrooklynM:
I have a few hand and footprint artwork crafts, but other than that, for each child I am making a photobook off of shutterfly. I have one for the child that is an ABC book with pictures of them in it. For example, A is for Apple and it shows a picture of them eating an Apple. I have another photo book for the parent that chronicles their child throughout the year, thanking them for sharing their child with me. I'm almost done putting them together, it's been hard because it makes me so emotional putting it together, lol. I'm also making 1 slideshow with music to give as a CD, but it won't be personalized for each kid, it will be about all of the kids and our year here. I cry everytime I work on it. You would think someone died or something. I don't know why pictures set to music is like an instant cryfest for me?
Reading this totally made me smile. I know what you're saying! You sound like a really nice person, your families are lucky to have you care about their children so much.
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Childminder 11:18 AM 11-22-2013
Besides the plethora of ornaments the kid make each December I make a loaf of banana bread and gift them a candle each year. More than what I should do but I like to give.

Think of your child's teacher once they start school, does she gift a parent?
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spud912 01:38 PM 11-22-2013
The children take home a bunch of crafts throughout the month, but we do one special craft keepsake closer to Christmas for the children to give to their parents (NOT from me). I do give each parent a gift of homemade cookies and candies in a tin. I usually do 8-9 different recipes from scratch and they take approximately 2 weeks to complete, so I really think that is enough. I gift the same present to our immediate neighbors as well. I figure if they have to hear screaming children all the time, I should do something in return .

Here were last year's goodies:

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Josiegirl 04:09 PM 11-22-2013
I give them a homemade holiday bread or plate of cookies. The kids make crafts during December, with 1 they wrap and put under their tree.
I love some of your ideas! I wish I was a computer whiz and had a camera that worked better, I'd love to do the Cd or photobooks.
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Josiegirl 04:10 PM 11-22-2013
Spud, those look really yummy!! And time consuming!
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Lorri 04:12 PM 11-22-2013
Something that I do for the parent and they love it. All year I snap all kinds of picture of what we do here. Most parents really don't know what is going at daycare. Then I make a slide show to music put it on a DVD turns out so awesome. The parents just love it
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misslori50 02:46 PM 11-24-2013
Originally Posted by Lorri:
Something that I do for the parent and they love it. All year I snap all kinds of picture of what we do here. Most parents really don't know what is going at daycare. Then I make a slide show to music put it on a DVD turns out so awesome. The parents just love it
LOVE this idea
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Sunchimes 03:20 PM 11-24-2013
Would someone do a tutorial using very simple words to explain how to put music to the pictures? I tried it in one year, but when I burned the cd, the pictures showed up all jumbled instead of the nice month by month way I was looking for.
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