For Christmas, I made photo books for the dcp's - a year's worth of photos and captions personalized for each child. Now the DCKs don't have anything from ME to open and I can't go spend even $10 per kid - I'm over budget for Christmas spending as it is. I didn't even plan a Christmas party (I feel bad that one family doesn't celebrate Christmas and I don't want them to feel left out).

What can I possibly give my dck's that is verrrry inexpensive? Or is no gift OKAY?

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I usually give a series of small gifts in the week leading up to Christmas. One of the favorites is always a coloring book and a small box of crayons. The kids really love them and will sometimes carry them around for weeks. I also bought several books this year at TJ Maxx for just a couple of dollars apiece. You can also find good bargains on books in the clearance section at either Barnes & Noble or Borders. Depending on their ages, you could also do inexpensive treat bags with stuff from the party store and/or the dollar store. Walgreens also does a lot of little treat bag type things with coupons from their flyer this time of year.

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No gift is fine. You give the gift to each child every single day. They receive enough 'stuff' this time of year.

This year I had my kids make an ornament for the parents, we had a family sing-along and that was all. The parents loved it and I don't think for a second that the parents expected that I would get each child a gift. I personally think all the material stuff is pretty excessive this time of year.

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I made the parents an ornament with the childs picture in it, board boards which were from the Dollar Tree and flashcards...The kids loved them...I spent $3-$4 on each child.

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My kids are all too young to really "get" what's going on, so I didn't really get them anything. Even in the future though, I want to focus on the "giving" side with them--we're doing crafts to give to the parents this week, and the parents will get those (they're keepsakey sorts of things) and a plate of holiday yummies I've made. Assuming I ever finish the baking and cookie decorating...

So in other words...yes, I think you're fine. The kids are going to get SO many gifts this week, I think it's fine, even GREAT to focus on the giving aspect--a valuable lesson no matter what a family celebrates or believes. Maybe have the kids make wrapping paper for the photo books and help wrap them. To make the wrapping paper you could do potato stamping on a roll of brown package paper (or white if you can find it)--cut each piece to be a sufficient size to wrap the book, then let the kids go to town. Ends up being a useful lesson in how to wrap, too!

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i also think kids get enough stuff from family and friends so i dont worry much about getting huge gifts. here, every year they get a book. and to be honest, sometimes i find beautiful, like new books at yard sales. i always try to personalize it by finding books with topics i know they will like.

last year to be nice, i filled small stockings for each of them as well. one 6 year old princess actually had the nerve to look at me and say, "i dont want this $ store crap". that family isnt with me anymore, for a ton of reasons, but its' made me think that maybe kids now a days are a bit spoiled by "stuff" and always expect too much.

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I think you did just fine, I got all of my kids ornaments that have their names on them and a board book that I left the tags on so they can be exchanged if they want to ( I cleared this with the book store) I have decided that this is going to be my thing, they is what I am going to do every year. Kids get so much at home I find it very hard to buy for them, how can we possibily know everything they already have. I have had kids in the past that got a really good amount of stuff from their parents/Santa and then would go to both sets of grandparents who would try to outdo each other so they would get tons more. It's crazy how carried away people get.

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thank you for your ideas - I like the idea of having the kids make wrapping paper and help wrap the photo books. Stamping today! I don't feel so bad now. And the kids made photo ornament crafts 2 weeks ago which I guess could count as a keepsake thing, too.

Thank you!

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Two of my dck's have already "slipped up" and told me they've gone shopping for presents for friends which got me thinking about the fact that *I* don't have anything for them, but the other dcp's do. You're right though; these kids have a lot and they do get a lot....

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It's not how much you spend. And I know it sounds corny, but it's the thought that counts.

For me, I just went to dollar store last night, bought a bunch of different things like candy canes, chocolates, box of animal crackers, etc. I didn't bother with anything like toys or books etc, because that's a little more personal than I was hoping to get.
After reading a poem from a lady on this site, I decided I was going to google for some good poems from a teacher to a child. I found some really good ones, and decided to print that and frame it in a little frame. That cost me nothing other than the ink to print it, as I have a huge set of frames I picked up for portraits and there were a bunch of smaller ones in the set that I can't use anyway.

Oh the kids are making ornament balls today too. So she'll take that home as well.

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I don't give presents to the kids and we made one handprint paper ornament for the kids to put on their tree. I don't have the kids make gifts for the parents and I don't make gifts for the parents.

It's very generous of you to do all that you have done.

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After 2 years of no gratitude, I cut out dc presents this year. We are doing handprint and footprint reindeer ornaments this year as a nice craft, I'm baking each family a tin of cookies, and giving them each a holiday card. I think anything is above and beyond honestly.

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You need to do what you are comfortable doing. There is nothing that says you "have" to do anything. I certainly am not in a position where I can spend any extra money, I'm wondering where I'm going to get the money to pay my bills to be honest, for this month. But a few dollars I spent is enough. And Originally I was just going to do my baking and send it home.

I don't expect that any of the families I have now will be giving me any sort of gift. I'm hoping for a card but that's it. They are not full timers, and I don't see them every day. But I also didn't want to feel like Oh sorry I didn't get YOU anything. So at least I have something to give.

Just my preference, and it was a last minute thought I had (literally last minute, I shopped last night).

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I just wanted to say that I think the photo books are an awesome present. It takes a lot of time to do a years worth of photos with captions for each child. I would hope that would be a sufficient gift for the parents AND the children

If you really want to get them something, someone else mentioned Walgreens or Dollar General. I buy all of my own kids stocking stuffers from there. I do the flashcards and little books, at Dollar General they are $1-$2 each and at Walgreens you can get flashcards mix and match with books/ coloring books for 2/$5. Good luck, but if you decide not to get anything I would tell dck's the photo books are for them and their parents.

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Along the lines of the photo book, if I'm still doing this next year I plan on making photo calendars for each family with pics of their kiddo throughout the year. I thought of this this weekend and if I had more time would do it this year, but I think that would be a nice gift for future Christmas's.

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When I first started doing daycare about 8 yrs. ago- I bought presents fort he children's birthdays, and Christmas ones. I would spend about $10.00 on each child for their birthdays and $25.00 for each at Christmas time. It went down in price aobut every yr. Now starting about 4 yrs. ago, I cut out Birthday presents all together. We sing Happy Birthday and make cards for each Birthday. Now Christmas I have gone down to $15-$20.00 on each child. As of today Mon. I haven't received anything from any of my 4 families. I gave out all the children's gifts last Fri. at our Christmas party. I don't expect a present, but would like a card, just to let me know how appreciative they are of me, would be awfully nice!! I give out gifts to religion teachers, mailman, UPS man, Fed ex man, paper guy, teachers, etc. every Xmas. I do appreciate everything they do all yr. round!!

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I went to TJmaxx this year and bought a cheap but decent brand developmental toy for my dcg. Shes still really a baby in terms of her development and if I hear "We really need to get her something like this" pointing to one of my toys again im going to yell "WHAT DO YOU GIVE HER TO PLAY WITH AT HOME THEN??" I dont expcet anything from my parents as they usually forget stuff for their own kid so Im just hoping for payment on time this week (so far its a no go). I do like the handprint ornament idea though. Thats a good one for next year.

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I wouldn't feel bad. I went to Wal Mart and got a bunch of the little stocking stuffers for the kids. So I think each kid had 6 things in their gift bag. I'm sick of spending a lot of money on the kids only to get ignored by the parents.

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I have done the photo books in the past and the kids love them as much as the parents do! I wouldn't worry about doing something specifically for the kids.

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We are making cookies for Santa on Thursday to send home with the kids that's it.

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Make some homemade playdough! My dck's LOVE playdough! Just a thought! And I LOVE what you did for the parents! I may steal that for next year!

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Maybe you could just write 1 or 2 sentences on contruction paper telling each child what you love about them. Then cut out a fancy border and maybe even add a couple of stickers or glitter to fancy it up. From the heart and very inexpensive!

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Having had my oldest in child care when he was younger, I would have loved to have received one of the photo books you made. Personalizing each one with captions must have taken an incredible amount of time and effort for you to do. I would think that what you've already done is more than enough -- so generous and thoughtful! Besides, the kids enjoy photo books, too. They love looking at their own pictures and those of their friends so it's a family gift vs. just a parent gift.

If you feel uncomfortable not giving something to the kids, you could maybe give each child a candy cane or one of those candy canes filled with M&Ms - something small like that. Younger kids are easy to please; it doesn't take a lot of money to make them happy.

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I think christmas gifts are great but I do not think the kids expect it. Everyone knows times are tough and I think the love and attention you give the kids is def enough!!

I just bought my kids little gift bags and toys from the dollar section at target...really cheap but I figure I would rather give cheap gift than regret spending too much at christmas.

Next year they wont remember what you got them. But the photo books will last forever and be very memorable.

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That's a lot of people to think about - wow - you are good!

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You're right - the kids have seen the books and they LOVE LOVE LOVE them and keep asking me, "Miss X, can I see my book?"

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They did take me a loooong time - probably about 3 hours per book? I really hope they like them as much as I do. I plan on doing it every year (this is my first full Christmas as a FCC provider).

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this makes me feel a lot better - thanks

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okay well this year I went over board with my families
a photo album with pics for each family yes that's a photo album not a scrap book
a gift for each child
and a goodie basket for each family
call me crazy

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Why don't you just address the book to the parents & child? They will all enjoy it and then everyone is covered.

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This thread is from 2010.

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Oooops

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