Holiday Gifts

[Blackcat31]

Do any of your families give you gifts for Christmas? Just curious....I have one family who gives me a weeks pay in addition to their regular payment and other families who give me bath salts and fragrances (which makes me think, Do I stink? or do you want me to just relax and take a break?) and families who just toss me the standard card with the family Christmas phot inside and then I have other families who try to figure out ways to not have to pay the 1/2 rate I do charge for the Christmas vacation. So I was wondering how in the world I ended up with such a variety of families....and what some of your families give to you?

[DCMomOf3]

I get small things from one and a picture card from another. This is my first Christmas with my newest family so we will see.

[MyAngels]

Yes, I've had gifts at the holidays run the gamut as well. I have a couple of families who regularly give cash, equal to a week's pay. I've had the usual variety of lotions, creams, bubble baths, etc. A couple of families give gift cards to restaurants (It's well known that hubby and I go out to eat regularly), I had one family that gave me a gift certificate to a spa every year they were here for 9 years (I miss them ). Every now and then I get a family that doesn't give a gift at the holidays. The funniest was the family that Mom and Dad were both highly paid execs at a local company, who gave me a wooden Christmas plaque with the clearance price sticker still on the back (like 5 bucks), but then again I had just raised their rate substantially, so maybe it was payback .

[melskids]

mine are all over the place too. i get everything from homemade cards to money. one never does anything, and thats OK too. now i'm not gonna lie, the money gifts are great, and 9 times out of 10, i just buy more daycare stuff but to be honest, its the homemade stuff i cherish the most. just knowing they took the time, ya know? i had one family once drop off a card the day after Christmas, with 1, 5, and 10 dollar bills crumpled and shoved inside. it was like, why bother? and another time one family put a check in a card for $250. i almost died i was so excited. until it bounced

[SilverSabre25]

This is my first year doing daycare, so we'll see. I'm not counting on much, knowing my families!!

[MARSTELAC]

When I had my children in daycare, I gave the teachers in their classroom a weeks' worth of tuition (like one week was $175.00...so I gave that to them to share). Sometimes there were 2 teachers, sometimes 2 and some helpers... When we moved to private family daycare, they owner got a weeks tuition as their gift...cash in a card, or a gift in an equal amount...I recall a dvd/vhs player one year since it cost the same as a week of our tuition. Now that I am a provider, I have received 75.00-100.00 in a holiday card, a stack of copied christmas cd's, a light-up holiday statue, basket with wine and a glass and some candy, a christmas-themed art hanging, gift cards in assorted amounts up to 35.00, musical instruments to be used at daycare,toys to be used at daycare, wine, clothes, greeting cards (blank so I can use them later). My fave is the green stuff or gift cards. All but one of my parents has always given me something. It is all appreciated. I spend 15.00 per kid for christmas on my daycare kids. This year I found something for each of them and lucked out because each of the 12 items ranged from 14.99-15.01! I try to keep it all fair. For their birthday they get 5.00 cash and a 5.00 restaurant gift card. In 2011 they are all getting a 10.00 Toys 'R Us gift card in their birthday card. I get birthday/Valentine gifts from many of my parents also (ranging from wine to flowers) :-)

[momofboys]

Originally Posted by melskids

mine are all over the place too. i get everything from homemade cards to money. one never does anything, and thats OK too. now i'm not gonna lie, the money gifts are great, and 9 times out of 10, i just buy more daycare stuff but to be honest, its the homemade stuff i cherish the most. just knowing they took the time, ya know? i had one family once drop off a card the day after Christmas, with 1, 5, and 10 dollar bills crumpled and shoved inside. it was like, why bother? and another time one family put a check in a card for $250. i almost died i was so excited. until it bounced

LOL about the check bouncing! Not that it is funny but still. Did you tell them about it?

[DCMom]

The past several years, all of my families have pooled their $$ and bought one big gift. I have gotten a signed hockey jersey of my fav player (we have season tix), a Wii game system, a digital camera and photo frame, a patio heater and a Nintendo DS.

I don't know what to expect this year ~ the 'organizer mom' isn't here anymore ~ so we will see what they come up with

[melskids]

Originally Posted by janarae

LOL about the check bouncing! Not that it is funny but still. Did you tell them about it?

oh yeah. but believe me, that was an akward conversation. i almost felt guilty for saying something, and for asking for the bank fee.

[momofsix]

Originally Posted by melskids

and another time one family put a check in a card for $250. i almost died i was so excited. until it bounced

Oh my goodness, I laughed out loud at that one...that's awful, and not funny at all but I couldn't help it
I get gift cards, candy, candles...everyone gives me something, though it might not be much it's still appreciated

[Crystal]

I have been fortunate and have very appreciative, generous parents. I have a few that give me cash bonuses and a few that give me gift cards. What I find better than getting the annual gifts though, is that my parents show their appreciation for me throughout the year and on a regular basis.

[misol]

I haven't had a parent give me a Christmas gift but they buy gifts for my 2 children. I am happy enough with that.

[GretasLittleFriends]

Last year was my first Christmas... I didn't get much. From one family I got some venison steak, venison brats and home-made peach jam. That family is no longer here... We will see what this year brings. I'm guessing not much.

Last year the kids each got a stuffed animal and a corresponding story. For example, the infant I had got The Velveteen Rabbit story and stuffed toy. A little girl I had got a story about a kitten and a stuffed kitten...

This year, I'm somewhat undecided. I think each kid is getting 1/2 or a dozen cookies (depending on which type I choose to bake). I was also going to get each child a nicely decorated pair of socks. I have mostly boys, and it's impossible to find Christmas/Winter socks for boys.

For their birthdays each child got a pack of crayons, a coloring book and a puzzle. The coloring book and puzzle were the same... ie Cars, Iron Man, Transformers, etc.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I get gifts for the kids, but don't expect anything in return. Last year one family got me a candle, another gave me 40 bucks, and two others did nothing. This year I only have two families - one old and one new. I'll be shocked if I get something from the one, and have no idea about the other. Honestly, the best gift they could get me would be to FLIPPING PAY ON TIME.

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by melskids

oh yeah. but believe me, that was an akward conversation. i almost felt guilty for saying something, and for asking for the bank fee.

omg - so did they give you the bank fee and just forget about it, or did you still get the money? that would be akward!

[melskids]

Originally Posted by QualiTcare

omg - so did they give you the bank fee and just forget about it, or did you still get the money? that would be akward!

i told them it was ok to just let it go, except for the bank fee, but they ended up bringing it all to me in cash. and as a matter of fact, they never paid me with a check again after that...lol i'm sure they were beyond embarrassed.

[daysofelijah]

Anywhere from an extra weeks pay, gift cards, lotion/soap baskets, homemade cocoa, socks, to nothing. It really varies.

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by melskids

i told them it was ok to just let it go, except for the bank fee, but they ended up bringing it all to me in cash. and as a matter of fact, they never paid me with a check again after that...lol i'm sure they were beyond embarrassed.

i'm sure they were! that sounds like an honest mistake then. i've had one bank account until recently and sometimes i get confused about which one i withdrew money from or used to buy something online, etc. it would've been reeeally embarrassing if they didn't have the money!

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom

Honestly, the best gift they could get me would be to FLIPPING PAY ON TIME.

AMEN!!!! and if they already do that, then a little appreciation goes a loooong way, whether it is in the form of verbal thanks or a written card with no money, just thanks would be a great gift for any occassion!! I have one mom who hugs me every time there a long weekend planned or extended time off...like she is REALLY gonna miss me. I don't know if she is just hoping and praying I come back soon so her kids can come back to daycare or if she truly will miss me, either way I don't care, I am just glad she appreciates me period.

[boysx5]

I got a visa gift card two years ago that was used already never did say anything to the family but the thought was there I guess. The bounce check takes the cake

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by boysx5

I got a visa gift card two years ago that was used already never did say anything to the family but the thought was there I guess.

I'm sorry I don't mean to laugh but...but that one is right up there with the bounced check!! Good thing you can see the positive in it!

[marniewon]

Last year was my first year, and I only had one family. Christmas gift? Nothing. Not even a card!

This year I have that same family, and 2 others. However, one family is out on maternity leave, so I'm not expecting anything there, and no idea what the other family will do. Although, if anyone were to give anything, my bet would be on the last family.

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by boysx5

I got a visa gift card two years ago that was used already never did say anything to the family but the thought was there I guess. The bounce check takes the cake

you know those cards are reloadable so it's possible they called to reload it and there was a mistake. i buy a lot of gift cards for christmas and i always put the paper copy of the receipt in with the gift card just incase of this!

I only have 1 daycare parent this year and this is her first year but she already told me she is getting hubby and I a gift card to a restuarant and offering to watch my 3 kids so we can go out on a date she said she remebered me telling her hubby and I havent been out in 5 years I think that is so thoughtful of her and it shows how much she cares for us. The other daycare parent I had left due to her getting vouchers and I dont accept them she never got me anything for christmas. Ive had parents in the past get me gift cards, candles, bath sets, Christmas decor, and cash. This year I got my little daycare boy a pair of pjs, 2 book, and a big stuffed dog.