Gift for Daycare Provider? - Aberdeen,MD

When I worked in day care some of the parents bought us gifts. I felt kinda weird about it becasue I already got paid so the extra gift wasn't necessary to me. I think the extra pay is too much.

I think that would be GREAT if you can afford it.
The best holiday bonuses are cash, cash and more cash....or gift cards! :-)

I don't know who in the HECK said that a Christmas bonus for your daycare provider is not necessary. Whovever that was has no idea what these ladies do all day long and that they are a Godsend to every family that works! I know this....I used to own my oen home daycare for 5 years and then I worked outside the home as a pre-school teacher, kindergarten teacher, and the became a Vice Principal. We work very hard and it's a totally thankless job unless you count the numerous beautiful children who make us laugh, smile, and feel like we have really made a difference in someone's life. That's why daycare providers are who they are.....they want to make a difference, they love children, and they are nurturing souls. Having said all this, anything that you would give to your daughter's daycare provider for Christmas would be greatly appreciated by her. The thought that you had as a parent to give her a week's pay as a bonus if awesome! These people don't make a lot of money and most of them rely on their husband for financial stability and certainly health benefits and such. I love your idea and I can tell you that I have had numerous parents give me a "bonus" for doing a great job and I felt so grateful and respected. It made my day to think that I was really valued and appreciated like that. I have also gotten home-made gifts throughout the years that brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. Either way....you can't go wrong. Do whatever you feel is right for you and most of all, if you value this lady's expertise...show her! Double shame to the people who felt that giving a gift to your provider was "not necessary". I wonder how they would feel if she suddenly didn't feel it necessary to take care of children anymore? Appreciate the people and things in your life that help you care for your most precious cargo ever....your children!. Daycare providers do that and much, much more!

Our daycare lady is from England so we get her a basket of english candies from a british store nearby and I make her a tin of cookies that she loves.

A week's pay is very generous. If that is what you feel you want to give, then go ahead. Working out of the home, we all enjoy OUR Christmas bonuses. She'd be no different.

For our provider I usually give her an cute/inexpensive tree ornament (last year it looked like the front of her house!), and a gift card of $20 - $50, depending on budget, since she watches 2 kids for me and one is there all day. One year it was to Home Depot since I knew there were some house projects she wanted done and last year was to a nice restarant.

Not necessary applies to gifts of any kind. It's not about what's necessary - it's about what you want to do for her. How much you want to spend. How much you think she needs it.

It's about how generous you want to be. If you can afford it, if she doesn't have wonderful financial circumstances, do this for her. In addition, give her a small token of a personal gift as well, perhaps a framed picture of her and your child.

All my best,
Dawn

We used to give our daycare provider a week's pay as a Christmas bonus and gave it to her in the middle of December. We also gave her a small gift our kids picked out and usually a gift they picked out for her kids. We did this much closer to Christmas and then took pictures of all the kids in front of the Christmas tree.

it's not 'necessary', i guess, but a lovely gesture of appreciation and consideration. i disagree with those who say that her regular pay is all that's needed. an in-home daycare person is so important and integral to a family, it feels pretty cold to give her no extra at all.
you're a good egg, K.!
:) khairete
S.

Wow, a week's pay? Can I come work for you? ;) That's so nice that you even considered that. If that's what you feel you would like to give and you can afford it, I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

One thing I think would be nice is a gift certificate to a spa for a massage and pedicure. That's sounds like Heaven to me right now! :)

As a home daycare owner, a weeks worth of pay would be a great gift. Whatever you decide, just knowing we are appreciated for all we do is really what counts. If you can afford the money for a week's pay it is great, do what you can afford, but show your appreciation, it will mean so much. I have had parents who have bought expensive gifts and others who have not even given a card to say thanks and others in between. We work hard and consider your kids like family, show us respect and love, and we will work even harder for your precious children.

Usually I give 100.00 cash with a handwritten thank you letter praising the wonderful job our daycare provider does. I also supplement this letter with occasional cards or kind words to remind her she is appreciated all year long.

Good daycare is EXTREMELY hard to find...if you have it, treat it well, the return is ten fold. We have part time daycare it's a private in- home setting 3 days a week.

I am due any day with our 2nd and my Mom recently died, so we have NO family in the area to be with our 2yo daughter while I am laboring. Because we have a good relationship with our daycare provider, she has offered to take our daughter when I go in to labor...even if it's a wknd or the middle of the night. We intend to pay her for the extra time our daughter is there, and I will probably get her a gift card for a massage or something too. I am a firm believer in what goes around, comes around and karma and all that.

I try to treat everyone in our life as one of God's kids....with respect and dignity. Funny thing....I am surrounded with awesome people!!!!

If you can afford a weeks pay and feel she deserves it-that is very generous. A couple of months ago someone wrote in re: day care lady was called out of town, yet still expected to be paid for the week-and I felt she was entitled, based on the back story-if your day care provider needed the week off-and she expected to be paid for the time-would you still feel comfortable with your gift?

I don't personally have a daycare provider, so I don't know what amount would be appropriate...but I will say that the amount of VALUE it provides for you should dictate the amount of gift you offer. A week's pay seems very generous, but if that's the value you put on it, great!

Another option, or maybe to 1/2 and 1/2: Include a Mary Kay Satin Hands set all wrapped up beautifully... with a check inside as the bonus. If you're not familiar with MK Satin Hands, it's a real WOW treatment for your hands: hand softener, scrub, and hand cream... makes you feel like satin! You could include a note: "I want your hands to stay satiny smooth through the winter when you hold my baby girl!"

So guess what? I'm a MK consultant and would love to help you out with a gift for the special people in your life. I offer Mamapedia moms 10% off, never charge for gift wrapping or shipping! Satin Hands comes in Vanilla, Peach, or fragrance free. .

Merry Christmas!
~J. Black
www.marykay.com/jblack2012
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I have typically given gift cards or a special something that I overheard my sons child care teacher talking about wanting.
That said, I have two and they have always been in a center, not a home care setting so I wasn't directly paying the teachers.
I think this is a beautiful and generous gift. Go for it!! It will definately be appreciated.

I also have an in-home daycare and I have given a week's pay for Christmas.

I agree with you, not the "others." Finding a provider that you and your child adore is a GIFT. Go with your instincts on this one, not what others think.

Your provider is caring for the most precious thing in your life - your child. YES! Give her a gift. You should not only do this at Christmas. My grown daughter gives her daycare provider gifts every now and then just because she takes such wonderful care of my grand daughter. A week's pay is a fantastic gift if you can afford it.

When our sitter and her family went to Disney World in September, I gave her a $100 "vacation bonus" (equal to 1 wk of pay). She was shocked! I didn't make a big deal out of it. I handed her her pay for the week and said "I added a little something extra for you to use on vacation". She put it in her pocket without counting it. About 30 mins later I got a text from her thanking me and telling me I had made her day and brought tears to her eyes. I got the feeling no one had ever done that for her before.

I plan to do the same for Christmas.

Our sitter is great! She buys special things for my son when she comes across something that she knows he'd like. She always checks in with me if he's sick/hurt to see how he's doing and when something funny happens throughout the day she texts me to let me know.

I nannied for 10 yrs and the families would always give me a cash (tax-free)bonus and I was so appreciative that I like to do the same for our sitter.