Need Daycare Provider Christmas Gift Ideas...

[LynnTH]

We too have been through our share of daycares. I think we we are on our 7th (and hopefully last) one. We have been at the current one a bit over a year and she is great. Last year when my DD was in preschool. She would drop her off and pick her up from preschool and she would also take her to speech every week. We never asked her to do that as we assumed we would just take turns leaving work to go get her - so, it was awesome that she did that for us. Last year we gave her a $100 GC to Spalon Montage and a $50 GC for Outback.

This year the kids are in school full time now and are only there before and after school. But we really do appreciate all she does and she is a single mom with 4 kids (ex husband doesn't pay for all the stuff he should) so times are tough for her. So, this year I am going to be giving her $100 cash. So, she can use it how she needs to. I'll probably buy her a few items also.

 

[JennyRMouse]

Wow that the gifts listed in this thread are very generous. I used to work in a daycare center the most expensive gifts I received were about $25 in value and I loved every gift I received no matter the cost. What really matters is the thought and knowing you are appreciated.

 

[cgcw]

Another daycare provider checking in

I have received over the years everything from $20 to a couple of hundred dollars worth of gifts. One year, I started a new client and she knew I wanted to get into scrapbooking. For Christmas, her children had only been with me for 2 months, she bought me everything imaginable from Creative Memories to get started --- albums, cutting tools, page protectors, papers, kits, storage items. I had no idea the value of the gift until I started looking at Creative Memories myself.

Personally, I would much rather receive a gift card to a restaurant than a gift itself. I don't want to sound ungrateful as everything I have ever received has been appreciated, it's just that we have so many things around the house, I don't really want to add more.

My other personal favorite item is an ornament. I've received some where the parents have added all of the daycare children's names on it. There are little shops in a lot of malls which will do this with the purchase of an ornament. I love to look at them when they come out of the box and remember the children whose names are written on. Daycare is a very changing business. Over time, children leave and new children come. It's nice to have a permanent memory of that period of time.

 

[tinytink]

Another daycare provider checking in

I have received over the years everything from $20 to a couple of hundred dollars worth of gifts. One year, I started a new client and she knew I wanted to get into scrapbooking. For Christmas, her children had only been with me for 2 months, she bought me everything imaginable from Creative Memories to get started --- albums, cutting tools, page protectors, papers, kits, storage items. I had no idea the value of the gift until I started looking at Creative Memories myself.

Personally, I would much rather receive a gift card to a restaurant than a gift itself. I don't want to sound ungrateful as everything I have ever received has been appreciated, it's just that we have so many things around the house, I don't really want to add more.

My other personal favorite item is an ornament. I've received some where the parents have added all of the daycare children's names on it. There are little shops in a lot of malls which will do this with the purchase of an ornament. I love to look at them when they come out of the box and remember the children whose names are written on. Daycare is a very changing business. Over time, children leave and new children come. It's nice to have a permanent memory of that period of time.

I watch a kid that goes to my son's school and his family gets me a full turkey dinner on Thanksgiving and then gives each of my 4 kids $$ on Christmas. I really feel bad for them because they had him 20 years after their first child so he has nobody to play with and since my sons are about the same age/grade we offer to let him stay later to play then drop him off at home. I only watch him for about a hour a day M-F. His parents are really sweet so we always get him a xmas gift usually cash but this year I am getting him video games. I also send him home with homemade goodies at least once a week.

So in answer to your question I really don't expect anything but it is nice to be remembered. We make hand stamped sented candles for my children's teacher every year and they look forward to recieving them every year. Not costly but since it's home made it's more gives a more personal touch.
Or an Entertainment Book with a small cash give ($25 or $50) so they could use as a night out and still be able to use the Entertainment book for the remainder of the year.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I've heard about giving the daycare giver a weeks pay, but our daycare providers make at around $500 a week and there's two in her room right now. That'd be a $1000K for both. Last year, I had 3 in her room, one full time and two part time. I got the full time lady a basket with $10 movie gc, $25 Cheddars gc, and a $50 JC Penney GC. I also put some Dale and Thomas popcorn and some other stuff in there. For the other ladies I did a $50 GC to Walmart for one, and Target for the other, with Paula Deen's cookbook, trivet, kitchen towels and the kitchen mits. This year I did a pampered chef basket and I'm going to put in it a GC to their favorite store. I've got to drill them some more about which stores are their favorites. I really appreciate our providers, they are great women and deserve so much more.