Yet another "gift to daycare" question

litzo27

Sorry, I know it's the 30th one this month!

In DS1's old daycare we did individual cards to teachers so it was easy (there were no floaters). In DS2's new daycare there are a lot of floaters (for toddler room 4 full time teachers, 2 part time and 2-3 floaters). I was just working out how much to give to whom when I got the email that the daycare parents usually do a pool and then distribute the money to the teacher based on their status. That's fine but the pool is not room specific - i.e. it's all rooms together. I know that I normally give more than a lot of people. I'm lucky that we can afford it and I just like to recognize and thank our teachers since I can. But I don't know the teachers in the other rooms, so I'm not sure how I feel about the gift going to them.

Sorry long post. Summary - if there is a pool that goes to multiple rooms would you do that? Or would you do individual gift-cards to just your room's teachers? Or both do the pool and just a little extra to the lead teachers?

litzo27

Thanks @PrivacyWanted - no they didn't give any range. I'm kinda leaning to that option as well.

djm31012

yeah i would do both....just makes it easier. i have no idea what i am doing yet-i probably should get on it!

traveltheworld

If there is a pool I'd definitely do that!!  Then maybe just a small something for the main teachers.  I specifically asked our director and there is no pool at our DC.  So this is what we are doing - $35 gift cards for each of the 4 main teachers he had this year, then $10 Starbucks cards for the 4 main floaters.  FWIW - we are giving this much because DS has severe food allergies and had a number of other health issues and I feel like they went above and beyond in taking care of him this year.  I'm also going to try and stamp DS's hand on some Christmas cards and write a nice message in there for each of the teachers.

BP607

I haven't heard/not heard that we do or don't do gifts to the DC teachers -- is this just an unspoken standard?  

litzo27

BP607 said:

I haven't heard/not heard that we do or don't do gifts to the DC teachers -- is this just an unspoken standard?  

I certainly don't think it's expected and I'm sure not everyone does it and people don't expect it. But personally I have always done gifts to both nannies and daycare workers. I think they do a great job and I would like to show my appreciation. Some people take the position that they are paid and hence a gift is extraneous but I don't agree with that logic. I think you'll find that on this board a lot of participants like to give a gift.

Tink112011

Our center does an optional pool as well.  Last year we did that because DS had been in 3 rooms (Babies, Crawling Infants, and Toddlers) and it was the easiest way to acknowledge all of the teachers he had over the year.  We gave $50, and after the holidays the center sent TY notes saying that each teacher received about $31.

This year I'm giving DS's two teachers each a $20 gift card to Target.  I'm not sure why, but it makes my gift feel more "worth it" than the big pool does.