gift card amount for daycare?

smileybabyboy

We plan to give DS's daycare teachers each a visa gift card. How much should they be for? Thanks.

izziebee

I had 8 gift cards to buy.
The 2 main teaches each received $20, the director and the assistant dir. plus 4 teachers helpers each received $10. They came from Starbucks.

mb314

It really depends upon your budget.  Give what you can afford.  No amount is too little.

I am giving the 3 main teachers $50 cards to Target and the 3 part time teenage helpers $20 cash (because I have no idea where teenagers shop).  I'm at a larger in home daycare.

ETA: I couldn't find Visa or Mastercard gift cards that didn't have a $3 - $5 fee to activate them.  That annoyed me, which is why I went with the Target card.  If I'm spending $50 on a card, I want the daycare ladies to be able to use all $50 of it. 

dufferoo

Yeah I think this tooootally depends on your budget. If you're loaded, give a hundred bucks each, or more. They're worth it, I'm sure! But if you can't afford that (God knows I couldn't!), give whatever you can afford. I guess I'd say a minimumof $20 if you want to do a Visa gift cards, Cash would be better in my book. If you want to get away with spending less, I'd just write a really sweet note and maybe give something thoughtful/homemade.

janineuva

My in-home daycare had one main person and 2 helpers. I gave her the equivalent of a week of daycare- so at the time $600. I gave the other two smaller $30 gifts. I assume she distributed the tip but not sure. Now I have a nanny so I will do the same- actually I will give her $300 (half week) since she started in August.

For pre-school though which was full day, I have about $100 between the 5 teachers (someone collected).

I know the amounts are high. Nothing is too small. My feeling though was they were watching my kids from 7:30-6:30 everyday and were wonderful so an extra week (although hard on my budget) was what I gave.

smileybabyboy

Oh no! My husband came home with the gift cards last night and the one for the main provider and the one for the assistant teacher are both the  same amount. Is this bad??

newenglander71

This question comes up a lot it seems and I feel like people should just give whatever they can afford and you shouldn't be concerned about whether or not you give the same amount to a PT or FT teacher, etc.  My guess is most DC providers are happy with the thought - so while a $600 bonus would be beyond great, a $10 gift card with a note saying you appreciate them is also well received.  I know people who are DC providers and they told me that the majority of parents don't even give any gift.

BabyHope2013

We go to a home daycare as well. We gave our daycare provider $50 to her favorite restaurant and then $25 gift cards to her two assistants. 

janinekrause

I agree. It is the thought that counts.

smileybabyboy

Ok. Thank you so much for your help!  I appreciate everyone's responses.  We'll just give each of them the $50 gift cards and some small loaves of gingerbread I baked.  Thank you again!

sschwege

smileybabyboy said:

Ok. Thank you so much for your help!  I appreciate everyone's responses.  We'll just give each of them the $50 gift cards and some small loaves of gingerbread I baked.  Thank you again!

That sounds very nice, I'm sure they will love it!

singingirl96

for my in home daycare I bought the main provider and the helper a $50 spa gc and a card.

hmontty

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

singingirl96

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

g8trkim

singingirl96 said:

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

That's really rude... and shallow and judgmental!  I hope you don't pass down this mentality to your child.

I'm a teacher and I really do appreciate any gift my children get me, whether it's store bought, homemade, or just a card. For me it's the thought that counts.

Jenelle101

g8trkim said:

singingirl96 said:

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

That's really rude... and shallow and judgmental!  I hope you don't pass down this mentality to your child.

I'm a teacher and I really do appreciate any gift my children get me, whether it's store bought, homemade, or just a card. For me it's the thought that counts.

I agree. I am a teacher as well and don't expect anything. I received $200 cash from a family last year and so far this year I have received a $100 gift card to Target, and I think that is WAY over the top. A nice note and some baked goods or lotions is plenty! It's totally the thought that counts!

Meery82

singingirl96 said:

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

How shitty of you. Maybe that's all she can afford?

smileybabyboy

Meery82 said:

singingirl96 said:

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

How shitty of you. Maybe that's all she can afford?

I like the posts that say give what you can afford. And it's true, some families don't give any gifts at all, so even if it is a $5 gift card, I think it's nice that you thought of them.  

twinkletoes3126

Before my son was born, I was a daycare teacher for many years. I received gifts from almost every family. Sometimes it was lotions, candles or candies. The most popular gift, and frankly my favorite, was giftcards. It was usually $25-50, sometimes more and sometimes less.

vamomtobe

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

In my opinion, a perfect gift for teachers.  My husband is a teacher, and gets tons of gifts ranging from homemade sweets to gift cards.  Every gift is appreciated, no matter how much was spent on it, and not that we sit there and rank which gifts were the best, but he really loves the ones with hand-written notes.  Ones written by kids even make it to the fridge.  

hmontty

singingirl96 said:

hmontty said:

Jeez...last year I gave them each a $5 Panera card and wrote a nice note. They must think I'm cheap. My child is only part-time, though, just 12 hours a week.

This year I decided to forgo the gift cards and got each person a small Yankee candle (they were on sale for half price but a nice winter scent) and a cute snowflake ornament that you can put a picture in the center of. Also, of course, a nice note. I spent about $13 each on the gifts.

Maybe I am cheap, but I thought that would be a nice gift. Maybe if my kids were full-time, 12 hours/5 days, I would do something more. I just thought the point was a token of thoughtful gratitude.

yep, you're definitely cheap.

Afterall, they're only taking care of the most important people in your life.

Nothing says "you're special" like Picture Frames, Candles and Lotion Sets....

;-)