Easter gifts at daycare?

lemonJAM

I know not everyone celebrates Easter (of course!), but I think everyone at our in-home daycare does.  There are 4 other little girls there, two are only part time.  I was thinking about sending little treats for the other kids before Easter.  Is this the norm?  LO just started daycare a month ago, so I really don't know much about this kind of thing.

mittensonkittens

I don't think it's the norm, but go ahead if you want to.  However, if one of the kids in my son's class started bringing in gifts for every holiday I would feel guilty for not doing the same and a little annoyed by the situation.  Moms feel the need to compete, and it sucks.  For valentines day I wasn't planning to bring valentines because the kids were all 12-18 months old and they wouldn't know the difference.  I was going to bring something for the class party, that's it.  Then the day before the party the teachers said "bring valentines if you want".  I thought "crap, I don't want to go to the store at the last minute, they're babies!", and of the 8 kids, only DS and one other kid didn't bring them.  And I worried about what the other parents thought of me.  In my opinion, this holiday stuff is getting out of hand - and the bump boards are just contributing to the insanity.  I don't mean to insult you, I'm just being honest.

Pesky

There's no norm when it comes to stuff like that.  If you want to, go ahead.  I oftentimes send in a special treat for the kids around certain holidays but not always.  Sometimes I send something just because.  Depends on my mood and if I remembered to buy anything!

ahava2005

I wouldn't do Easter unless you were 110% sure everyone celebrated.  Bringing in things can be nice, but I'd stick to secular holidays.

Temp159135562506975

as a former teacher i can say i'd never be sad about getting a gift !  Even if it wasn't a holiday i celebrated.  Just don't make it super "eastery" - maybe a "spring" gift would be better- just in case.

i did a little easter "bucket" gift for Griffin's teachers one year- fun little stuff- the teachers in that room were all young.  I don't remember doing an easter present the next year - or last (i was pg with the boys and didn't do much for daycare at that point!).

i was thinking about it this year- but also thinking i'd just bring in some Rita's Ice a week after Easter as a spring treat.

MrsT1209

I'm not planning on it because it's a religious holiday and I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't recognize it.

wheelenl

MrsT1209:

I'm not planning on it because it's a religious holiday and I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't recognize it.

What's the concern? Having to explain another religion? I'm a Christian but if someone at DS's preschool handed out Ramadan gifts or Yom Kippur gifts or whatever, I'd think it was a nice blessing and an opportunity to explain to kids that we don't all celebrate the same holidays.

I don't understand how gifts are offensive (unless you're Jehovah's Witness).

ahava2005

wheelenl:

MrsT1209:

I'm not planning on it because it's a religious holiday and I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't recognize it.

What's the concern? Having to explain another religion? I'm a Christian but if someone at DS's preschool handed out Ramadan gifts or Yom Kippur gifts or whatever, I'd think it was a nice blessing and an opportunity to explain to kids that we don't all celebrate the same holidays.

I don't understand how gifts are offensive (unless you're Jehovah's Witness).

 

I think its a little different if you are a member of a minority.  As a non-Christian (observant jew) it is a little off-putting for people to try to include me in their holidays.  I'm already surrounded by your culture and don't need to take anything home from it.  I fight hard enough to keep my own culture part of my family without too much assimilation.  I don't find it insulting or offensive, but just a little...off.  I have no need for anything Easter and I would never give a non-Jew matzo for Passover.  The thought would never even occur to me.

But, that said, I do agree that using it as an opportunity to teach religious diversity is a nice idea. 

wheelenl

ahava2005:

wheelenl:

MrsT1209:

I'm not planning on it because it's a religious holiday and I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't recognize it.

What's the concern? Having to explain another religion? I'm a Christian but if someone at DS's preschool handed out Ramadan gifts or Yom Kippur gifts or whatever, I'd think it was a nice blessing and an opportunity to explain to kids that we don't all celebrate the same holidays.

I don't understand how gifts are offensive (unless you're Jehovah's Witness).

 

I think its a little different if you are a member of a minority.  As a non-Christian (observant jew) it is a little off-putting for people to try to include me in their holidays.  I'm already surrounded by your culture and don't need to take anything home from it.  I fight hard enough to keep my own culture part of my family without too much assimilation.  I don't find it insulting or offensive, but just a little...off.  I have no need for anything Easter and I would never give a non-Jew matzo for Passover.  The thought would never even occur to me.

But, that said, I do agree that using it as an opportunity to teach religious diversity is a nice idea. 

Interesting perspective. One of my best friends is Hindu and she is obsessed with Christmas, not winter holiday, but actual Christmas. She also "observes" Easter, as a gift holiday kind of thing, anyway.  And another good Buddhist friend  is also really into Christmas. So those are the people I'm thinking of, I guess.

I could see it being different if my kid were the only one who wasn't "in" on it.

lemonJAM

ms.mittens:

I don't think it's the norm, but go ahead if you want to.  However, if one of the kids in my son's class started bringing in gifts for every holiday I would feel guilty for not doing the same and a little annoyed by the situation.  Moms feel the need to compete, and it sucks.  For valentines day I wasn't planning to bring valentines because the kids were all 12-18 months old and they wouldn't know the difference.  I was going to bring something for the class party, that's it.  Then the day before the party the teachers said "bring valentines if you want".  I thought "crap, I don't want to go to the store at the last minute, they're babies!", and of the 8 kids, only DS and one other kid didn't bring them.  And I worried about what the other parents thought of me.  In my opinion, this holiday stuff is getting out of hand - and the bump boards are just contributing to the insanity.  I don't mean to insult you, I'm just being honest.

 

 

That is one of the things I was thinking about!  I don't want to stir things up!  I'm not instulted.

lemonJAM

Thanks for all the feedback!  I think I'll probably not do Easter gifts and just wait to see what everyone else does. 

trackchik6

wheelenl:

ahava2005:

wheelenl:

MrsT1209:

I'm not planning on it because it's a religious holiday and I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't recognize it.

What's the concern? Having to explain another religion? I'm a Christian but if someone at DS's preschool handed out Ramadan gifts or Yom Kippur gifts or whatever, I'd think it was a nice blessing and an opportunity to explain to kids that we don't all celebrate the same holidays.

I don't understand how gifts are offensive (unless you're Jehovah's Witness).

 

I think its a little different if you are a member of a minority.  As a non-Christian (observant jew) it is a little off-putting for people to try to include me in their holidays.  I'm already surrounded by your culture and don't need to take anything home from it.  I fight hard enough to keep my own culture part of my family without too much assimilation.  I don't find it insulting or offensive, but just a little...off.  I have no need for anything Easter and I would never give a non-Jew matzo for Passover.  The thought would never even occur to me.

But, that said, I do agree that using it as an opportunity to teach religious diversity is a nice idea. 

Interesting perspective. One of my best friends is Hindu and she is obsessed with Christmas, not winter holiday, but actual Christmas. She also "observes" Easter, as a gift holiday kind of thing, anyway.  And another good Buddhist friend  is also really into Christmas. So those are the people I'm thinking of, I guess.

I could see it being different if my kid were the only one who wasn't "in" on it.

ahava already said this better than i will so i don't know why i am responding.  but that is how my husband feels too.  I was brought up unitarian and brought up learning about all religions (but my mom is jewish so basically the deal was that i would start practicing Judaism when we got married).  i didn't notice it before i was a member of the minority.  when you're in the majority it's like you feel "enlightened" learning about another religion if someone tries to teach you about their customs but if you're in the minority it's just hard because you already have to teach your kids why they don't/can't celebrate easter like everyone else they know.     

jlw2505

I go to a center and not sure if home daycare is different but we do not do anything at our center for Easter.  If anything for the holidays, like having Santa or the Easter buny come visit is done at the beginning and end of the day and parents need to take their child to visit as it is a religous thing, they don't want to take the whole class and make any family uncomfy since its not their holiday.  I personally would not do anything unless you ask the sitter if everyone celebrates the holiday and than only if she is 100% sure.  I would not want to offend anyone even though you are trying to do something nice, you just never know how people would react.