Holiday gifts for daycare

jetgrrrl · December 2013

Sorry for those who are sick of the topic but I scrolled through and actually didn't see many!
DS1 and DS2 each have three DC teachers. I was thinking of getting them each a small box of (really, really good) chocolates and a use-anywhere giftcard for $30 each. $50 would put me at $300 (!!!) and frankly given that just feels very steep. Is that enough or do I need to kick it to $50? We live in a HCOLA and daycare is crazy expensive, I feel pretty tapped out as it is. Or should I skip the chocolates and give them $40 or $50? DS2 is also very attached to a teacher in another room so I was thinking about getting her just chocolates. UGH.

jf198400 · December 2013

I think $50 is pretty generous. My 2 kids each have 2 main teachers, I am going to do $25 gift cards each. We are a MCOLA. One year DD had a teacher from another room that she was close to, so I just gave her a $10 Dunkin gc.

wychets · December 2013

DD has 2 teachers I did 2 Target gift cards for $25.

jlaOK · December 2013

I'm giving $25 Target gift cards to DS's and DD's main teachers (LCOL area). I'm not doing anything for the helper/floater teachers. Frankly, there are too many for me to keep up with and therefore too many for me to buy for.

mb314 · December 2013

Give what you can afford. The chocolates and the $30 cards are a generous gift. $50 is generous, but if it's a strain, don't give that much. In my opinion, no amount is too little if you're giving what you can afford.

litzo27 · December 2013

I think both $30 and $50 are great. Personally between the two scenarios you present I would do $50 plus a card and skip the chocolates because, believe it or not, not everyone likes chocolates

Or even if you do $35 or $40 plus a card that's plenty - you don't need to do a "round" amount.

ccam · December 2013

I think $30 is very generous. But if you were contemplating skipping the chocolates and adding that amount to the gift card, I would go with that. Either way though, they are very nice gifts.

MirandaHobbes · December 2013

Either works. I'd skip the chocolates too. $25 is plenty with 6 teachers, imho! One year we had like 10 between teachers and therapists, and they all got $10's and a couple $20's for lead teachers.

Katie829 · December 2013

I hate chocolates so I would never give food as a gift.

Give what you can afford. Don't feel like you need to spend more than you can afford. A gift is gift.

mexicolombiana · December 2013

I just bought my gift cards today but DD is 3 and in preschool. DD has a main teacher and I gave her a $50 gift card, then there is a special ed teacher in her classroom and I gave her $35.00. It's not her teacher but she is in her class 100% of the time and I know she obviously interacts w/all kids too.

Then there are 3 teacher aids in the class all the time too, I gave them each $20.00, so yeah I spent $145.00. It is high but screw it. I'm not buying that many Christmas gifts this year.

mexicolombiana · December 2013

Ok I just got into a fight w/DH about this, and I'm changing the gift cards around. He really thinks $50 is too much for the main teacher, so i'm giving the $50 gift card to our niece instead and doing:

$35 for main teacher

$25 for special ed teacher (that isn't her teacher but is always in their room)

$20 for each aide (total of 3).

MirandaHobbes · December 2013

Ok I just got into a fight w/DH about this, and I'm changing the gift cards around. He really thinks $50 is too much for the main teacher, so i'm giving the $50 gift card to our niece instead and doing:

$35 for main teacher
$25 for special ed teacher (that isn't her teacher but is always in their room)
$20 for each aide (total of 3).
This is very nice and generous of you. DH and I argue about teacher gifts every year! He always wants to give very little, I don't want to be too stingy. My son is in an inclusion classroom with a teacher and Special Ed teacher (but he is in Special Ed) and I'm giving $20 to each teacher and nothing to the 2 aides. I feel bad now about the aides!! But I'm going to have DS make cards for everyone. My feelings on gifts have changed now that we're in elementary school- for some reason I just think they aren't as expected. It was different in the private daycare/preschool, more like a tip for good service. I'm a state employee, and I'd die if someone tried to tip me! (and it's probably illegal!) But a nice card or note with heartfelt thanks is always unexpected and appreciated.

jf198400 · December 2013

MirandaHobbes said:

mexicolombiana said:
Ok I just got into a fight w/DH about this, and I'm changing the gift cards around. He really thinks $50 is too much for the main teacher, so i'm giving the $50 gift card to our niece instead and doing:

$35 for main teacher
$25 for special ed teacher (that isn't her teacher but is always in their room)
$20 for each aide (total of 3).

This is very nice and generous of you. DH and I argue about teacher gifts every year! He always wants to give very little, I don't want to be too stingy. My son is in an inclusion classroom with a teacher and Special Ed teacher (but he is in Special Ed) and I'm giving $20 to each teacher and nothing to the 2 aides. I feel bad now about the aides!! But I'm going to have DS make cards for everyone. My feelings on gifts have changed now that we're in elementary school- for some reason I just think they aren't as expected. It was different in the private daycare/preschool, more like a tip for good service. I'm a state employee, and I'd die if someone tried to tip me! (and it's probably illegal!) But a nice card or note with heartfelt thanks is always unexpected and appreciated.

I really don't want to make you feel bad, b/c really you have to do what you can afford/ feel comfortable with, but those teachers aides get paid peanuts, I would consider doing something small for them.

jnnfrrose6 · December 2013

Thank you for posting about this. We got an email from DC with a list of all of the teachers (each classroom, it went out to every parent) and what their "favorites" are. Favorite beverage, snacks, color, restaurant, scent, "loves to...," and "loves to have..." This is our first holiday with this school. Last year DS had only been at his previous DC a month and it didn't even cross my mind to do a gift, but this seemed really off putting to me. I get it. It's helpful to have this info to guide a gift purchase, but it also seems presumptuous to me. Looks like gift cards are the norm, though, so that helps.

wychets · December 2013

MirandaHobbes said:

Ok I just got into a fight w/DH about this, and I'm changing the gift cards around. He really thinks $50 is too much for the main teacher, so i'm giving the $50 gift card to our niece instead and doing:

$35 for main teacher

$25 for special ed teacher (that isn't her teacher but is always in their room)

$20 for each aide (total of 3).

This is very nice and generous of you. DH and I argue about teacher gifts every year! He always wants to give very little, I don't want to be too stingy. My son is in an inclusion classroom with a teacher and Special Ed teacher (but he is in Special Ed) and I'm giving $20 to each teacher and nothing to the 2 aides. I feel bad now about the aides!! But I'm going to have DS make cards for everyone. My feelings on gifts have changed now that we're in elementary school- for some reason I just think they aren't as expected. It was different in the private daycare/preschool, more like a tip for good service. I'm a state employee, and I'd die if someone tried to tip me! (and it's probably illegal!) But a nice card or note with heartfelt thanks is always unexpected and appreciated.

I don't even tell DH about it. I just buy the 2 $25 GC and give them to DD's 2 teachers. He thinks its a waste of money to give gifts to them for doing their jobs. He was raised differently so I do not even engage in that conversation.

mae0111 · December 2013

There are 2 teachers in DD1's classroom. I got them each $25 gift cards to a local restaurant, and candles. I just wanted to put something in a gift bag.

She's only there 3 mornings per week, so I thought it was appropriate.

We gave our nanny one week's salary. She cares for DD1 2 full days and 3 afternoons per week (plus vacations and sick days), and DD2 full time.

jetgrrrl · December 2013

Thanks everyone! We also used to have a nanny and we would do one week's salary, which was no easy feat, but that seems to be standard for nannies. I think I will go with $35 and skip the chocolates.

MamaAllison · December 2013

I'm glad to see I'm in good company with my $25 Target gift cards and my grumpy husband that doesn't think the DC teachers deserve gifts!!

jbatch · December 2013

I run a daycare and the teachers rarely get that much from parents. It is often just some chocolates or bath and body works or whatever. When I was teaching I was happy with $10 gift cards.. So I would say anything is great!

On the Nanny subject I think it is completely different because my staff gets a weeks pay for their bonus so paying the nanny that is the employer paying the bonus. The parents do not need to be paying that much at a daycare. That is a perk of daycare..

LoCarb · December 2013

Gift what you can afford. $30 is generous and should be appreciated. GC's are always the best route!

cedenton · December 2013

I did about $15 each for his main teachers (fuzzy socks, some chocolates, and a candle). I just figured maybe they're sick of all the food. I didn't even know there was a regular floater until the day after I got their gifts.

mexicolombiana · December 2013

wychets said:

MirandaHobbes said:

Ok I just got into a fight w/DH about this, and I'm changing the gift cards around. He really thinks $50 is too much for the main teacher, so i'm giving the $50 gift card to our niece instead and doing:

$35 for main teacher

$25 for special ed teacher (that isn't her teacher but is always in their room)

$20 for each aide (total of 3).

This is very nice and generous of you. DH and I argue about teacher gifts every year! He always wants to give very little, I don't want to be too stingy. My son is in an inclusion classroom with a teacher and Special Ed teacher (but he is in Special Ed) and I'm giving $20 to each teacher and nothing to the 2 aides. I feel bad now about the aides!! But I'm going to have DS make cards for everyone. My feelings on gifts have changed now that we're in elementary school- for some reason I just think they aren't as expected. It was different in the private daycare/preschool, more like a tip for good service. I'm a state employee, and I'd die if someone tried to tip me! (and it's probably illegal!) But a nice card or note with heartfelt thanks is always unexpected and appreciated.

I don't even tell DH about it. I just buy the 2 $25 GC and give them to DD's 2 teachers. He thinks its a waste of money to give gifts to them for doing their jobs. He was raised differently so I do not even engage in that conversation. Ha exactly! I really regret I even told him what I was doing! Telling the truth to the husband ALWAYS backfires!

groovygrl · December 2013

MH has zero idea what I do for teacher gifts & when (if you asked he'd prob think it was just xmas )...
I give $25 g.c's to each teacher and also got them each a personalized pad off of etsy. Yeah, they'd prob like that extra $ on the gift card but I kind of like giving something else for the holiday. At teacher appreciation & valentine's I do straight g.c (I just do something small for v-day b/c I think it is fun, last yr I thought the teacher was going to cry when DS walked over to her w/ some flowers LOL). In the past I used to also do something when we left a classroom but now since they're in prek and it is only once a year and on a school year type schedule it is w/in weeks of teacher appreciation so I bumped up the amount for that.

linjmurx · December 2013

what about the director and assistant director? at our dc they are very active in helping out in the individual classrooms. They both know my kids well and have been very helpful about giving medicine, etc. Ugh.. including them I am up to 13 people total and worried that I'm missing some aides. Still deciding what to do gift-wise.

mrsshawnavanb · December 2013

I agree with $30 and chocolates being generous. You don't need to over-think it. Christmas is not about the amount of money you spent on a gift, it's the thought! I bought the 3 "teachers" at DD's daycare one of the 3 wick candles from bath and body and a box of Christmas candies. I spent under $20 and they all really enjoyed the gift.

mrsshawnavanb · December 2013

linjmurx said:

what about the director and assistant director? at our dc they are very active in helping out in the individual classrooms. They both know my kids well and have been very helpful about giving medicine, etc. Ugh.. including them I am up to 13 people total and worried that I'm missing some aides. Still deciding what to do gift-wise.

I gave our director a box of Christmas candy but at our daycare she is not super involved.

groovygrl · December 2013

I too struggle w/ the administrative staff b/c I like them a lot... I think in January I"m going to send a bagel tray or something like that for the entire facility b/c I think they get inundated in December.

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