Share your holiday gifts for daycare teachers

[Anonymous]

I know there are a couple gift-related threads but I thought I could make one just for people to share what they're planning to give.

I'm a FTM and I know I'm overthinking the gifts for my child's daycare teachers, but I really like them and I know their job is hard so I want to take care of them. I am planning to give a cash gift and mentioned to a friend that I was maybe going to give $100 and she thought I was insane. She said she worked in a daycare and would receive $5 Starbucks cards and appreciated that. Not sure if it makes a difference, but I live in the burbs, not the city. I'm probably paying a little (or a lot) less than those of you in the city or closer to the city at $330/week.

What are you giving your child's daycare teachers? Money, gift cards, food, homemade gifts?

[Anonymous]

I just started in November but was planning on $100 cash and a nice candle or handsoap (mostly just so I have something to attach the money to). We have only one inhome daycare person though, not several like in a daycare.

[Anonymous]

Just do the cash. They don't need or want 25 things of soap/candy/candles, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just do the cash. They don't need or want 25 things of soap/candy/candles, etc.

I'm the pp who is gifting the $100 and some soap. Mine is an inhome daycare and she does wash her hands 50x a day. I noticed she does like nice soap and it wouldn't be a gift that would go to waste.

[Anonymous]

I used to gift them the whatever it cost me for a week of care. I thought of it as a holiday bonus rather than a gift. Daycare people and preschool teachers make so little that having that extra income during teh holidays means a lot to them.

[Anonymous]

We have five teachers between two kids so we're doing $25 and a card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just do the cash. They don't need or want 25 things of soap/candy/candles, etc.

I'm the pp who is gifting the $100 and some soap. Mine is an inhome daycare and she does wash her hands 50x a day. I noticed she does like nice soap and it wouldn't be a gift that would go to waste.

My hat is very sweet. I stand corrected. I also think that $100 is very generous.

[Anonymous]

I give the 3 ladies at our in home daycare $100/each and one of our holiday cards. They don't really want another plant/box of chocolates/whatever. I am in the burbs and pay the same as you - so it's roughly the cost of a week of care that I'm giving as a bonus, which sounds about right to me. I will probably up it to $150/each next year when they will have two of our kids there.

[Anonymous]

Ask the children to draw a picture of something they like to do with the teacher then dictate to you what the picture is of that you can write on the paper. Make it into a greeting card that encloses a gift card to a local coffee shop! Very much appreciated!

[Anonymous]

If your child goes to a center... do you give the director a gift?

[Anonymous]

Our daycare had two teachers per room and we usually gave a $50 gift card to the two teachers. We also gave a $25 gift card to the director of the center and any teacher that had been particularly significant to the kids. For example, many of the early morning teachers left between 5:00-5:30pm, but the daycare was open until 6:30. There was one teacher who was always there until 6:30 and as the others left, they would bring their children to her room. We gave her a $25 gift. We also bought either pizza lunch or bagels/donuts/coffee/juice for all of the staff and put it in the staff lounge. I coordinated this with the director as several other parents also did this, so we tried to stagger days so that the teachers had treats several days the last week before the holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child goes to a center... do you give the director a gift?

we always have. so this year we have a director, asst director, lead teacher (who is so integral to why we love our daycare), a teacher, and a teacher/aftercare person. Plus ES teacher.
So everyone is getting a $25 amazon gift card and something small... I haven't decided if it's a little hand sanitizer or candy or cookies or what. Just something to go in the gift bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare had two teachers per room and we usually gave a $50 gift card to the two teachers. We also gave a $25 gift card to the director of the center and any teacher that had been particularly significant to the kids. For example, many of the early morning teachers left between 5:00-5:30pm, but the daycare was open until 6:30. There was one teacher who was always there until 6:30 and as the others left, they would bring their children to her room. We gave her a $25 gift. We also bought either pizza lunch or bagels/donuts/coffee/juice for all of the staff and put it in the staff lounge. I coordinated this with the director as several other parents also did this, so we tried to stagger days so that the teachers had treats several days the last week before the holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare had two teachers per room and we usually gave a $50 gift card to the two teachers. We also gave a $25 gift card to the director of the center and any teacher that had been particularly significant to the kids. For example, many of the early morning teachers left between 5:00-5:30pm, but the daycare was open until 6:30. There was one teacher who was always there until 6:30 and as the others left, they would bring their children to her room. We gave her a $25 gift. We also bought either pizza lunch or bagels/donuts/coffee/juice for all of the staff and put it in the staff lounge. I coordinated this with the director as several other parents also did this, so we tried to stagger days so that the teachers had treats several days the last week before the holidays.

The bolded is so important for those staff who aren't assigned to a specific room, but are floaters, or closers, or whatever they are called - they make the program, and therefore your child's day, run smoothly - so thank you for remembering them! As a director of a full day program, these teachers aren't always remembered so I appreciate that you do.

Some parents give me gifts, others do not - either way works for directors!

[Anonymous]

I am also a FTM and live in the burbs and pay a little less then you. My child is at a small in home daycare for the past 4 months with the owner and an assistant. I was thinking 50 each. May bump that up though.