Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room mom for a close-in burb center with a long waiting list.

It's amazing how cheap people are. I get that things can be tight, but like one PP pointed out- these ladies are with our kids more during the week than we are. And at centers, even with exorbitant tuition - there isn't a trickle down. These workers are not making very much money.

I ended up throwing in close to $300 so that both of the main teachers and the two floaters could have a respectable gift.

Mo have 8 teachers to buy for. There is no way I can afford to pay $800 for gifts on top of tuition. I don't even spend that much on my kids. You have no right calling someone cheap because they can't afford what you can afford.

You have 8 lead teachers? I think the advice being given is to give $100 for lead teachers and a lesser amount to assistants. Don't make this about you!

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room mom for a close-in burb center with a long waiting list.

It's amazing how cheap people are. I get that things can be tight, but like one PP pointed out- these ladies are with our kids more during the week than we are. And at centers, even with exorbitant tuition - there isn't a trickle down. These workers are not making very much money.

I ended up throwing in close to $300 so that both of the main teachers and the two floaters could have a respectable gift.

Mo have 8 teachers to buy for. There is no way I can afford to pay $800 for gifts on top of tuition. I don't even spend that much on my kids. You have no right calling someone cheap because they can't afford what you can afford.

Anonymous wrote:We give $100 per teacher. That's the norm at our center too. A $15 gift card is offensive IMO. These people take care of your kids all day every day.

It seems as though this same comment has been posted on every one of these threads. I can not think of a person who would be offended by any form of gift card. And if they are they don't deserve it. I hope that our care providers are appreciative. This entire discussion of gift giving to providers varies GREATLY through this entire region. We are in Fairfax county and have always given lead teachers 50$ and assistants $25 and have had two in daycare centers for the at least 8 years(carrying from 1-4 teachers in each room infant-preK). Now it is just our youngest of three in care. The teachers have been very appreciative send notes and pictures each and every year. It is what we can afford and believe me I TELL them how much I appreciate the wonderful care they give my children.

I will give $50 to each of the three teachers.

I've been room parent a couple times at our center daycare. Most that give to the classroom collection do somewhere in the $20-$50 per teacher range. I've done up to $100 depending on how well we've liked the classroom.

We give a $25 gift card to Target to each of the 2 teachers in her room and another one to the person who takes her at morning drop off. She is not technically her teacher but she gets all the early kids and keeps them until all the teachers come in.
Then we do a big tin of fudge for all to share.

We are at a small center that did a collection for the teachers. We were asked to give $50 so that's what we gave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room mom for a close-in burb center with a long waiting list.

It's amazing how cheap people are. I get that things can be tight, but like one PP pointed out- these ladies are with our kids more during the week than we are. And at centers, even with exorbitant tuition - there isn't a trickle down. These workers are not making very much money.

I ended up throwing in close to $300 so that both of the main teachers and the two floaters could have a respectable gift.

You have no idea what people's financial situations are on this board. We don't have an extra $300 to give to the caregivers at our child's center. We pay the cost to send him there and we were able to pull together a little extra to buy a small gift and include a nice card for each of them. That doesn't make us cheap, it's what we could afford. So keep your uninformed, insensitive, judgmental thoughts to yourself.

+1 it blows my mind how detached from reality some people are. Get off your high horse and realize that some people don't have $300 left at the end of the month to spend on gifts, no matter how much we appreciate our teachers. Imagine these teachers who you say don't make much giving $300 to their kids teachers - I guarantee you they don't.

I see your point, and I, too, don't have that cash at the end of the month. Which is why I started a savings goal literally in June and have been stuffing in $10 here, $20 there...

In the words of Dave Ramsey, "Christmas is not an emergency. It's held on the same day every year." I'm not saying you need to give more; I am challenging your "it all rides on the month of December budget" mentality.

This is a really good point! No one says you have to "afford" it out of your December income/budget. "Christmas is not an emergency" is good advice for ALL holiday gifting, travel, etc., and I personally need to resolve to remember this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We give $100 per teacher. That's the norm at our center too. A $15 gift card is offensive IMO. These people take care of your kids all day every day.

Offensive if you live in a world where $100 is not a lot of money. i give them what I can afford because I appreciate what they do for my child, but if they think that amount is offensive then I can easily skip the gift next year.

This is coming from the same families that don't plan for these gifts until December.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room mom for a close-in burb center with a long waiting list.

It's amazing how cheap people are. I get that things can be tight, but like one PP pointed out- these ladies are with our kids more during the week than we are. And at centers, even with exorbitant tuition - there isn't a trickle down. These workers are not making very much money.

I ended up throwing in close to $300 so that both of the main teachers and the two floaters could have a respectable gift.

You have no idea what people's financial situations are on this board. We don't have an extra $300 to give to the caregivers at our child's center. We pay the cost to send him there and we were able to pull together a little extra to buy a small gift and include a nice card for each of them. That doesn't make us cheap, it's what we could afford. So keep your uninformed, insensitive, judgmental thoughts to yourself.

+1 it blows my mind how detached from reality some people are. Get off your high horse and realize that some people don't have $300 left at the end of the month to spend on gifts, no matter how much we appreciate our teachers. Imagine these teachers who you say don't make much giving $300 to their kids teachers - I guarantee you they don't.

I see your point, and I, too, don't have that cash at the end of the month. Which is why I started a savings goal literally in June and have been stuffing in $10 here, $20 there...

In the words of Dave Ramsey, "Christmas is not an emergency. It's held on the same day every year." I'm not saying you need to give more; I am challenging your "it all rides on the month of December budget" mentality.

$50 for five teachers.

Pop over the to thread where a pre school teacher said her favorite gift was a well thought thank you card. I plan on doing homemade thank you cards (kids art work on each) and buying lunch for the teachers one day. I have three kids in daycare and each child has 2-3 day teachers and 3-4 "aftercare" teachers. I fully appreciate all they do for my kids because my kids love their school and teachers, and are learning a ton. However, that is a lot of people to give $50 or $100 each.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room mom for a close-in burb center with a long waiting list.

It's amazing how cheap people are. I get that things can be tight, but like one PP pointed out- these ladies are with our kids more during the week than we are. And at centers, even with exorbitant tuition - there isn't a trickle down. These workers are not making very much money.

I ended up throwing in close to $300 so that both of the main teachers and the two floaters could have a respectable gift.

You have no idea what people's financial situations are on this board. We don't have an extra $300 to give to the caregivers at our child's center. We pay the cost to send him there and we were able to pull together a little extra to buy a small gift and include a nice card for each of them. That doesn't make us cheap, it's what we could afford. So keep your uninformed, insensitive, judgmental thoughts to yourself.

+1 it blows my mind how detached from reality some people are. Get off your high horse and realize that some people don't have $300 left at the end of the month to spend on gifts, no matter how much we appreciate our teachers. Imagine these teachers who you say don't make much giving $300 to their kids teachers - I guarantee you they don't.

Anonymous wrote:We give $100 per teacher. That's the norm at our center too. A $15 gift card is offensive IMO. These people take care of your kids all day every day.

Offensive if you live in a world where $100 is not a lot of money. i give them what I can afford because I appreciate what they do for my child, but if they think that amount is offensive then I can easily skip the gift next year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, at our center parents usually do $25 per teacher. No way I can do $100 per teacher.

ok, thank goodness. I was getting sticker shock at the PPs.

Me too! we were planning to give $25 each.