As the holidays roll around many parents are looking for inexpensive and thoughtful ways to honor the contribution that preschool teachers and parents make in the lives of their children. However, many never seem to know what to give beyond a votive candle in a holder or the classic apple-themed gift.
First, one must answer the question, is it really necessary to provide daycare providers with a present in the same way as teachers in older grades? Often these daycare providers are not certified teachers and also there are often greater numbers of caregivers than would be in an elementary school.
It is understandable that parents desire and need to keep the costs down in this already-expensive time of year, but many of these daycare providers feel the same level of commitment to your children as do certified teachers, and that is what is being recognized by the giving of simple, thoughtful gifts.
Because of the relatively larger number of caregivers it is also easy to overlook one or two of the workers, which causes feelings of alienation and confusion as daycare providers wonder what the thought process is behind this exclusion.
So what should parents give their daycare providers?
- Daycare providers are notoriously low paid, so any sort of gift certificate that they can use for purchasing a holiday dinner, something special for themselves, or even gifts for others is appreciated.
- An easy alternative to having to purchase a gift is to call in an order for pizza or other food and have it delivered as a Christmas present for the teachers at your child’s school.
- Personalized items—scrapbooks of the school year with personalized comments from the children, and ornaments made by your children are touching mementos for years to come.
- Anything that shows that you know of your child’s teachers on an individual basis, and not just as caregivers. CDs of their favorite musical groups, tickets to a show at a nearby theater, a certificate for a free tune-up for the ancient car that you know they drive.
The value of these gifts cannot be measured in monetary amounts, but are simply a way to say that you as a parent see the value in the countless hours of love and nurturing that daycare providers give to your children every year.
Visit my blog on the Worst holiday gifts you can give a daycare provider.
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