Presents for carers at preschool/childcare etc

[AliBaby]

Do you get them something? What do you get them? Do you just buy for your child'smain carer or all the carers in the room?

[RhiChiChi]

I just usually buy one present for all the carers, which is a large box of choccies.

[Santosha]

I bought an 'oxfam unwrapped' donation that I felt was relevant and would resonate with the workers - it was an educational package including paints, pens etc for children in a refugee camp. DD painted christmassy squiggles which we turned into a card for each worker, and we put a note about the donation in each card saying that it was 'on behalf of all our wonderful carers'. Thought it might be more meaningful than just buying something 'token', and didn't want to do consumables as I know at least 2 of them are trying to watch their weight!

[Erin_25]

There are two main carers in DS1 room and they are the one's in the room the two days he goes so I will address the gift to them. Recently when I was in the room one mentioned how anything they get is shared with all the children anyway.....so this week DS1 and I will decorate a Gingerbread House & give that to them on what is also his last day for good (kindy next year) and the Christmas party. They can then all share it.

[Beach Mama]

Thanks for the reminder, this is our first Christmas at creche and I hadn't really thought of it! I think we will go a box of choccies for each room with kid made cards.

[lilima]

I never thought about it either. Gosh I wonder if I should get something for tomorrow?!

[Indadhanu]

I bought an 'oxfam unwrapped' donation that I felt was relevant and would resonate with the workers - it was an educational package including paints, pens etc for children in a refugee camp. DD painted christmassy squiggles which we turned into a card for each worker, and we put a note about the donation in each card saying that it was 'on behalf of all our wonderful carers'. Thought it might be more meaningful than just buying something 'token', and didn't want to do consumables as I know at least 2 of them are trying to watch their weight!

As a carer I would be so excited to 'get' something like that!!!!!

I've got little things like home made cards (so cute!), bath pamper sets, really nice tree ornaments, chocolates, candy canes, and a kids book for the room. Other things I think would be really cute and useful are a calendar that I could hang in the room next year, I really like the kids book idea, cheap kids CDs with sleep music or nursery rhymes or something, even a kids cook book. That's just me though, theres not much I want personally so things that I could use at work the next year would be cool
But don't feel like you have to, a sincere thank you and maybe a home made card are just as good as anything you could buy at the shops. I don't expect anything at all

ETA: Most people just bring things for the carers in the room, sometimes people bring things for all the carers (that's usually chocolates or biscuits or something).

[MrsFabuloso]

My fave gifts which I recieved in my almost 15yrs of working as a childcare worker, were

Homemade things like biscuits, choccies, cakes, cards with beautiful though out messages which we share with the other carers over coffee
The small bottles of champagne/sparkling wine
A beautiful mug which was filled with homemade goodies (like rum balls, truffles...)
A huge fruit hamper which was delivered to us one year, we ended up having to share it all with the children because there was too much for us to all eat!
Childrens books (both given to me individually, a few books for the centre and a generous gift voucher for a book store for the whole centre)
Finger puppets, story CD's, other really useful story time and language resources (like flash cards, puzzles...)
A bracelet and earings set which were handmade by (mostly mum) the children and mum

HTH!!

[Nai]

There are 2 main carers in each room with my girls and I usually get them something for themselves like a lip gloss, hand cream, body scrub plus something to eat/share which is generally christmas gingerbread made by DD1.