What do you give the caregiver for Christmas? For a full-time nanny/sitter, the rule of thumb I always hear is "a week's pay or equivalent." Discuss that one amongst yourselves if you like.
Meanwhile, who knows what fits all the different situations involving part-time folks, shared sitters, home day care and the myriad of daycare providers? Well, the caregivers on the Provider's Playground mailing list have some suggestions. Their discussion is worth reading; here's the three-way tie for best gift:
For day-care (a home daycare. the woman (and her husband after he gets home frome work) are truely like grandparents to the little one, and they spoil her like one), we usually do a gift certificate (am I dating myself with that term?) to a movie or restaurant, or favorite shop.
We've found that nothing says "I love you" like cold, hard cash!
ha - i'm the guy who posted this question on ask metafilter originally. unfortunately the link didn't help me out too much (although it was interesting to read). it mainly seemed to be a survey of in-home or nanny type caregivers, while we use a big old daycare center. i really love some of our caregivers, but i sure as heck don't know what scent they like or which hummel figurines they need, and i doubt they want me to buy a toy for the center - that's their boss' job. but we'll figure something out...
[yeah, that whole 'something for the day care' thing sounded like meddling to me. Ditto the 'thoughtful/personal' stuff, too. I have to think that cash or near-cash AND a real letter is hard to beat. With the realness of the letter and the amount of the cash varying in inverse proportion, if necessary. -ed]
Hey Chris, I used to work at a big-ole daycare center and at holiday time some of the parents would give me a giftcard for a movie or just a nice card with a thank you letter in it. I always loved that stuff. Even better was if it included something that the child had drawn. I still have those letters and pictures and it's been years since I was a teacher. :)
our son goes to a day care center and I typically make cards on snapfish with his picture, write a note, being specific about all of the things we love that they do and how they care for him so well and include a gift card to a store like target or a visa gift check. But we also say thank you to them every night at pick up time. It's nice to do a note to them after they have helped through a rough patch as well, like some seperation anxiety or a developmental phase that was a bit trying.
A week's pay? Sorry, but no one on my holiday list gets a $400 gift---not my kid, my spouse, no one.
[cost of doing business, SBL. Now watch out before I lure your underpriced nanny away from you...-ed.]
I'm a nanny, and the best gift is cash, IMO. In the past, some families have doubled a day's pay for my birthday or for the holidays, but never a week's!
Other good gifts included travel books and a plug converter before my boyfriend and I went to Europe, a day off to explore alone when I went on vacation with them, and a collection of microbrews for my 21st birthday (drunk nanny!).
I have to agree with Greg here: a week's pay for a nanny--while seemingly outrageous to some--is the cost of doing business, at least in NYC (even here in Brooklyn). I've been speaking with other parents, and it's the norm.