S/O Daycare teacher gifts on a budget

[LilMomma83]

Ideas ladies?

I have both kids (2.5 and 5mos) in a home daycare (one FT one PT) and my 2.5yo goes to preschool/daycare 3 days/week (he has a teacher, her assistant, and then the 2 administrators are quite involved too).

I really want to do something nice, but, honestly, I'm not even sure how I will do gifts for my own kids so this cannot be anything expensive. I just want to show appreciation, and teach DS1 about giving.

[justKate]

How about something made by your LOs? Or a burned copy of a favorite CD of children's songs? Hmm... I'm anxious to see what others will suggest.

[bluebunny]

Homemade goodies?

[LaLaLaLa]

We're doing holidays on a bit of a budget this year, too, and I've decided to make caramel popcorn for the people in DD's life. Well, I'll make it if I can manage to convince my aunt to give up her awesome recipe.

We'd like to do something for DD's teacher as well as the classroom assistant, plus her bus driver who is so great with the kids, plus DD's ballet teacher and the two preteen assistant ballet girls. That's a lot of gifts to buy, thus the baked goods.

[guest93952359]

My kids are in French immersion so they each have two teachers. Plus I have another one in preschool, she has three teachers. That makes SEVEN teachers to buy for. Ugh. I'm doing Terry's chocolate oranges. They're cute, they're festive, and they're under five dollars

[luv-my-boys]

I think home made goodies would be a good way to go. I would invest though in some really nice either holiday type cellophane (I bought some last year at target for $4 and it was nice sized roll) and some pretty ribbon. I think presentation can do a lot for an item even if its something really simple. In the past we have done

cookies,bars, coffee cakes, muffins, chocolate pretzel sticks,popcorn, little loaves of things like banana bread/pumpkin bread/zucchini bread

the biggest hits were really simple like the chocolate covered pretzels. Literally just melted the chocolate, dipped the sticks halfway and dried on parchment. pkg'd up and voila

the popcorn was similar we made non salted popcorn and drizzled with white and chocolate and then carmel. added a few unsalted peanuts as well.YUMMMM.

[Carita]

I did $5 starbacks cards last year... there's one down the road so i figured it was enough for a hot drink or a coffee and pastry during lunch.

[MomInCalifornia]

For anyone who has a supervisor, write a letter letting them know what you appreciate about the teacher and give a copy to the teacher as well. I've had parents do this and it means so much to me.

For the home teacher w/o a supervisor, a note will still mean a lot to them.

[raelynn30]

i had a mom print out a poem about daycare providers on fancy computer paper and put the childs handprints on the bottom and put it in a frame. absolutely priceless.....

it somehow got lost in our last move and i am heartbroken, since i no longer care for or get to see that child. (we moved 2.5 hours away and have since lost contact)

[Momily]

Speaking as a teacher, a lovely note specifying exactly what each teacher has done for your child (different, something that shows that you notice each as an individual) with a photo copy for their boss.

Plus something handmade from your child (a card, or an ornament, or cookies you baked together) to teach your child about giving.

Trust me, I'd rather have that than a million starbucks gift cards.

[alicia622]

I am going to have DS help me make treats for his teachers (there are 5 of them!)
I finally decided to make these little pretzle rolo treats that are super easy and really delicious. DS will be able to do them himself so long as he doesn't eat all the candy! I was going to have him help make cocoa mix or layered cookies in a jar mix and have him write the labels for the jar.

Anyway, the pretzle treats consist of little square pretzles with a rolo melted in the middle and a sprinkle of non-pariels (spelling)- not sure how much they will cost, but I'd say it's pretty low-cost- I'd say I can get more than enough made for 10 bucks.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I am having such a hard time with this exact issue right now. My DS is in a preschool/daycare that I absolutely CANNOT stand. He has a head teacher, two assistants and an interventionist that all work with him. One of the assistants is a good teacher IMO, and the rest are just terrible. Absolutely, positively, cannot stand having him around them sort of terrible. I don't have any other options at the moment, but am working on it. I so don't want to give any of them anything, and I also can't afford to buy them all individual gifts anyway. I can't quite figure out what the heck to do.

[Rockies5]

5 kids and 9 teachers here. I go to the dollar store and purchase a coffee mug for each, then fill with homemade snacks. Last year it was fudge. I didn't even use a whole recipe (recipe cost is approx $6 total) and looks like a million bucks with some ribbon and holiday themed saran wrap.

[kanga1622]

My DH is a preschool teacher and he's happy to receive anything from the parents (90% of them are considered low income by federal guidelines). We think it's great when we get a picture drawn for him or a popsicle stick ornament for the Christmas tree.

We've had many crafty parents make us coffee mugs, he's gotten small gift certificates ($5-$15), lots of cards, or a nice frame or small picture album.

It is completely the thought that counts. A card with heartfelt emotions and thanks for caring for the kids is a great gift and most care providers understand that the holidays are tough for everyone.

[busymama77]

We're doing homemade ornaments. I received a great idea from another MDC mama - clear, glass ornaments. Dip your LO's hand in white paint and have them cup the bottom of the oranments and turn their handprint (finger part) in to little snowmen. DS and I went shopping and picked out the paints and ornaments last weekend. I can't wait to make them w/ him!! We're making them for his teachers, my parents, IL's and a family friend.

Also, they are fairly inexpensive - $5 for a 4 pack of fairly good sized ornaments and $2 per bottle of paint. We got 2 4 packs and 5 bottles of paint. I got everything at Michael's.

[rivkah]

Originally Posted by MomInCalifornia

For anyone who has a supervisor, write a letter letting them know what you appreciate about the teacher and give a copy to the teacher as well. I've had parents do this and it means so much to me.

For the home teacher w/o a supervisor, a note will still mean a lot to them.

Good idea! Taking the time to write a handwritten letter means a lot! It doesn' hurt to throw in a cookie or a brownie though.

[AllyRae]

We save up MyPoints points through the year and at the end of the year, we redeem them for a bunch of $5-10 gift cards to starbucks, etc. and give them to teachers and therapists along with a handmade thank you card from us and the kids.