Does Anyone NOT Do Mother's/Father's Day Gifts?

[bunnyslippers]

I think it is b/c I am just so done in my head...I am closing in 31 more work days (but who's counting) and I am just emotionally checked out! I will make the purse cards, and I won't feel guilty for not doing something.

Father's Day is a week before I close...not so sure I will be making a gift for that! I am sure I will end up doing something.

[Blackcat31]

I think it is b/c I am just so done in my head...I am closing in 31 more work days (but who's counting) and I am just emotionally checked out! I will make the purse cards, and I won't feel guilty for not doing something.

Father's Day is a week before I close...not so sure I will be making a gift for that! I am sure I will end up doing something.

In your situation and with closing day soooo close, I think you should have the DCK's color HUGE pictures that say "Happy Provider Appreciation Day!!" and hang them all over the bulletin boards......

[Former Teacher]

I don't.

Over the years there have been times when a child in care might have been excluded....if they don't have a mom/dad for whatever reason. If I cannot be 100% inclusive, I don't do it.....so I have found it is best (for Me) to not do ANY holidays with them.

No, I don't feel guilty about it

At my former center we always did crafts for the holidays. Mothers Day, Father's Day etc. We never left a child out because of their family situation. For instance on Mother's Day we would make a gift for Grandma or a special Aunt. That way no one was left out. Like PP said: we did it for the children.

In your situation and with closing day soooo close, I think you should have the DCK's color HUGE pictures that say "Happy Provider Appreciation Day!!" and hang them all over the bulletin boards......

::::::

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I wasn't feeling it either but I had the kids paint today. I am going to cut out part of it and frame. I am going to trace their hand and put it on the back with the date.
Last year I did nothing. Don't know if I will do Father's Day...

[JoseyJo]

When we first started I would do these elaborate gifts for the parents for every holiday- I would spend hours getting everything ready, and hours finishing them up, while the kids spent all of 2 minutes on their part.

We still do crafts for every holiday (we do crafts at least 3 days a week anyway so no big deal) but now we do crafts that the kids can do at least 75% of and I feel a lot better about it. I think it feels more okay that they don't thank me- their child did most of the work so they can thank them!!

This year our dcks are all 3-5 yo so we did a cardstock card (just folded in half) with a fingerprint flower on the front (I made one to show them, they did all the work on theirs- even if it didn't end up looking like a flower!!) We drew pictures on the inside, and the older ones copied down the words Happy Mother's Day.

Tomorrow we are making shrinky dink necklaces- I bought the necklace chains (about 1.50 each), and I cut the shrinky dink plastic into circles I made one myself to make sure it worked and for an example (that was really fun and not even "work"!) Tomorrow they will design their shrinky dink, we will bake them, I will attach the jump ring and they will thread them onto the necklaces and wrap them. A little more of my work than I wanted, but over all they are doing a lot of the work themselves.

[Michelle]

We actually made 2 gifts..
We made this last week

http://www.orientaltrading.com/diy-wood-flower-photo-holders-a2-48_3742.fltr?prodCatId=550710

and then I thought it wasn't nice enough to be the only gift, so we made the ceramic tile/hand prints because I have always done "over the top kind of stuff" I didn't want to just send home the first gift by itself.

[e.j.]

I used to have the kids make gifts for their parents but it was getting too expensive to keep up. Now I work with the kids to make keepsake cards for their parents. They usually include either a picture, handprint or footprint, a poem and maybe a drawing done by the child. It can be a lot of work but the kids enjoy doing them and I don't get too upset when I spot them trashed on the floor of the family car because at least they weren't that expensive to make!

[lolaland]

I had this family of teachers... they stayed with me for 2 years until I closed my daycare 1 month ago.
These parents were very serious, almost “cold”... no smiles, no sharing stories, never a thank you no matter how adorable and time consuming were the “stuff” their kid brought home every Friday... every time I was near these parents they somehow made me feel I was not good enough.

They had been with me for about one year when their kid celebrated his 2nd birthday and for my surprise they gave me an invitation to the boy's party. I debated for a long time if I should go to the house of a family that for an entire year had been so distant and formal with me. I decided to go!

It was Summer time and the party was outside in their huge fancy yard. The first half of the party I regretted accepting the invitation and felt completely abandoned (except by the boy that would never leave my side)... then I asked if I could go in their house to use the restroom.

I went in the house all by myself... and I had tears in my eyes when I saw every and all of this boy's crafts and projects made in my daycare showcased with pride all over the entire house!!!! Even in the main room chandelier there was crafts hanging from the crystal ornaments. It was emotional and a lesson I learned.

[Little Star75]

I think I'm going to do this one this year.

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/mothers-day/crafts/mothers-day-crafts-for-kids/#page=7

[spud912]

I had this family of teachers... they stayed with me for 2 years until I closed my daycare 1 month ago.
These parents were very serious, almost “cold”... no smiles, no sharing stories, never a thank you no matter how adorable and time consuming were the “stuff” their kid brought home every Friday... every time I was near these parents they somehow made me feel I was not good enough.

They had been with me for about one year when their kid celebrated his 2nd birthday and for my surprise they gave me an invitation to the boy's party. I debated for a long time if I should go to the house of a family that for an entire year had been so distant and formal with me. I decided to go!

It was Summer time and the party was outside in their huge fancy yard. The first half of the party I regretted accepting the invitation and felt completely abandoned (except by the boy that would never leave my side)... then I asked if I could go in their house to use the restroom.

I went in the house all by myself... and I had tears in my eyes when I saw every and all of this boy's crafts and projects made in my daycare showcased with pride all over the entire house!!!! Even in the main room chandelier there was crafts hanging from the crystal ornaments. It was emotional and a lesson I learned.

Aww that's really great!!! I love to hear stories like that!

[JoseyJo]

I had this family of teachers... they stayed with me for 2 years until I closed my daycare 1 month ago.
These parents were very serious, almost “cold”... no smiles, no sharing stories, never a thank you no matter how adorable and time consuming were the “stuff” their kid brought home every Friday... every time I was near these parents they somehow made me feel I was not good enough.

They had been with me for about one year when their kid celebrated his 2nd birthday and for my surprise they gave me an invitation to the boy's party. I debated for a long time if I should go to the house of a family that for an entire year had been so distant and formal with me. I decided to go!

It was Summer time and the party was outside in their huge fancy yard. The first half of the party I regretted accepting the invitation and felt completely abandoned (except by the boy that would never leave my side)... then I asked if I could go in their house to use the restroom.

I went in the house all by myself... and I had tears in my eyes when I saw every and all of this boy's crafts and projects made in my daycare showcased with pride all over the entire house!!!! Even in the main room chandelier there was crafts hanging from the crystal ornaments. It was emotional and a lesson I learned.

Love This!!!

[williams2008]

Sometimes I think I want to do something (especially when I see things like that cute purse card) but it ends up being a gift that's 90% made by me and 10% made by the child since mine are all in thier 2's.

I decided that I wasn't doing anything this year for the simple fact that I will be the one doing all the work since all of my kids except one is 2 and under, but then I saw this and thought how cute!

http://christinasadventures.com/2011/05/kids-craft-mothers-day-mason-jar-vase.html

[e.j.]

I had this family of teachers... they stayed with me for 2 years until I closed my daycare 1 month ago.
These parents were very serious, almost “cold”... no smiles, no sharing stories, never a thank you no matter how adorable and time consuming were the “stuff” their kid brought home every Friday... every time I was near these parents they somehow made me feel I was not good enough.

They had been with me for about one year when their kid celebrated his 2nd birthday and for my surprise they gave me an invitation to the boy's party. I debated for a long time if I should go to the house of a family that for an entire year had been so distant and formal with me. I decided to go!

It was Summer time and the party was outside in their huge fancy yard. The first half of the party I regretted accepting the invitation and felt completely abandoned (except by the boy that would never leave my side)... then I asked if I could go in their house to use the restroom.

I went in the house all by myself... and I had tears in my eyes when I saw every and all of this boy's crafts and projects made in my daycare showcased with pride all over the entire house!!!! Even in the main room chandelier there was crafts hanging from the crystal ornaments. It was emotional and a lesson I learned.

That's so cool! I love the fact that the boy didn't leave your side, too. He must have loved you very much.

[Sugar Magnolia]

We didn't last year.....my husband's mom died a couple days before Mothers Day. And his dad had died ON Mothers Day several years before. He just wasn't up to it.
But this year we are painting picture frames.

[DaisyMamma]

I made these:

http://athriftymom.com/finger-print-flower-and-poem-diy-mothers-day-card/

I have no concern as to if it is "enough" or not, seeing as I'm sure I won't even get a "thank you" today, Provider Appreciation Day.