It Must Be Time For "Worst Gift Ever Received By A DCfamily" Thread!

[Scout]

I actually agree. This post seems rather mean spirited and in all honestly, kinda shallow. At least they thought to get you something! As for the dollar store gifts- maybe after buying gifts for their family and friends, that was all they could afford. Would you rather they buy you an expensive gift or pay their daycare bill? I'm sort of suppressed the moderators have let this stay up, let alone post it as one of this weeks 'Hot Topics'.

me too. One of my parents sent me a text on Thanksgiving that said "Happy Thanksgiving, We love you!" and this meant more to me than any gift she could buy me during the holidays. I think Christmas is for kids and so I don't mind if I get anything. Half of the time dh and I don't exchange gifts and that's fine with me. This bothers me almost as much as the threads that sound like we could raise people's kids better...

[KidGrind]

I don’t view this post as mean spirited. The OP just is sharing her experience. It may not be to everyone’s liking.

I don’t want a gift out of obligation. I don’t want a gift at all from my DCPs.

Yet, if they think about me on a holiday. Whether text, photo, bonus or food I am most thankful.

I don’t feel the need to be dishonest here:

If I received an oven mitt from a DCP, I’d think, “A thank you would’ve be better.” I’ll also add if DCP said, “Little Apple of my Universe saw this & wanted to get it for you.” I’d chuckle. And make sure DCK noticed me using it during meal times.

[MotherNature]

Heh- the fig newton is cracking me up. Aww... As well as the nightlights for imaginary children. Weird. I haven't gotten any gifts as a provider yet. Last Xmas was my first year in business. I opened in Sept & I only had one child. The mom did pay me a few hundred dollars toward the thousand she was in arrears... but that's not a gift. I got him a small stocking w/ an ornament of a robot. He was super into robots and some candy. They didn't even really say thanks. I was apparently a desperate ****er, because I let them stay around for 6 more months until the kid just got too violent & uncontrollable. I love my families now & am looking forward to getting a lttle something for the kids this year. I know they'll at least say Merry Christmas. If they get me a little something, awesome, but I'm not expecting anything.

[Lorri]

Worse gift is nothing at all. It doesn't take much to make me a card. Best gift ever was the year I got diagnose with breast cancer and all of my parent got together and got me a 300 dollar Visa card for all of my gas, I cried like a baby

[MissAnn]

Heh- the fig newton is cracking me up. Aww... As well as the nightlights for imaginary children. Weird. I haven't gotten any gifts as a provider yet. Last Xmas was my first year in business. I opened in Sept & I only had one child. The mom did pay me a few hundred dollars toward the thousand she was in arrears... but that's not a gift. I got him a small stocking w/ an ornament of a robot. He was super into robots and some candy. They didn't even really say thanks. I was apparently a desperate ****er, because I let them stay around for 6 more months until the kid just got too violent & uncontrollable. I love my families now & am looking forward to getting a lttle something for the kids this year. I know they'll at least say Merry Christmas. If they get me a little something, awesome, but I'm not expecting anything.

The fig newton was wrapped and the kid and mom watched me open it. The kid was super excited. Talk about being on the spot. Frankly for years I have said.....how can people stand fig newtons.

[EchoMom]

I'm shocked that this thread has become controversial in any way. I wish all the drama were deleted out of it. It's a perfectly silly, lighthearted break the ice game. Geesh. It's meant to be funny, and it is- some of these bad gifts have been ridiculous. Which reminds me of White Elephant parties (Oh, no those parties must be SOOOOOOOO offensive... Geesh). Where people "regift" and "stick" other people with their bad gifts. Funny; silly.

I actually prefer to get no gift at all. I don't even need a thank you or anything like that. All I want is for families to be respectful, pay me, send me sweet kids, and speak well of me to others. I don't want any gifts because I don't want that kind of a warm personal friendly chatty relationship with parents. I got too cozy, chummy, friendly with them before when I first started and it backfired and I got burned several times in that first crop of families. I don't want to be friends or a second family. I don't need to be friends with the parents. I prefer it when they don't know anything about my personal life and I don't really want to know the details of theirs either. It all gets too muddled and them makes problems when I have to be the bad guy sometimes or give a fee or term.

Although, I am CURIOUS who WILL get a gift of any kind. I just wonder who will think of it and who won't. And of course, it is NICE when I've been given sweet gifts, but I would prefer they not at all and I'm not hurt or offended if they don't do anything at all.

Best gift: $50 gift card to Panera (Because it was SO generous and thoughtful!)

Best gift: Flowers and dark chocolate bar (I hate dark chocolate and actually spit it out, it was gross. But I know it was the kind of stuff this family DID like, so it was totally a sweet thought).

Worst gift: $50 gift card to movie theater. LOL I know, sounds like a best gift right? I only say worst because it made a fight between my DH and I. I don't care to go to the movies and so I gave it to my DH to use because he does like to go to movies but it's expensive. But it backfired because then he was upset I wouldn't go with him and he wanted to see a 3 hour movie and I didn't want to go and he didn't want to go alone, ah! Conflict over a GIFT. It was a SWEET thought from the family, but actually made stress. So I would prefer to have not gotten it at all.

[Shell]

I personally wasn't bothered at all by this thread. I don't think any of the providers are being mean-spirited with their comments about bad gifts. I didn't hear anyone say they wanted something expensive... just that it was insulting to be given something without thought. I have to agree that some of the gifts listed here didn't seem to have much thought put into them.

We do the most important job but daycare providers are almost always grossly underpaid and undervalued in our society. So on Christmas, which is the one time of the year we are meant to express our gratitude and appreciation to the important people in our lives, daycare providers end up getting a "eh, whatever I had laying around gift," certainly seems insulting. I personally would love a thank you note over a gift like that. Like most others here, I also don't expect to get anything expensive at all.

Also, the other posts on this board show how much thought providers are putting into making Christmas fun for the kids. The talk about cool Christmas projects and activities started immediately after November. I think part of the reason the "bad presents" are so hurtful is because they are so out-of-proportion to the amount of thought and consideration many providers put into making the holiday special for the kids.

I thought it was entertaining to read. Some days in this job, posts like this are exactly what I need.

Well said!

[Sunchimes]

I've only been in business for 2 Christmas seasons (this will be my 3rd). I've received a total of 1 Christmas gift. It was a very nice one-I had complimented one of my DCMs perfume, and she gave me a bottle for Christmas. One mom gave me a turkey at Thanksgiving this year. However, they are wonderful about donating things through the year. I've been given a slide, some outdoor toys, indoor toys, craft things, reams of white typing paper, etc. So, I think that even if I don't get a Christmas gift, I'll still have felt appreciated.

[saved4always]

Best: A week's pay...I had 2 families who did this....I loved them. happyface I usually got great gifts from my dcp's. I had one who knew what stores were my favorite and would get me a $25 gift card for that store. The gifts usually came with cards telling how much they appreciated me, too. I still have many of those cards.

Worst: Body butter that was not sealed and I suspect may have been sampled before it got to me.... I think it may have been a rejected teacher's gift as the giver was a teacher. It did come with a nice note, though .

[Hunni Bee]

Honestly, I've never gotten a gift (for like Christmas or my birthday) that I really "wanted". Most gifts people give me are generic stuff (scarves, gloves, lotion) or just wrong (for Christmas and my birthday last year, SO bought me a total of three pairs of shoes in the wrong sizes)

So its ALWAYS the thought that counts for me. Even if its obviously a regift, if i can tell the person looked at it and said "I really think she might like that" that's what counts. Whether I use it every day or never.

Christmas gifts are a HUGE thing at my job. We serve a very well-off demographic. We get lots of gift cards. I was very close with my parents last year, so I got more heartfelt gifts. One of my favorite families gave me a really pretty tree ornament, and the joy on the little guys face when showed him a picture of my Christmas tree with his ornament front and center was an even better gift.

My families this year are more "i pay you good money to take care of my kid" so I expect a lot of Starbucks cards or nothing. But its all good.

[Lyss]

Best gift: $200 and a super sweet card!!!!

Worst gift: 2 pairs of scissors <---DH who also thought he nailed it on that one :confused:

[Josiegirl]

I agree with those that said they couldn't understand the direction this thread took. I expected it but don't get it. It's just for fun and it's not like we'd ever go tell dcps to their face! Believe me, we appreciate getting paid, being on time, knowing and following our rules and getting good referrals from our dcps more than a gift that's usually forgotten 6 months later. I do appreciate any and all acts of kindness but do appreciate the gift of a great dcp more than any of that. And I keep each and every card/note in each child's folder.

I've always been uncomfortable with the whole gift scenario anyways. With some people it turns into an obligation or oneupmanship. Feelings get hurt all too easily or items get shelved/regifted/hidden. Even my sister makes me crazy even though I love her dearly. If I ever give her a gift she feels like she HAS to run out and give me something, even if I got it for her for no reason.

I remember getting my dh a stereo for Christmas one year. He told me he would have rather had money to go golfing with. I was so hurt by his comment.

[sugar buzz]

I student taught at a daycare center for families who were "at-risk." One Christmas, a student brought three pre-packaged, cellophane wrapped baskets filled with treats. One for each of the lead teachers and myself. After we opened them, he said: "Do you like the gifts my mom got you? She shoplifted them from WalMart." Yeah...I'll never forget that gift!!!!

[Nellie]

For some reason I get lots of framed pictures of DC kids and/or their family. I have children of my own that I don't have nearly enough pictures of on the wall. I don't have a picture of the last any where in the house!!
I have TONS of pictures of DC kids from pictures I take on my own and I love there kids, but I wonder if they really expect me to hang these pictures. The frames are nice. I am going to be using them, sometime in the future.

[Brooksie]

I would say the time that someone gave dd a present. It was a cup, plate and bowl hello kitty set that had clearly been opened and the cup was missing out of it.