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Parents can bring treats if they want to. We sing Happy Birthday at snack time and I send them home with a birthday certificate with a little piece of candy attached. That is all we do and it seems sufficient.Comment
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I'm with ya. i have 8 dck's and they all have spring birthdays, so i am busted! i usually buy them about a $10-$15 gift. Then one of them i forget about because they're one after the other and I'm running to the store late at night. It's getting ridiculous. A couple of times lately the parent has told me "oh Johnny's birthday is Thursday". So they make sure I don't forget. It's something expected now and I don't like that. The thing that really irritated me and I know it shouldn't and it's honestly not why I buy the kids gifts, but the kids were all talking about my birthdya coming up and all my parents wished me happy birthday on Facebook. One of my parents gave me a nice card with a gift card in it. I thought it kinda bugged me that I buy their children gifts for Christmas and birthdays and not so much as a card from them. A bouquet of flowers. Just something thoughtful you know? I know it shouldn't bother me, but it made me think why do I do it? I think I'm going to stock up on books and just give the kids a $5 book from here on out.I'm glad this topic was resurrected because I've been wanting to change my policies to downsize the dcks' birthdays. I do balloons, special treat(either we make them or dcp brings them), sing HB at snack time and I buy them a gift. I really would like to back away from it, especially the balloon part and replacing the $20-25 gift I currently buy with stickers and a birthday crown. I really can't afford it anymore and My dog tries to eat the balloons. I can tell the only thing the dcks care about is 'what'd ya get me' type of attitude. But I wish I could think of some way to replace the gift-giving part with something that might hit home with them that they have more than enough already and are very lucky kids. KWIM?
Guess I'm just getting old and witchy in my ways these days.
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I so get it. The parents care if it is them or their kid getting something, if it comes from their pocketbook, forget it. I would love a card, or a sandwich from subway (the only food place in our town) for lunch. But they are just put out that they actually have to pay me.Comment
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Yes, oh my gosh you're right, even a Sub sandwich would be nice. They all know I drink coffee. A cup of coffee would be wonderful too! Even so much as a $.99 card would be nice. It's the thought behind it. They make sure I don't forget their childs birthday. It's not about the monetary value, but the thought. Next time I'm out and see a bin of discounted books, I'm buying a crapload of them to have on hand. No more $15 birthday gifts. I just can't afford it and it's not appreciated, but expected and that takes the fun out of it for me.Comment
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So glad someone resurrected this post. Today was a big birthday for my (now) five year old dcg. Big like, we've been talking about it since December big! So her sweet parents brought helium-filled balloons to give to each of her friends and right off the bat this morning she starts screaming to her parents that they CAN'T give away her balloons or she'll DIE! Omg, talk about a case of the birthdays.
Fast forward to this afternoon, after cupcakes and singing, everyone was given a balloon (after much coaching on my part, she decided to be sweet and give her friends a balloon). Three separate pickups, three balloons fly away, three children melting into puddles of tears, three parents promising to take their kiddos straight to the store for a new balloon. ::sigh::Comment
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I have a birthday crown that gets worn by the child for the day and we sing happy birthday in circle time.
If parents want to send in cupcakes, I will serve them as a late afternoon snack but I don't bake them for the kids.Comment
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If I was the parent of the birthday child I would probably have taken the day off and spent it with my child but that's just me.
If I wasn't able to take the day off, I would never in a million years hand over cupcakes to my provider and expected her to take over the responsibility of her normal day to day activities and manage MY child's birthday.
That would be mean.
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Oh how I wish most parents felt like you. One thing for sure is that I will definitely be changing up how I interview any new clients. My dck's are with me rain or shine, sickness or health (this part will be changing asap though). I had one dck who got sick the day before her birthday and dcm was bummed she would not be here on her birthday since I "make it so fun." I told dcm I think dck would probably rather be with her on her birthday anywayIf I was the parent of the birthday child I would probably have taken the day off and spent it with my child but that's just me.
If I wasn't able to take the day off, I would never in a million years hand over cupcakes to my provider and expected her to take over the responsibility of her normal day to day activities and manage MY child's birthday.
That would be mean. (and yes, I did say that....). It sounds like it's time to un-fun the birthdays. I guess I just feel bad because the parents obviously don't make the actual day special for them and they soooo look forward to their special day that I feel like I want them to at least have fun while on my watch.
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