Christmas Gifts?

[kendallina]

I'm also doing a Sing-Along this year where all the families come in the evening and we sing some preschool songs and some Christmas songs together. I have pretty young ones, so I'm not doing a 'performance' per se. But, a chance for us to all sing together with our moms and dads and just enjoy each other's company and eat a little food. I can't wait!

[Blackcat31]

This year I am on a huge "READ TO YOUR CHILD!!" kick so I bought 10 copies of a favorite book through Scholastic books at $3.00 each (Total cost $30) and will give it to each family. Hoping of course that they will read to their child. Plus it is a book the kids are familiar with from daycare so hopfully they will ask for it to be read to them. I love books/reading and I think reading to your kid is one of the most overlooked ways that you can spend some quality time with your child. Reading before bedtime just takes a few minutes and is so simple, fun and easy! (After Christmas, I will ask the kids if their mom or dad read the new book to them....and see how many actually read to their kids.....should be interesting)

[Unregistered]

Gifts

SINCE THE CHILDREN I CARE FOR ARE REALLY SMALL, I GOT THEM LITTLE PEOPLE! Its there favorite here in my care and i know they dont have them at home yet! I uasully default to books for everything but this time i went with a toy instead! Kohls had a great deal on the pack go sets

[DCMom]

I know you guys are going to think that I am crazy, but here goes...

For the past 12 years, I have done big Christmas Party for my daycare families. Food, a Santa, gift exchange, the whole nine yards. It has often gone well past nine o'clock bedtimes. I have always considered it my 'company Christmas party'.

This year I'm not doing it (for many reasons) but I still did gifts for the kids and their parents. We are doing a kid party on Wednesday, before I am closed (paid) until January 3. I got each of the kids a PillowPet and for their parents, each child did (with a little help from me!) a 2011 handprint calendar as well as a keepsake photo ornament fof each child to go with it.

I have six really, really good dc families. They pay on time, they don't bring sick kids, they don't complain about my time off, honor my requests ~ just overall really good clients. I have virtually no complaints.

I want them to feel appreciated as much as I want to feel appreciated. That's my take on it

[MarinaVanessa]

In my newsletter that I gave out at the beginning of the month I suggested a book exchange instead of gifts. they dont need to be new or anything. i offered that each child bring a book that they didnt read anymore and bring it wrapped so that the kids can give a book and receive a book.

I also went to thrift stores an bought $18 worth of kids books (a lot of them were in almost new condition and I got some goog titles) and wrapped them up and these will be from me. i bought a lot just in case some of the kids forgot to bring one so that everyone gets one. i prefer to give out books versus toys because i believe in instilling child literacy.

for the parents i bought a hand-casting kit to make replicas of each childs hand as a gift to help parents remember how small their kids hands were. its a diy kit and it cost me about $10 to do 4 kids. money was tight this year but i thought that a mold of their childs hand would be a great gift. i got the idea after making a copy of my babies hand and foot.

[Unregistered]

So, what is everyone doing regarding the Christmas holidays? Do you do a gift exchange? Or do you give out little gifts to your students only? Please inform me and what do you like to give out?
Last year, I gave the boys Hot Wheels and the girls received a set of Christmassy stampers, inkpads and tiny notebooks. You would have thought they were in heaven.

This year I got my 2 dck-

12 month old-
1 big stuffed bear
1 pjs
2 soft cars
3 books

18 month old-
1 police station set with soft cars
1 pjs
2 soft cars
3 books

for my 2 daycare moms
they got a little gift bag with a lotion, shower gel, and a snowflake ornament in it
I dont buy the Dads anything I have more of a relationship with the Moms

[SandeeAR]

As they will get a ton of toys, I opted to go a different route. I made a tin of fudge for the family and a special ornament for the child. I will make a different one each year they are here. Hopefully one day, they will be able to look back on them with fond memories of thier time here with me.

I plan next year to make a special craft or two with the kids. I only have one old enough to do anything, 3 of them are babies. I had planned to do one craft this year, but with me moving Jan 1, I just didn't take the time.