When Your DCP's Have Babies..

[Indoorvoice]

When a dcp has a new baby that you are going to add to your group, do you do anything special like visit at the hospital or bring a meal? I'm pretty close to this family and they are a little more than just a daycare relationship to me. I'm super excited about their new baby, but don't want to cross a line or be too over the top either. What have you done when a new baby arrives? Maybe I'm over thinking this

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I think it'd be a blessing to them if you delivered a meal or had a place deliver a meal (pizza place, for example).

[finsup]

I would, but I do that for anyone I know who's had a baby . Depending on who it is, sometimes I do a meal, sometimes I do a gift bag sort of thing and include either a gift card to a place that has delivery/pick up options or for coffee. As for visiting at the hospital, I generally don't do that. I tell them I would of course love to meet the baby but on their schedule. I figure the time at the hospital can be busy enough, and who knows what the family dynamics are like so unless personally asked, I tend to hang back and give/send the gift or meal either right before the due date or sometime after.

[Blackcat31]

I think you need to do whatever feels comfortable to you.

If you are close to the family then I think visiting is appropriate, just as a gift may be but again, I think it's dependent on how you operate and what level of closeness you have with your families.

Me? I don't do anything personal. No visit and no gift.
I (verbally) congratulate for sure and sometimes send a card but that's it.

NOT that I don't care, it's just that gifts and visits to me are something one does when they have a personal relationship with the family and while I have personal relationship with their children, I am not a "family friend".

It's just a line I have and don't cross. It is what I need to do to stay in business and to stay sane.

So I think you should do whatever it is you personally feel comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer.

[Controlled Chaos]

I am very friendly with my dcfs, my kids are really young to we go to their bday parties. I deliver food when good friends have a baby but I can't afford to do that dcfs. I do try and send home a "big sibling" gift with the current dck the month of the due date. I get stuff from the $ store and encourage parents to let them play with it when mom is feeding new baby or just needs a minute

[Ariana]

It really depends on the family! One family was very generous with me and my kids for gifts (gave my kids valentine, Easter and b-day presents ). They were also very respectful of my business and I never ever had an issue with them so when her baby was born I got a nice gift for the baby.

My other family I didn't get them anything! I have had a ton of issues with them, they are very cheap and I just wasn't feeling it.

For me it comes down to the question "Do I want to"

[Meeko]

I think you need to do whatever feels comfortable to you.

If you are close to the family then I think visiting is appropriate, just as a gift may be but again, I think it's dependent on how you operate and what level of closeness you have with your families.

Me? I don't do anything personal. No visit and no gift.
I (verbally) congratulate for sure and sometimes send a card but that's it.

NOT that I don't care, it's just that gifts and visits to me are something one does when they have a personal relationship with the family and while I have personal relationship with their children, I am not a "family friend".

It's just a line I have and don't cross. It is what I need to do to stay in business and to stay sane.

So I think you should do whatever it is you personally feel comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer.

I have 19 kids on my books. I don't "do" birthday parties, new siblings, family events etc. I would spend my life at the store buying gifts or every single weekend attending birthday parties, BBQ's etc. I let parents know that as I cannot attend EVERYBODY'S special event, I don't do any. It's the fairest for them and especially me!

[DaveA]

I think you need to do whatever feels comfortable to you.

If you are close to the family then I think visiting is appropriate, just as a gift may be but again, I think it's dependent on how you operate and what level of closeness you have with your families.

Me? I don't do anything personal. No visit and no gift.
I (verbally) congratulate for sure and sometimes send a card but that's it.

NOT that I don't care, it's just that gifts and visits to me are something one does when they have a personal relationship with the family and while I have personal relationship with their children, I am not a "family friend".

It's just a line I have and don't cross. It is what I need to do to stay in business and to stay sane.

So I think you should do whatever it is you personally feel comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer.

This is me also. DCKs make a card for the family and that's pretty much it other than telling them congratulations and how cute the baby is.

[Crazy8]

I have done different things for different families. I have families I love and some not so much. ::

I often buy a baby gift, occassionally have made a meal (only 1-2x, I'm not much of a cook!). I don't visit though, that crosses the line for me. Usually they still have a sibiling attending so I give the gift when they are here.

I did have a dc mom visit ME when I got home from the hospital with my son (I had taken 2 weeks off). I thought that was pretty nice of her and appreciated that she cared enough to not just wait the 2 weeks to see my new baby! So do what you are comfortable with.