Worst Christmas gift you've recieved from a parent.

[apples and bananas]

Let's have some Friday afternoon fun.

What is the worst gift you've recieved from a parent?

Mine?

A candle and a box of homemade cookies that we had to throw out because they contained peanuts... my son has an allergy. And I'm pretty sure the candle was a re gift.

[sunnydays]

A gift card that expired before I was able to use it (even though it was only a few weeks after Christmas that I tried to use it). It turned out to be one of those gift cards stores give you for free if you spend a certain amount...those have expiries...I found out after saying to the store clerk "but I thought gift cards couldn't have expiry dates anymore!" :o

[crafty]

This did not happen to me but my sister in law... We have a family member that we always are so anxious to see what he gives us as it's always just so ...unbeleivably bad poor guy does'nt even realize it. So she got a USED and EMPTY christmas CD case ... Come on you did not bother even checking !!
I once got a tube calculator that folds and has a pen attached to it and I know for a fact he got it for free as a marketing tool from a company he deals with. The name and logo was on it as well as the matching ligther ( I do not smoke ) T'was funny

[mimi]

A 5 x 7 photo of a d/c family. It wasn't even in a frame.

[Momof4]

A box full of crayons and markers and playdo and puzzles and things for the children to use. All that was missing was the receipt so that I could use it as a deduction for my taxes, yeeesh! If this Mom wanted to give gifts to all the kids that's great but she forgot about her HDCP. Oh well.

[bright sparks]

A gift card that expired before I was able to use it (even though it was only a few weeks after Christmas that I tried to use it). It turned out to be one of those gift cards stores give you for free if you spend a certain amount...those have expiries...I found out after saying to the store clerk "but I thought gift cards couldn't have expiry dates anymore!" :o

I laughed my socks off. Thats so bad its funny lolol dumbass haha

[sunnydays]

I know! But to be fair, they actually gave me another gift card as well that was a real gift card...I think maybe they had been given that too...but that's okay. I think they put that in the card and felt it was too small so through the other "gift card" in too LOL They are really great people though, so no hard feelings...it was just really funny!



I laughed my socks off. Thats so bad its funny lolol dumbass haha

[Other Mummy]

A 5 x 7 photo of a d/c family. It wasn't even in a frame.

:laugh: I hope you displayed it front and center in your living room. :laugh:

[Inspired by Reggio]

My mother gives the worst gifts - love her to pieces but she does not know me at all :rolleyes:

Daycare wise had to be the year I got diagnosed as Celiac ... I was still in centre care then and had missed so much work with testing to find out why i was sick and than all the slip ups trying to go gluten free and absence from work they caused there is no way anyone with EARS could not have known and my one family got me a big ass gift basket of those Britsh cookies and imported biscuits and crap ... it was expensive too so really frustrating to think "gee if you knew me at all I could have had 3 pedicures for the cost of that thing :( I than had to give away to the basket to Food Bank so they could break it up at least for some treats for those who have none.

[KingstonMom]

These are hilarious!! I have only experienced one Xmas with daycare parents so far and last year was great! one gave me a Starbucks gift basket with coffee and mugs, and jammies for my kids, another gave me a $50 gc to the Keg and the other gave me a beautiful wreath! Wish I had some hilarious ones to share, maybe ill be lucky this year!!

[sunnydays]

That is awesome!!! I am feeling hard-done by now :laugh:



These are hilarious!! I have only experienced one Xmas with daycare parents so far and last year was great! one gave me a Starbucks gift basket with coffee and mugs, and jammies for my kids, another gave me a $50 gc to the Keg and the other gave me a beautiful wreath! Wish I had some hilarious ones to share, maybe ill be lucky this year!!

[mimi]

The worst part Other Mommy was having to pretend it was such a great gift! Ooooh and aaah over how great everyone looked in the photo. Yes, I had to put it on display, but I did so on my daycare photo board.
Reggio, my Mom is the same way, I don't wear jewellery aside from the essentials. My mother keeps MAKING me necklaces with the weight that would bring down a horse. Everytime I see her on special occasions I get the disappointed "oh, you are not wearing it" :glare:

[apples and bananas]

Hahaha... these all make me laugh. I have great parents this year... so I'm hoping for something good. We don't exchange gifts with my family and my spouse and I just buy for the kids, so the daycare family gifts are all I have to open. I get very excited about them. I find it a nice perk of the job.

[Big Hearts]

Anyone how knows me will say I am very vanilla or plain Jane, don’t swear and I keep my personal life privet. Well from different families in the same year I got a pair of earrings with black with pink flames on them and a "wooden fertility" statue from Mexico but it was a male member carved out of wood and a bottle of tequila from their trip. My husband laugh so hard when he got home.

[mimi]

Jennifer, so what is the message? Tart up, get drunk and have another baby. Seems clear to me.:laugh:

[sunnydays]

OMG Jennifer...yours takes the cake!!!! And Mimi...that is hilarious...you guys are making me laugh sooooooo hard :)

[Big Hearts]

I guess so...I am afraid to see what they get me this year? They went to India...isn’t that where a certain "book of love" is from? Oh man I just may have to go back to hairdressing :p

[Inspired by Reggio]

I guess so...I am afraid to see what they get me this year? They went to India...isn’t that where a certain "book of love" is from? Oh man I just may have to go back to hairdressing :p

:laugh::laugh::laugh : hilarious!

[cfred]

Fortunately, my daycareparents always give terrific gifts! My worst gift ever was from my now ex-mother in law. If I didn‘t know how much she hated me before, that Christmas certainly drove the point home. I painstakingly picked out a wool car coat with matching hat, scarf, gloves. She gave me a bar of soap and an open bag of cotton swabs. LOL....nothing says ‘you suck‘ like an open bag of Qtips!

[Inspired by Reggio]

.... She gave me a bar of soap and an open bag of cotton swabs. LOL....nothing says ‘you suck‘ like an open bag of Qtips!

:eek: OMG that is horrible.

[sunnydays]

I used to teach English as a Second Language to newly arrived refugees from all over the world. One year the class got together and among other strange gifts, the bought be a stick of deoderent! :laugh: I did not take it in a bad way as they had no idea that it could be offensive...they were thinking of it as just like perfume ;) I still laugh about it every time I think of it and how I had to smile and thank them without bursting into laughter until safely behind closed doors :laugh:

[Momof4]

These posts are too funny! Jennifer, let us know what you get from India!


Sunnydays, it's a good thing you have a good sense of humour. My face probably would have looked like, um, do I stink?

[Mamma_Mia]

I've got a good one.............noth ing.

Yup they stood there with their 2 children's gifts and a tin full of cookies and walked to the car. I stood there like an idiot thinking maybe it's in the car....nope. Maybe they forgot it at home....nope. Maybe they'll bring it when the holidays are over...nope. NADDA. There's a big howdy'do!! :cursing:

[mimi]

Wow Mamma Mia, talk about self absorbed parents. It was almost like they expected you to give something. Were they not embarrassed?

[gcj]

omg. There were some good one, but he the open bag of QTips takes the cake. I literally laughed out loud! Really hard!

I don't have anything to add to this list. I guess I've been lucky, but this was sure fun to read!

[apples and bananas]

I went on line to see if I could find an article or a guidline for proper gift giving/tipping etiquette around Christmas... and nothing! No wonder we are all getting sucky gifts!

[bright sparks]

Funnily enough, a dcp friend of mine read an article a few years ago and the guideline for a hairdresser for example was to give them a xmas tip the equivalent of the cost of a hairdo....holy crap that would cost me over $150. A babysitter or childcare provider....$5.

Thanks for holding me at such high value in your life compared to your hairdresser. LOL. And, putting childcare provider in the same category as a babysitter. HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Honestly, I don't expect anything as I don't give to recieve.Sure, it would be nice to get a gift but everyone has different circumstances. Not a lot of money, large family to buy for, theres lots of reasons. I clearly, would prefer a gift that is something I would like or alternatively a gift card if someone isn't sure. Theres nothing worse than being bought chocolates that you don't like, or are out of date lol, yes it happened, or a gift basket of bath products if you have sensitive skin. If people don't buy me a gift, I generally don't give it a second thought.

[ladyjbug]

I've got a good one.............noth ing.

Yup they stood there with their 2 children's gifts and a tin full of cookies and walked to the car. I stood there like an idiot thinking maybe it's in the car....nope. Maybe they forgot it at home....nope. Maybe they'll bring it when the holidays are over...nope. NADDA. There's a big howdy'do!! :cursing:

Haha, same thing happened my first year. I actually have not received a Christmas present from any DC Family to date. I didn't really feel upset about it at the time, but a little surprised. I am a giver though and plan the kids gifts for months and that is how I like to do it. I don't expect anything in return, but it is weird how it just seems like it is expected for us to give them gifts!

[mimi]

It is the thought over the expense. One d/c mom gave me a beautiful Xmas ornament. I am sure it was inexpensive and I just loved it. Another parent gave me a $20.00 gift card to a book store because she knew I loved to read and buying a book is a real treat for me. I just so appreciated them taking the time to think about what I might like. That attention means alot.

[bright sparks]

I agree mimi.

I just so appreciated them taking the time to think about what I might like. That attention means alot.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I agree with it is the thought that counts ... I know my most treasured gift I have gotten since being home was a little Chrystal Tinkerbell ... I love fairies and the child's nickname was Tink so it was an amazing little keepsake that was 'perfect' to serve as a reminder of our time together and it came accompanied with a beautiful letter and a gift card for dinner out for my spouse and I as a thank you to him as well ... for me the gift card was nice but the little 'Tink' was the truly touching part to me ... finding something that perfect and I put out her in the window of the playroom and she made rainbows all over the place and we had done this big rainbow project while her child was here ~ it was just perfect symbolism for our time together!

Me being so clueless to brand names had no CLUE what I had been given until I was out one day about a year later window shopping with a friend who had gone into a Jewellery store and dragged me along and there I SAW my TINK on display .... in a Swarovski Chrystal collectors display ... the little thing retails for $390 and I had no CLUE cause I did not know what a Swarovski Chrystal was :eek:

Needless to say I came right home and MOVED her up into my bedroom to keep her SAFE from the daycare kids all the time thinking 'omg how could they have spent so much money on ME'!!!!

[mimi]

Oh Reggio, they spent that much because YOU deserved it.

[bright sparks]

Not even knowing you beyond the forum's Reggio, where you are a constant source of compassion and knowledge, I can only begin to imagine how fantastic you are as a dcp to the children. Just the way you describe how you conduct your business and the activities you do with your dck's makes me completely sure that you are a treasure to the dck's and their families. I have no doubt you deserved that gift 100% and the said parent's appreciated you a great deal.

[gravy_train]

Anyone how knows me will say I am very vanilla or plain Jane, don’t swear and I keep my personal life privet. Well from different families in the same year I got a pair of earrings with black with pink flames on them and a "wooden fertility" statue from Mexico but it was a male member carved out of wood and a bottle of tequila from their trip. My husband laugh so hard when he got home.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Amazing!!

[BrightEyes]

Reggio, I am a lot like you. I would have loved the thoughtful gift and not have known how much it had cost! What a lovely story!

[Crayola kiddies]

Oh Reggio what a wonderful story !!!! I know you are worth every cent !