It happened to me again :(

[playfelt]

Unfortunately parents don't say thank you to us enough and while some would say they don't have to because we offer a service, they pay for it and that is the end of the transaction it is the things like being added to their Christmas gift list that sometimes is what we use to measure our value to the parents. For some parents they just aren't generous with anyone. For some parents it is also about being embarrassed to say thank you but they can do it at Christmas without having to get mushy and actually say it.

Do we measure our worth as a caregiver by the cards and gifts we receive no but as was pointed out we come on and complain about our parents enough that we owe it to them to give them kudos when they do something nice. Do I vary what I do for parents based on the year for sure. When I have parents that do little nice things all year I am more willing to do special things at Christmas whereas other years the bare minimum will suffice.

I have lived and done daycare in three different provinces and 7 houses over 28 years and some years I got gifts and some years I did not and sometimes from only half of my families. And sometimes it was the homemade cookies in the cheap tin that meant more to me than the lavish gift because I know that the parent could not afford a lot and shared what she was sharing with her family with me as if I was family. Just as fees vary around the country and in fact within a city so does the abilty to give gifts and the willingness to give gifts.