It happened to me again :(

[Serendipity]

Serendipity, I agree with you and didn't expect anything from my clients at first and still don't EXPECT anything. But then on all the forums you have the providers who get the wonderful gifts start the thread usually to tell about all their hundreds of dollars of gift certificates and great presents. Then the rest of us who don't have the kind of clients who can buy gifts like that must remember not to get the least bit jealous!

I will continue to do exactly as I've done this year and will buy the children gifts for their birthdays and Christmas and next year we will craft our little fingers off again to make nice presents for the parents.

First, I want to say I am NOT saying ALL providers but I do think that a majority of the providers who are posting about the HUGE gifts they get are the same ones who fill the forums FULL of complaints, vents and threads about issues they have with either their parents or the DCK's themselves so if they have to deal with all that during the year just to get a huge gift in the end, no thanks. I prefer to have wonderful, respectful and policy observing clients than those who are the root of vents all year round any day.

I also call bull on a lot of providers who "say" they get these huge cash bonuses and gifts from clients. I am sorry but I just don't buy it. I have been in this business for 25 years and have worked in lots of different capacities as well as being on several different forum boards for caregivers, teachers and ECE workers and I think the threads started about some of these gifts are bogus.

I am sure there are a few providers out there who get thoughtful, well intended gifts from their DC families and that is awesome but like I said, I really think that is only a tiny percentage of the ones who post. The rest are...well for lack of better words...not being 100% truthful. For those providers who are truthful about it, good for you, I am glad you have those kinds of families but like I said, I just don't buy the rest of it.