Quote Originally Posted by daycarewhisperer View Post

I'm happy I live in an area where day care providers are thought of at years end. I didn't even realize this wasn't common everywhere until I got the internet and started reading sad posts like this from all over the country. It amazes me that so many providers get nothing or just cards, pics, and regifts. I've always gotten bonuses. In fact, the first five years or so it was common for parents to add bonus money in my weekly salary just as a thank you. I would never know when it was coming and would thrilled to get it. Now my rates are higher and my clients just do end of service or end of year bonuses.
Like I said, I am not allowed to continue trying to prove my point. But I will respond to your post.

Your neighbor did not receive a single thing for Christmas from her parents. Nothin', nada, zilch. Not even a thank you so apparently receiving year end bonuses and gifts isn't the norm everywhere as much as some people think.

Maybe I am wording my thoughts wrong and this quote says what I am meaning better.......

"Our culture is changing. The way that most parents look at child care is that it's terribly expensive and "too much" in the first place.

All the effort and gift giving providers do for their families isn't going to be something the families translate into honoring the provider in the same way because they don't believe they should or they believe YOU (the provider) should be the one doing the celebration and giving. If that's what they believe then it may be time to believe them and follow in line to that belief.

If you are dealing with clients that have this belief system it may be best to just stay out of the Christmas loop completely and carry on as you normally do throughout the year. If you do a bunch of Christmas stuff with the kids and for the parents you actually may be setting a thought process in their minds that your ROLE as a provider is to GIVE to them. It may actually backfire on you and leave you empty and sad.

You don't have to do crafts, parties, gifts for the kids, gifts from the kid to the parents etc. You can go with the belief system the parents have and not do a Christmas between your kids, clients, and yourself.

If you really want a year end bonus or gifting why not consider building a paid vacation into the end of the year for YOU to look forward to? If you are already doing that then maybe another idea is to raise your rates two dollars a week per client and put that one hundred dollars a year per kid away and have THAT be your year end bonus. "