Today, one of the parents of a child i watch came by (I watch her son during school holidays like summer vacation, march break and Christmas break). She gave me a thank you note for being understanding and flexible after the father lost his job. I allowed them to drop down to a few days a week and only pay for the days they came, as opposed to the full time care they originally signed on for but I didn't change the contract. I am human and i have been laid off too, twice in 2008 actually, so i sympathize with the stresses of losing a job. I had no problem helping them out because they are genuinely nice people and they always send their son to me to care for.
Tucked inside the card was money- the equivalent of almost 2 weeks of full time fees. She had mentioned to me before "i promise i will try to pay you back one day" but i never expected the money, i know she would send her son again to me for care so in MY mind, that is kind of like paying me back. Should i regard this money as a gift or should i give her a receipt for it? In the note she wrote that the money was 'to pay me back for some of the days he missed'. I am appreciative that she was thoughtful