Cheap parents

[bright sparks]

So how is giving teachers gifts at Christmas time any different than a daycare provider?? Apart from the fact they they would receive 30 gifts opposed to 5.... I think these professions are viewed similarly in regards to a small token of appreciation. Again, it is NOT the dollar amount, but, like mentioned here before, a simple cards with some kind words etc. I think a large number of students, especially in younger grades don't think twice about a teacher's gift, and from my experience it is the norm to do the same for a daycare provider.

Thing to consider is that a new mum comes to daycare and drops of child, sometimes another parent drops off at the same time, sometimes not so they don't see what is brought into daycare and what isn't. A lot of parents go to school to drop off child, especially in kindergarten. They see other parents and kids at large showing up with gifts. This reinforces the norm and tradition of giving teachers gifts. Also teachers gifts are marketed and advertised whereas daycare provider...well maybe occasionally hallmark will have a specific card for daycare, but it isn't common and wont jump out at someone. These are significant reasons why it is not always the norm to gift daycare providers. And norms are at least in the GTA a lot less generalized with the high population of immigrants coming in daily. Culture differences effect whether someone thinks to give a gift or send nice words. I am happy if a parent follows their contract and pays me on time. Anything else is an extra.

I think there is a huge amount if not the majority, and more so in the younger grades, of kids who do NOT even think about teacher gifts. It is a parent thing, we have set those standards. My kids have certainly never ever asked me to buy a teachers gift. I am pretty sure for me it was the first Xmas that my daughter was in JK where I saw parents dropping off gifts in the morning and I have gone out that day and bought something to gift at pick up. For me I would have never have bought a teachers gift at Xmas and the end of the year. I would send in a card naturally to thank a teacher for their hard work at the end of the school year, especially if my child was not going to have that teacher again, but I would to anyone who went above and beyond. It's kind of like the mandatory tipping of any service, primarily in the hospitality industry. If a service provider of any kind goes above and beyond then in my mind they deserve a tip but just doing a great job as you have employed them to do so, why the obligatory tip or gift? I have never understood it but that is because I am coming from a very different country where this kind of gift giving and tipping is done completely different. Yes I understand servers make less money, but that isn't my fault and shouldn't be my job to make up for. Shitty service, shitty tip= no tip. I think we should not have any expectations, then if we are given something like a POS crotchless pantie set lol or a bottle of tanner we can laugh it off and not feel so hard done too. I think it takes years to get to this though, after all we are human and those norms I speak of with regards to teachers and their annual stack of gifts, can sometimes poison minds. Only I can make me happy...stuff doesn't last very long. My favourite gifts are the cards including heartfelt words...even more so than the weeks wage someone has given me for a Xmas gift. That letter will be something I can look at time and time again knowing that the particular parent took the time to write me kind words of gratitude and appreciation, but it doesn't mean the person who gave me nothing isn't as equally appreciative.