What to buy for nursery staff for Christmas?

[howdoyoudecide]

So, due to timings of mat leave , I haven’t had children in nursery over be Christmas period before.

I have a DD 15 months who does full time nursery and a DS 2.8 who does 2 days nursery and 3 days childminder.

Each of them has a key worker in nursery. I have bought three tubs of sweets. One for CM and one for each room at nursery.

The nursery is wonderful and I am incredibly grateful for the care and attention they give my children. My son has become attached to one particular practitioner who is an older lady. I think she remind him of his nana. I am very grateful for her and the warmth she shows towards him. I want to buy her something but I didn’t want to make a massive faux pas because I wasn’t going to buy for his key worker (who I don’t really see a great deal of - not sure what days she works these days)

Daughter has a key worker who is wonderful but she also has another lady in her room who is equally lovely and they both show her lots of affection and warmth. The nursery really is wonderful.

We don’t have much cash as the nursery is also crazy expensive lol but I wanted to acknowledge them somehow.

What should we do?

[prettyprettyprettyprettyghoul]

Sweets/biscuits/bottle of wine or two (to share at their work Christmas drinks) and a card made by DC will be perfect.

[howdoyoudecide]

I wasn’t sure about wine in case they don’t drink. I could buy them individual boxes of chocolates and have be kids make cards

[Namechange101110]

I was going to make a cake and help DS decorate it.
DS has a lovely key worker but is also looked after by a team of amazing people so I thought they could share it at coffee time.

[EmilyChambers79]

I worked in a nursery for the past 20 odd years. We don't expect anything.

Biscuits and chocolates that were given to rooms were put in the staff room then on Christmas Eve the manager would put a number on each one and we would draw a number and take what was drawn, sometimes we had that many things, we got three goes each!

Any Keyworker presents were kept by the Keyworkers but people mainly got presents for the room.

And we never touched homemade goods. That all stemmed from one parent who made us an Easter cake. We cut it in the staffroom and found dog hair and human hair cooked in it

[dotdotdotmustdash]

A huge tin of instant coffee and a big bag of teabags is always useful in school and nursery staffrooms.

[killerwhale]

Nothing. It's entirely unnecessary, there is no other job where you get 30+ bloody presents! Ridiculous!
Me ? jealous and bitter? Surely not.

[Frederickvonhefferneffer]

I usually get a tin of biscuits for the staff room. That’s plenty

[TeenTimesTwo]

killer It might be their job, but
a) they won't be getting 30+ presents
b) your children are your most treasured possession, and you are entrusting them to nursery workers who really aren't that well paid considering the responsibility they have
c) my DD is doing a nursery apprenticeship, she gets < £4/hr if she gets given any presents by parents this Christmas she'll be over the moon (even if they give her wine when she doesn't drink) and it will give her a real boost

[Nicknacky]

Am I one of the few people who don't buy nursery and school teachers anything?

And teen it shouldn't be up to the parents to give your daughter a boost. She should be getting paid properly. No other apprentices on the same wage will be looking for presents to give them a boost.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

I reallly like the idea of a box of nice tea bags and some nice instand coffee for the staff room too - less than a tenner and they will use it . Or a reallly nice hand written card with a proper message xx

[TeenTimesTwo]

Nick I'm not saying people should buy something, but that for DD at least it would be massively appreciated.

And I agree, other apprentices doing other things will probably not be given presents. But then they aren't stopping children from choking, or preventing them from being given food they are allergic to, or keeping very young precious children generally safe and looked after. I do think nursery workers have a massively responsible job for the pay they get, and apprentices even more so.

[iamyourequal]

I would go for a nice tin of biscuits and a handmade card made by the children, but with a nice note of appreciation from you inside.

[00alwaysbusymum]

I agree you don't need to get staff presents but like the other poster said they look after my precious children, keep her safe, have helped with toilet training, and lots of other things which means I feel like I can trust them, and she likes nursery and cares about the staff. So wanting to say thank you is ok - personal choice and I will be buying presents for the lovely girls at the nursery who have really really crap salaries yet still smile everyday and make my daughter happy

[howdoyoudecide]

My mum is a school teacher and I remember at Christmas it took her the longest to open all her presents because of the number of gifts from her school kids. I think she liked it.

There is a massive difference between this nursery and a previous one my son was at. This really is a league above and I go to work knowing they are having a wonderful time. I want them to know I appreciate what they do. I have a box of celebrations for the room but I think I will get a small gift card. Maybe £10 on it for M and S for a few individuals.

[takingsmallsteps]

I bought my nursery craft supplies every year, along with a tin of biscuits for the staff.

When my son left I bought them a tree for their new garden.

[Nicknacky]

I'm not disagreeing the money is crap but plenty of other jobs have a great deal of responsibility and they don't get presents.

But I know I'm miserable about it. I only give to my childminder.

[killerwhale]

Teen. Whilst I agree that their job is valuable, I'm pointing out that other people don't get that kind of number of gifts or indeed any at all. I work long hours working with the homelessness and don't get paid much but there are no presents, my friend is a nurse, no gifts for her either. What about the fire fighters, police etc. Just seems like a pressure for parents to buy gifts and teachers expect them, nobody else does.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Teachers don't expect them! You often get teachers and nursery workers on here saying they don't expect them and that a thoughtful card even would be lovely.

On the other hand, many parents do want to give something to show they appreciate the care given to their children. Children build a relationship with teachers, and parents often wish to give a token at Christmas acknowledging that.

In the same way, we gave gifts to FIL carers in his nursing home and to my DGM in home carers. Similar deal, long term relationship, low pay.

[ecosln]

I have given a bottle of prosecco to each in the past. However I also include a handwritten note on the bottle tailored to the person.

It is the handwritten note that gets the thanks. So do that for the ladies that your dc have grown close to. No need for more presents. You can give everyone a card with a few lines and make their one a bit more personal "dc clearly adore you ...."

[SolemnlySwear2010]

I have bought my DD keyworker a voucher for a meal out. I got a really good deal through a voucher site (Groupon/Wowcher etc).

I have also ordered 2 big boxes of handmade tablet to be made for the rest of the staff. I luckily know the woman so she is doing it at cost.

For both presents i wasnt even £20, i am also putting in a handmade (by DD) Christmas decoration and handmade card to her keyworker.

[EmilyChambers79]

I'm not disagreeing the money is crap but plenty of other jobs have a great deal of responsibility and they don't get presents

But I know I'm miserable about it. I only give to my childminder

So if you feel that strongly about giving a member of nursery staff a present, because others are on low paid wages and don't get presents, why do you give your childminder a present?

As I said, we never expect presents but I'm grateful for ones I do get. My favourites include things that have been made by the children. My most unexpected was a £50 voucher from a parent who felt I'd done such a good job of looking after her baby when she went back to work. Baby was 6 months old.

[Littlelambpeep]

I am buying a Yankee candle for their keyworker (have two in nursery)

Then cm (go two days) clarins shower get and I get her children small things (pencil case filled with sweets or similar)

[TinoTheArtisticMouse]

There are 3 members of permanent staff in my dd's room. I've bought them a box of chocolates each, plus a bottle of port for her key worker. I saw this lovely hot chocolate after I'd already bought their gifts, which I'll keep in mind for next year. //www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/charbonnel-et-walker-drinking-chocolate-300g-7653529-p-44?langId=44&storeId=10151&krypto=KVhYBYU7%2BnvlygqMk1txY388a%2FpeGN5Q8Ayb4o96Xohek2Qirk3bGBF1E3IvANRZ8E%2B9UIzupuk0001my0qJg3vhanWmnwg62RIbAkB4vKg1b%2BnxP%2B8TVcnf%2F1SlGSsH&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fcharbonnel-et-walker-drinking-chocolate-300g-7653529-p-44

[roses2]

M&S have 50% off beauty gifts at the moment. Some of the Royal Jelly gift sets reduced from £10 to £5 Are really lovely if that's in your budget.

[Nicknacky]

emily Because I have had my child minder for years, she helps me out at short notice if needed, we work round each other and she knows my daughters well and clearly cares about them. She buys them both birthday and Christmas presents. I don't have the same relationship with the nursery staff.