Christmas for nanny - bonus? Present? Lump of coal?

[JinxyCat]

Ok, so I'm joking about the coal. But as a first-time nanny employer, what do people do for their nanny for Christmas?
Do you get them a present? I'd like to, but don't want to make her feel an obligation to get for us.
Or is a bonus more usual? A weeks salary? A fixed amount? Not desperate to spend more cash than we 'have to' but also want to keep nanny happy!
We live in London, and our nanny is live in, and will be visiting family for Xmas/NYE

I always went for £50 of vouchers. I had no idea whether this was good, bad or indifferent, but I felt the pressure to try and be a 'good' employer. The nanny earned more than either dh or me, and that £50 was the single biggest Christmas present I gave.

Can't help but would be very interested in reading any replies you get, we have a live out nanny but I was thinking just the same thing the other day. I was thinking vouchers but then which store do you get them from? John Lewis? Selfridges? Harrods? TKMaxx?

I am a nanny. I don't expect a bonus (It makes me a bit uncomfortable TBH but I am Australian and we are much more informal and bonuses are not the done thing). I've had them before and I do realise that English people are accustom to a tenner in their card from their aunties etc so maybe that's why it's usual. We just don't 'do' cash gifts much so it's foreign to me!

From my present family, I've had lovely gifts (a new purse, pandora bracelet charms). These are so much appreciated and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside that they have taken the time to think about what things I like.. Makes me feel like they 'know me' IYSWIM..

Actually once my current boss did give me cash - but it was because I'd moved house and she said she really wanted to give me a new appliance (I love to cook - I bought a pasta machine) but she didn't want to get me something I already had..

I always get my charges little presents because I want to! I see them 5 days a week - and we spend three months discussing Christmas! I give their Mum and Dad a bottle of wine and a card saying thank you for being great friends / even better employers. It's obvious I have much less disposable income than they do (they are fortunate enough to have really well paying fields) - so I think they just appreciate my gesture.

Obviously it is a working arrangement and no one is obligated to get anyone anything - but I enjoy being friends with the people I work with and treat them like I treat my other loved ones.

Small-but-thoughtful personal present from children (mug with pics on eg)
Small frivolous present from parents (bottle of fizz, chocs, flowers)
Bonus as suits your feelings - from £30 of vouchers [HeadFairy - either Amazon (covers all sorts of stuff) or there are some which combine lots of high street stores. Also if you are in London Westfield do their own I think.] to week's salary at very top end. There isn't a norm.

Nanny will like the children's present best.

Tbh it is only here on mn i read that nannies dont want cash and prefer something personal. I was a nanny myself and i remember that all of us were looking forward to christmas bonus. We loved the children we looked after but we expected a bit more than a framed picture of them, we were looking at them 10-12 hrs a day .

She is a young single girl living in london. She could do with some cash or vouchers If you cant afford it at all thats different of course.

Bink 's suggestion about amazon or vouchers that combine many stores is good. Something from the children and wine or chocs on top but not on its own.

Now nannies, dont be shy be honest

In my current job, last Christmas I had only been working for them for about 6 weeks so wasn't expecting a present but I got some lovely slippers for work 'to make me feel at home' - I thought it was a lovely gift and very nice of my employers considering they didn't really know me!

I also got a lovely card and money from a family I had been temping for previously, which I used to take my OH and I out for dinner

A cash bonus is always welcome but sometimes a gift that has had some thought put in to it, means a lot more. It's probably harder with a new nanny as you may not have learnt her tastes yet.

Most nannies I know get their charges presents. It's always harder buying for employers especially if they 'have everything' but I tend to end up doing photo calendars of the children which always go down well.

I'm sure whatever you choose for your nanny will be fine and she will be grateful and if she isn't give her a lump of coal next year!

we do small presents from the kids, bottle of fizz/posh bath stuff from us, plus some cash so they can get something they want themselves. Have in the past also bought them something (cashmere scarf say) from gap/john lewis/m&s with gift receipt so that they can return/exchange if they prefer.....

I know that some people say a weeks salary as bonus, but me and dh are both self employed, no-one pays us a bonus and we really can't afford it on top of everything else at Christmas (plus the spectre of a tax bill in January.....)

Have also done voucher for local beauty salon before as well, but worried she might have thought we were saying she looked rough (which she didn't......!)

Westfield vouchers great, as you can buy book/waitrose shopping/have a meal/contribute towards something special....

There is no 'rule' to this one.
As a nanny I certainly wouldn't expect anything and certainly wouldn't get 'stroppy' that if I was goven something it 'isn't enough.'
My employers have always gone for vouchers or cash (one weeks pay) but not expected.
I've had ballet tickets before (only nice if you're a fan I suspect.)
I think the only time it felt ridiculous was my horrible job when my mb wrapped a gift she didn't want in front of the children and said, 'well that's that f-ing nanny sorted. It's horrible and she has no taste so it doesn't matter.' This was duly repeated to me and when I asked mb she did admit to saying it.
My point is only give something if you truly want to. A handmade card from the children is nicest.

Honestly?

A bonus is nice. Anyone in a job if they got a cash bonus they would be happy

I generally get a weeks wages plus a little pressie from MB/db and something the kids chose - last few pressies from dc have been a rubber duck radio for bath and racing car for my hamsters - both which I adored (as does mr blondes with the duck radio tho won't admit it [hgrin])

I normally buy a nice bottle of bubbly for my MB/db and then spend £15/20 each on the children I look after

I know not everyone gets a bonus and I am lucky - generally any gift is apprecaited tho my friend last year got a huge box with JO molone on the outside to find inside that there were 4 small samples of jm stuff (free samples)

another friend got a book about a mans journey living with leprosy - WTF [hhmm]

I like having a little something special as well as cash [hgrin]

If it were just cash I'd feel, I don't know, a bit awkward!

I've never had a child made gift or card from the kids i've looked after in over 14 years of nannying. They've been long term positions too! In all honesty - I would love that more than anything.

Guess I'm lucky - I have both - home made cards and pressies and a bonus - curent family made me a bear pottery figure as well as making cards for every birthday/Christmas etc

I am a nanny and would love something that the kids had made and Westfield vouchers.
In a previous job when I left to go home for christmas my bosses and had not even written me a card out untill I handed over gifts for them all then they qickly scribbled out a card and shoved some cash inside it and I honestly felt like throwing it away as no thought had gone into whatsoever. So I guess whatever you give your nanny it will be appreciated as you are putting some thought into it.

I have been given a bottle of Moet (they accidently left the price sticker on it, so I knew it was on sale but they still spent more on me than I spent on them so I didn't mind ) and a pair of trainers (rubbish present for a few reasons including my having knee and shin issues, so have a pair of special trainers that I had told them about ).

I don't expect anything huge, but a thoughtful pressie and a bit of cash is ideal I think! Plus ditto the present and card from kids!!

I too do not expect a bonus but if I get one then i am not going to refuse it.

My bosses have given me in the past, a cookbook I wanted, dvd's, cash, books, and a new purse. I much prefer a thank you so I know that all the work I do extra is appreciated.

Nannies are like teachers, We see your children probably more then you do. As much I know it is the thought that counts, a picture of them, a painting by them is most likely going to end up in the attic. Sorry but that is the truth.

I think it depends on the nationality and age of your nanny, TBH. Most British nannies above 23 would anticipate, if not downright expect, a cash bonus, IMO. In London I've always had the after-holidays meet up where everyone is asking each other about their bonuses - saying this as a nanny!

A young, single girl from Europe will more than likely be chuffed with vouchers from Westfield (brilliant idea) as can spend them on whatever, or a bottle of something and some chocolates plus 20 gift voucher to a shop you know she likes, etc.

More important to me is the card that they write - you get one time a year perfectly handed to you to say something lovely about how she's been with the children, once I got 50 quid with no card and was so , as for me it was more important I be recognised for my hard work.

I've never gotten a week's wage but I do generally get 50-100 plus some little thing from the children.

On the other end of the scale, I have a partner who is also a nanny, she get's - wait for it - a month's wages in CASH plus 100 John Lewis / Waitrose vouchers, plus some smellies/chocs from the children. It's rather incredible to me, to be honest, so a week's wage is certainly not top in London as someone else suggested! These are bankers living in Kensington, though, and she has been with them nearly 3 years. This year as expecting DS1 will more than likely get a baby gift also as going on mat leave before Xmas.

They probably didn't pay tax on the bonus, which is why it was in cash. Bankers...

I used to be a nanny and would have been well happy with a bottle of something nice or some choccys. I am easily pleased.

My friend also gets £1k Xmas bonus but her employers are fussy/rude/ignorant/take the piss/come home late etc all year and I've worked out that the £1k is like an extra £5 per day throughout the year and quite frankly her £1k isn't worth her miserable year iyswim

I would never work for her family and as my friend is pregnant they are in for a nasty shock in trying to find a new nanny

the nanny grapevine is a powerful thing and once a family is blacklisted ...........:

Blondes similar thing going on with us. They're okay employers, they have been a bit funny since she has gotten pregnant and not as understanding of appointments, etc. - they're trying to find a temp and having a world of pain!

Micky I'm sure they paid tax on it, they're extremely fussy about things like that - when they raised her salary she said she was happy to take the extra in cash and avoid tax, they point blank refused as want to be above board on everything.

But it's not 1k, it's 2.5k we don't complain!!

Last year, we gave our nanny a week's salary (and will do the same again this year). She was really surprised and said she had never had a bonus in 20 years of nannying, so it is not as common as some people on the thread say.

Hi blondes I think I know you so hi.
My bosses asked me last year what I wanted which is always better than somehting you may not use ,I said voucher s for books,I know sad eh anyway they got me £200 amazon vouchers,a crate of wine,they felt i deserved/needed it after looking after their three.they also got me small xmas frames that you can put on the tree which have pictures of the children in themwhich are very nice. On the question of bonus s I have only had a cash bonus once in my 20 years.

hi euracantha - who are you? [hgrin]

message me if you prefer to stay private [hsmile]

I usually get a present from my employers and they also buy something for my little boy too :)
I don't expect any more than that because I've never had a cash bonus from any job I've worked in before, just a bottle of wine or box of chocs, so a pressie for me AND my son is quite a lot for me :)