Gifts for parents

[confusedalways]

I'm a nanny and for my birthday a while ago I got a lovely gift from the family. It's the mothers birthday soon and I don't really want to buy her a gift as her taste is a lot more expensive than I could afford. I was thinking of making a card and cake with the children for her instead, does this sound okay? I got gifts for the children at birthday's and at Christmas but not for either of the parents. Am worried about looking cheap though as they buy me gifts?

That's sounds fine. I never by for the parents on birthdays just the kids.

I never buy gifts for my bosses. I will pay for the things we need to make them a present from the children. I.e., buy a terracotta pot and get the children to decorate it, hand/foot prints for little ones, paint or mosaic for older ones and put a plant in it. Or go to a ceramic painting place. Or make a nice cake, buy candles and blow up some balloons. Or I give them a home made voucher for a couple of nights (weekend) babysitting or an over night so they can have a lie-in. I always make a card with the children for them.

My childminder makes gifts for us (parents) with our DD (19 months) and they are so much more special to us than anything she could ever buy in the shop, especially when I used to work full time. You sound lovely and I'm sure your boss would love whatever you and the children make.

I always get my boss bathing pearls and other products to enjoy a nice bath because this is what she does to relax after a long day or week and she loves it. Lush make some great stuff! Or sometimes I just have a little photo session with charges and you can print it on a cup etc. or create a frame or photo book and have little ones help you colour and design it.

I found it very embarressing when my nanny first bought me a gift. I'd always been given a token by work previously, but wouldn't even think of giving one back.

I certainly would not buy anything. But a little gift for the children is always appreciated.

Incidentally I then made it clear with subsequent nannies that i didn't expect a gift.