Stopping childminding and I want to give gifts to children but I CANNOT afford it...

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

Would it look really awful if I gave my children whom I childmind some of my childminding toys as leaving gifts? My income for August is down by 40% and I will have no income at all at the end of August (I am paid in advance in childminding but in arrears in my new job which I start in Sept)

Two of my mums have asked to buy their children's favourite toys from me - ie the toys that they love at my home. So would it be very cheap of me to give them a selection of their favourite toys rather than buy them new things?

Part of me feels it is the sensible thing to do but another part feels that it is a bit tacky of me to do that! One loves the building blocks but does not have any at home so his mum wanted to buy them from me. Surely I could just pack up a big bag of them for him??

What do you think?

I would love that :)

I think that would be a lovely idea. Could you afford a little party for them as a goodbye too and give them the gifts at it?

A party sounds like a great idea, but all my parents except for one, works so getting everyone together would be difficult. Also, I don't know if I really want to do that. I feel tearful just typing this up, even though I have no doubts whatsoever that I want to stop!! And I have landed the job I have always want :)

I stopped after almost 8 years and had the same problem. I've recently had a new baby and when I stopped at the end of March, I had already lost a few children in Dec/Jan so income was very low. That and my dh not working meant I couldn't afford much at all so I got very little things for my long termers (i.e. 5/6 years with me) and then bagged up some of their favourite toys for the others which they loved (also bagged up toys for some of my long termers as extras). I think this is a much better idea than buying something you can't afford and they may not be so interested in.

Good luck with the new job :)

I would absolutely love it if a childminder gave me one of my son's favourite toys. Another thing I would really love would be a card telling me how adorable he is

I did this, on the last day we had a party then the children all chose a toy to take home with them.

I also took a photo of us all together and gave them all a copy.

@ Levatine!

Thanks for supporting my idea! I will pack up a collection of toys for my children to take with them.

As much as I am looking forward to stopping childminding, I will be so very sad to say good bye to my children.

When dd left her lovely childminder after nearly 4 years, the childminder gave her/us a cd with all the photos she'd taken of dd over the years. It was an absolutely lovely gift, and didn't cost much money. Dd still looks at the photos now, 4 years later.

I think the idea of giving each child their favourite toy is an absolutely lovely one.

I forgot about my hundreds of photos! That's great idea, too. Thank you.

Such a lovely idea! You sound like a really caring person and I am sure the children will miss you. Good luck with your new job!

Thanks, Prettybelle! It has been a hot, hard day childminding today, so I am really and truly looking forward to finishing now!

I think the children would love those presents! What could be better than a toy that you know they will enjoy?

Sounds sensible. Only problem with letting the children chose is if more than one child wanted the same toy.

MissStrawberry, it was very heartwarming when I offered one of my 8 yr old girls a set of dolls she loves, but she said that the other 8 yr old girl I have also loves them so she could have them instead! So, yes, that problem could arise but so far it hasn't.

For the little ones, I will choose and sort what they liked and the older ones can choose subject to my having the final say! I childminded in the way of a benign dictatorship!

Sounds lovely :-)

ASDA do bubbles really cheap, if you get a pot of bubbles for each child and get a white label and write a personal message on each bottle. I do that when I want to give something to children when I leave a place.