Christmas present advice for Childminder's

[AC14MUZ]

Hi all

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I need some advice from Childminder's. My son recently (October) started with our childminder. I want to get her something for Christmas but no idea what to get?! What would you appreciate for Christmas? We don't have a massive budget but I do want to get something thoughtful. My childminder is literally like an angel from heaven, she is amazing with my son and we would all be lost without her!

Something original, it doesn't have to be expensive either, thought means a lot more.

I have boxes of candles, smellies and chocolates that get recycled to my mother's WI as raffle prizes as they are not my 'thing'. A lot of them I know are recycled 'teacher' presents because I know that some of my parents would never choose that particular gift. (my clients are all teachers)

A good bottle of wine or champagne never fails, gift vouchers, a massage voucher, restaurant voucher, it doesn't have to be a lot, it is the thought.

Definitely not a picture of your child in a frame, but a card made by your child is lovely and a keepsake. I have lots of homemade items that I have had no input to and they are special as I know that takes time in a busy parents spare time with their child.

Quite honestly, I really like the cards that state the appreciation best and I have cash going back over 25 years and read them every so often, especially when this job gets a bit s**t at times!

I bought my fantastic childminder a bottle of white wine for her and her hubby to enjoy plus some chocolates, a, scentsy scents from a consultant who knows the scents she likes, a hand made gorgeous smelling soap and I git her two girls medium sized chocolate penguins.

My favourites .... handmade cards by child. Christmas tree bauble with their picture and year on (have 3 hanging on my tree from apst Christmases, bath bombs in nesting boxes - we use the boxes as play items and every time I think of the LO who gave them to me. hand cream (hands really suffer in this job) push chair mitts (if she uses a buggy) A post it holder with an inscription - use loads of them as notes to parents and self.

I gave my CM a £30 restaurant voucher this year. She’s looked after my daughter for 7 years and we appreciate her so much.

To be honest a box of choc and a lovely card saying how great/important to you all she is will probably be the most well received.