nannies please tell me your christmas expectations during a credit crunch....

[woodstock3]

i've read on here that a week's bonus seems to be standard christmas present. we love our fantastic nanny and want to show her we appreciate her but this christmas we are frankly skint - dh's job is extremely rocky and am having to cut back hard everywhere just in case. i just can't afford an extra week's pay.
i have not told her that times are tight because i dont want her to worry that her job might not be secure if dh's isnt (tho she is not stupid and has no doubt noticed me manically turning down the heating....).
so nannies, would you be offended/miffed/wonder if you'd done something wrong if you didnt get a bonus? she will get a present and she'll get more spent on her than anyone else in the family - we will probably do spa vouchers or similar. is it better to explain that we'd like to give her more but can't right now, or just to keep quiet?

I would never expect a bonus at Christmas (or birthdays) but it is always a nice surprise when it happens!!

I have to say that some of the richest people I worked for were the tightest people I worked for! And the families that struggled to pay me, were the most generous and appreciative of my work throughout the year.

I would like a gift that shows that they thought about me, rather than just giving me money (although I can always do with it!!) and something small from the children.

Woodstock - my charges are only young and no-one would want something that they made but for my employers, we went to a pottery painting place and put their hand prints onto glass baubles for the christmas tree in silver paint. So something that can be brought out every year. I would love something like this from my little men!

God, I have so many bits of pottery/plastic/wood/paper things that previous charges have made for me and all are out on show or used, except for all the pictures they have painted for me, I could decorate a house with all of those!!!

I used to be a nanny, and had a varity of diffrent presses, five driving lessons was a really nice one, and I had a cash bonous one year from one wealthy family which I didnt expect at all but they didnt really respect me that much and did take advantage, but what mearnt more of all the parents I worked for the ones that were not that well off gave me some lovely smellys, for xmas and always made me feel really appreciated for what I did, and that I was doing a really good job, and small perks through out the time I worked for them, which was four years, I have cards dated back 16 yrs ago saying what a wonderfull nanny I was, how important I was in their lives, which mearnt the world to me.
that family are still in my life as friends and although I never got the most expensive pressies from them I always felt that I was doing a good job and was appricated

Hi, I can't recall getting a bonus, but one family i worked for wrote me a lovely card explaining how happy they were with me, the words she wrote meant so much to me, it doesn't cost anything to say thankyou but boy don't we all need to hear that word once in a while!!So if you can't afford a bonus then just write down how much she means to you!!

agree a thank you makes the world of diffrence

and costs nothing!!

credit crunch or not,I never received a bonus.I do always spend more money on the presents of the family than they do.:-(