I started minding the children of a friend two days a week last year. Our kids were in school together, we chatted on the school yard, and had coffee a couple of times. We would never have exchanged Christmas cards never mind presents.
Last year at Christmas ( after a term of childminding) I bought presents for her kids, and she bought presents for mine, and a very generous gift for me.
If I had bought gifts for her kids and she bought me a gift I'dfeel that was a fairly equal exchange.
Obviously by minding her kids we've gone from a casual friend footing to an employee/employer relationship. I'm really not sure if I should or shouldn't reciprocate.
I don't spend that amount of money on my close friends, and in general I'm on a tighter budget than she is. Her kids are dressed from better shops than mine, I get my groceries from aldi, etc. But those are the things that let me stay home comfortably, live in a bigger house, run a second car,etc.
I give a gift to my kids teachers, and don't expect to get one back so is this like that? Would it be weird for me to reciprocate?
I would happily up my spend on her kids gifts to even it up but that would probably cause her to spend more on mine next year.
Any advice?