August 2008 Birth Club
a
Posted 01-28-09
We got our monthly calendar from daycare with a list of kids by classroom for Valentine's Day. I'm guessing this means we're expected to do valentines for her class - but what on earth do you do for babies? All the kids in her classroom are under 10 months old.
Do I seem like a mean/clueless mom if I ask the teachers what's expected? Is anyone else doing valentines for little ones?
Do you do gifts for teachers just at Christmas, or for other holidays like this? This is my first baby, so I'm learning as I go. Thanks!
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13 comments
When DD was a baby, I didn't do valentines for the babies. I thought it was silly. I did it the last year when she was a toddler and plan to do it again this year.
As a baby, she did get a few valentines from some kids and teachers. But not everybody did it. Don't feel pressure to do it if you don't want to. She just got those little valentines with names signed on it. No candy or anything. This year, I plan to give a lollipop with each candy, but DD is almost 3.
See AlsoDaycare Center Activities for Children on Valentine’s DayHow to Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Your Child Care Center - Jackrabbit CareAs for Christmas,this is what I have done in the past. I get DD's main caregiver a $50 gift card, and the other teachers, $10 or $25 gift cards, depending on how often they take care of Ashley or close to DD they are. Since now most of the other teachers know DD well, I gave the other 4 teachersall $25. DH thinks it's extravagent, and it is a little expensive with all the different teachers in the room, but I think it's worth it. Oh, and now I get her previous main caregivers from the other rooms, $10 gift cards. I'm pretty sure not everybody does that, since I get thank you cards and her main caregivers always tell me how generous I am. My mom and sister are teachers, and they tell me how much people appreciate these gifts.I think I end up spending more than other people, but it's worth it to me.
The only other time I get the teachers gifts is there is a teacher appreciation week sometime in the Spring at our daycare. I bring in something, food related I think. I also like to bring back little treats from our trips to the beach or bring in fresh veggies from our garden on other occasions, but that's not a regular thing.
NinaK
Inactive
Posted 01-28-09
Do they want you to give valentine cards to the other babies as though they were fromyour baby?
I know moms who do stuff like that.And I adore some of them, but seriously, I just don't have that "chicken soup for the soul" type of sensibility.It seemssort of silly and wasteful to me, and it's just not my style. When the babies are older, it willprobably be something fun you can do together, like pick out or make cards. But, to answer your question, I don't think it's mean to ask the teachers if they had something in mind. Or, to just ignore it, if you don't want to deal with it.I didn't give daycare teachers anything at xmas, since O had only been going there a couple weeks. I didn't have a particular relationship with them so it didn't seem appropriate.
Teacher friends have told me that gift cards are the best present, even for 5 or 10 dollars someplace practical or someplace near the school. Like Target or Starbucks.
i
Posted 01-28-09
I would not be giving Valentines to babies. Nor would I be giving a Valentines gift to her care takers. That's insane.
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Posted 01-28-09
Good grief! I am a SAHM, but I would be totally clueless on this too. I never would have imagined it would start this early.
Haha...that is kinda cute...my kids didn't go to daycare...but I used to send their grandparents valentines when they were babies...I just LOVE the little Valentines! Once they got to preschool it was more common practice especially since they can write their own names....but I am kinda ridiculous and would probably give all the babies Valentines if Summer was in daycare...but I understand if you think it's weird...I bet a lot of moms might!
Igave my DD's daycare workers Walmart giftcards for Christmas. I also gave them a plate of chocolate chip cookies for Halloween. I have not decided exactly what I am doing for them for Valentine's Day yet, but I will do something (probably a heart of candy). Then I will also do something for them Easter too!! On each giftI put to the teacher from Rylee!!
For Christmas I did not think of getting her baby buddies a gift from her, but I will definitely do this next year!! Some other moms thought to do this this year and it was so cute!! Also her teachers all went in together and gave the babies a stocking with their name on it that was filled with a book, a stuffed animal and a homemade baby's first christmas ornament that had a pic of our baby on it. I LOVED it!!!!
All this may seem silly, but I enjoy doing it to make others happy. Also as kids get older and they get to participate in picking out the gifts, it teaches them about giving and not just receiving. And for now, if one little gift gets my baby a little extra attention....I'm all for it!!!!
Posted 01-29-09
I was a preschool teacher, so I know that we very much appreciate gifts at Christmas and Teacher Appreciation week. Gift cards of course are super nice, but anything that tells the teachers that you appreciate the work they do is great. With that said, however, teachers really don't expect things at the other holidays. We got a few things at Easter, Valentines, and halloween, but mostly just candy and cards.
i
Posted 01-29-09
I didn't start doing things like that until my daughter was old enough to notice if she was the only one who didn't bring anything. You take your kid to daycare because you have work to do--you don't need extra work on top of it that doesn't benefit your baby. That is totally silly.
Sally
a
august3mom08 Original Poster
Posted 01-29-09
I asked the teachers about it this morning and they saidthat some parents bring valentines, but they don't do a party or anything since the kids are babies. That was my opinion all along - we'll do stuffwhen she and her classmates are old enough to get what's going on - but I didn't want her to be the only one not participating because of my ignorance :)
Thanks to all!
I know moms who do stuff like that.And I adore some of them, but seriously, I just don't have that "chicken soup for the soul" type of sensibility.It seemssort of silly and wasteful to me, and it's just not my style. When the babies are older, it willprobably be something fun you can do together, like pick out or make cards. But, to answer your question, I don't think it's mean to ask the teachers if they had something in mind. Or, to just ignore it, if you don't want to deal with it.
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