For the last two years a good friend of the family has been watching our two daughters while we are at work. They live about 45 minutes away from our house and will come to pick them up a few days a week to help us out with transportation. We pay them just like every other childcare with a few exceptions - we pay for typical holidays where we keep the girls but if they need to cancel childcare because they are going out of town or their own child is sick then they don't require us to pay. It's a pretty amicable arrangement and we are super lucky to have great friends like that. At the end of the summer when my oldest goes to kindergarten we are placing them in childcare closer to our house for school transportation and convenience. I know they really don't need additional income because they have one full time job that pays them plenty so losing our influx or money is not a problem but I do feel sad that we are no longer going to be using them for childcare. They are really good friends and we will definitely see them a lot but I wanted to do something nice to say Thank You. Thank You for all the wonderful things they have taught our daughters and the great care they gave them. They treated them like they were their own children for the most part. I was thinking of giving them a gift certificate to a nice dinner and movie tickets and then offering to babysit their son so they could have a date night which they don't do very often. What do you think? What would you do?
Well no matter what you give them, a MUST is to HAND write a Thank You card... and expressing how much you have appreciated their care for your child all this time.
Include a picture or something drawn from your child, too.
Gifts are nice and proper, but always, hand write a thank you card. Not a generic one, but one that is heartfelt and written with thought.
As a caregiver, I'd appreciate some gift for the daycare, toys, some sort of cabinet, or something they've said they need. But if you don't think they will stay in the business, then a gift certificate for a nice restaurant they might not otherwise splurge on for themselves would be nice.
In my experience as a caregiver, I never went anywhere because I was so exhausted at the end of the day. I also never took the time to try and find a sitter for my daughters (mostly because of the special needs but also because we didn't have money). I think a gift card for dinner is wonderful but also offer to watch their kids. I would also give them dates I am available to watch the kids to give them a head start on using the "date night". You're doing a great thing, don't stress on it, I'm sure your gift will be great and much appreciated.
I babysat a sweet boy for a year until his mom was able to get him enrolled in her companies daycare. As a gift, she gave me a wonderful scrapbook with pictures of me and her son. I cried and snuggled that sweet baby all day, but now I have a great reminder of him.
How about making a homemade double picture frame with your kids, and putting a picture of them in one side and a nice hand made thank you card on the other.
I would invite them to dinner (at your home) & present them with the thank-you gift. That way you're returning the favor...& giving a gift to boot. The dinner at your home could then open the door for more social interactions!
