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Giving Some Money to Our Pre-School - Inappropriate or Not?

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  • 14-12-2020 4:24pm
    #1
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey Folks,

    My 3 year old is in a lovely pre-school who do a lot for the kids. There are 3 ladies who work there and the owner who usually works in another branch (she has two places). I was thinking of putting €50 in an envelope. They could get some coffee's, some supplies for the school or whatever they might like.

    Would that be appropriate/in-appropriate, enough/not enough?

    Apologies if it's really obvious but I sometimes get this sort of thing wrong.


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    #2
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    I’m going to give my son’s preschool teacher a voucher for a nearby cafe in her Christmas card.


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    #3
    Cyrus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,707 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    Hey Folks,

    My 3 year old is in a lovely pre-school who do a lot for the kids. There are 3 ladies who work there and the owner who usually works in another branch (she has two places). I was thinking of putting €50 in an envelope. They could get some coffee's, some supplies for the school or whatever they might like.

    Would that be appropriate/in-appropriate, enough/not enough?

    Apologies if it's really obvious but I sometimes get this sort of thing wrong.

    we always give a voucher to the carers looking after our kids at christmas, normally 25 euro each or something.


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    #4
    Foweva Awone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭Foweva Awone


    I think a lot of schools and creches are requesting no cards or presents this year because of Covid, so may be an idea to send a voucher by email instead.


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    #5
    ax530
    Registered Users Posts: 460 ✭✭ax530


    I usually give the crèche teachers a card with cash and a note that they can pick their own Christmas treat/drink. Have given chocolates or wine too think they share that amongst staff but for primary carer cash. Sometimes feel a voucher for 10e actually costs the person.


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    #6
    TheBoyConor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭TheBoyConor


    €10 is a bit stingy.


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    #7
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Thanks for the replies folks. There's no one specific teacher, there's 3 of them who are there every day. So €25 each? Do I leave the owner out of the equation? That seems a bit mean but then I'm up to €100 :eek:

    It'd all be coming out of my pocket as I think the missus would be telling me to give them nothing.


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    #8
    TheBoyConor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭TheBoyConor


    Don't mind the owner. They are creaming it in from every angle and paying the staff a pittance. No fear of them.

    Try to give it directly to the staff. We all know the trick of the communal tip jar being managed by the manager or owner whos takes a hefty skim off of it and only passes a portion on to the staff.

    As we all know, staff in childcare work long hours in a stressful environment and sometimes have level 8 or 9 qualifications but are barely getting minimum wage.


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    #9
    Navy blue
    Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Navy blue


    I wouldn't bother with the owner, why not give the staff €20 each. I'm sure it would be very much appreciated. I normally give a €20 voucher but with three staff in my sons preschool room and my daughters teacher and being off work due to Covid, I have had to cut back a bit this year. I would think the staff will get less presents this year due to Covid hardship and also people may not feel comfortable sending gifts in this year, so I am sure anything they do get will be all the more welcome


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    #10
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    Foweva Awone wrote: »
    I think a lot of schools and creches are requesting no cards or presents this year because of Covid, so may be an idea to send a voucher by email instead.

    I wish, I just spent the evening writing 25 cards for each kid in the class because apparently it’s the done thing at my sons school.


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    #11
    TM2015
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭TM2015


    We used to give the two carers a 50 euro voucher each plus a small gift like a nice set of loccitane hand cream. Chocolate for the rest of the staff.

    Our child is in afterschool now so again a 50 euro voucher and some chocolate for the teacher. Chocolates for the rest of the staff and the bus driver.


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    #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I would give a gift card like Costa or Starbucks to the ladies who look after your child every day.

    I wouldn't give the owner anything.


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    #13
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,267 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Cripes! I had no idea people were doing this.

    There are five staff in one boys room and 2 in the other. And I have a childminder.


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    #14
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,267 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Also this kind of spending seems crazy to me. 50 euro a staff member? Most people can’t afford that. I don’t think we could without some strain and we are a dual income family. I lived abroad for a while and there was nothing like the same spending at Christmas.


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    #15
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,292 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    TheBoyConor wrote: »
    €10 is a bit stingy.

    Not really for you to say what's stingy for anyone


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    #16
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    fits wrote: »
    Also this kind of spending seems crazy to me. 50 euro a staff member? Most people can’t afford that. I don’t think we could without some strain and we are a dual income family. I lived abroad for a while and there was nothing like the same spending at Christmas.

    €50 is ridiculous. I was thinking €15. I think mostly people get chocolates, candles, hand lotion etc rather than cash/vouchers.


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    #17
    TM2015
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭TM2015


    fits wrote: »
    Also this kind of spending seems crazy to me. 50 euro a staff member? Most people can’t afford that. I don’t think we could without some strain and we are a dual income family. I lived abroad for a while and there was nothing like the same spending at Christmas.
    Perhaps but we are aware just how underpaid the carers can be so we are happy to give a nice gift. When our child left the creche, we gave 100. The two girls had been nothing but amazing and deserved all of it and even more.


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    #18
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,267 ✭✭✭✭fits


    As I mentioned before I have 8 people looking after my two kids between everything. They are all deserving too. There’s just no way I could afford to give them 50 each.


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    #19
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    I'm lucky in that the creche is small and there's just three carers there so I went with €20 each this afternoon.


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    #20
    TrixIrl
    Registered Users Posts: 200 ✭✭TrixIrl


    I'm dropping box of 6 bottles of prosecco in with a card. 45e with the offer on in Tesco. We've a lot of parttimers that do a day or a couple of mornings so couldn't get into individual presents but they'll divvy them out. Hope it'll be enough now reading pps.


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    #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Give where you can. What an undervalued profession in relation to pay. In my mind they have the most important job, minding those who mean everything to you.


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    #22
    screamer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,133 ✭✭✭screamer


    There are multiple staff at my kids crèche. I usually leave in 6 bottles of wine, and let them decide who gets what. Most people give chocolates or biccies, so I prefer to give something different.


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    #23
    Purple Mountain
    Registered Users Posts: 13,028 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    TrixIrl wrote: »
    I'm dropping box of 6 bottles of prosecco in with a card. 45e with the offer on in Tesco. We've a lot of parttimers that do a day or a couple of mornings so couldn't get into individual presents but they'll divvy them out. Hope it'll be enough now reading pps.
    Dont worry because they'll get other gifts like other bottles, sweets, biscuits etc and they'll all end up being shared out.

    To thine own self be true



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