Two questions for you krippe experts!

1. Our price just increased by 4sf a day to 133, seems steep. Did anyone else get an increase. We don't have much of a choice but still...,.

2. Are we supposed to buy gifts for the staff for Christmas? If yes, how much should we spend?

Thanks!

4chf per day ? that's a 3% increase... if they are paying their staff properly, then the staff should be getting salary increases that would probably account for 75% if any increased revenue...

Christmas gifts are optional and not the majority...at my work we are more likely to get 'farewell' gifts from exiting families, and particularly at the end of the school year when kids are 'graduating' - usually chocolates or biscuits, or something made with/by the child would be normal...

Thanks Swiss Pea. I hope that the staff are getting increases. The girls are great and my son is so incredibly happy that I would be nuts to complain. Just the same, I hope I get a raise to cover the cost !

I will have to think on the gift, if it is not the majority I don't want to upset the other parents or set a precedent. Pehaps something very small..

no comment on the increase that seems incredibly high though personally, i always gave gifts for my son's daycare providers. i still give to his teachers and at this point he has 8 teachers but i like to give something, but something small and thoughtful. some cookies we make, or a nice bag of hot chocolate, definitely not necessary but i like to show i appreciate them.

Can anyone advise what the norm would be for Kindergarten teachers?

for gifts or for salaries ?

salaries, we have plenty of threads and you can look up the government salary calculator to get an idea..

Gifts, well, normal is cookies, chocolate, a personalised card...

Best gift my husband ever got from a student was a couple of 'gold' movie tickets plus a movie to watch at home... best gift my mum ever got was a real amber necklace worth many hundreds of dollars, that the 3 year old chose himself from the shop..and the cost was no obstacle to the child's choice

One of the best, and most unexpected that I have received, was seven and a half metres of blue Thai silk fabric - enough to make trousers, skirt, blouse and jacket. I also treasure little gifts that were bought, not for Xmas or end of year, but when families have been away on holiday and impulsively brought me back a present - delicate gold earrings from Columbia, a beautiful hand painted plate from Khasikstan, tulip bulbs from Holland, a jar of vegemite from NZ...... and I will always remember the families that bought me a beautiful sepia painting of Prague, one that could pack flat and actually be moved with me.

Then there was the country where the expectation was that families buy flowers for teachers on the first day of each school year. A Danish father commented that he thought that was too easy, so didn't. Six months later he came in with a big grin and a huge bunch of flowers, saying that he felt I might need them more at that stage of the year - another memorable family.

Really, it is the thought that counts. If you do feel you would like to give a present, try to match it to the person. There is no right and wrong regarding cost or size. ( I am still waiting for the little envelope with the little key to the little shiny red convertable mercedes I hope to receive one day, sgiiiiggghh.) In the meantime, cookies, book tokens, or a card with a personal message, are all fine.

I feel your pain as we also got the increase and most annoyingly, ours was a veiled one hidden behind a "We are changing our price structure just for you"

Presents: I have always bought small gifts for Easter and Christmas and now my daughter helps me make them. Examples: little sachet filled with choccies and a card saying thankyou, a scented candle, home made biscuits. This yr we are making bookmarks. I always have one for each person which is a LOT of work but both my kids are there every day and I feel I owe these people a lot for the great job they do so I am happy to put the work in

Ciao
K