Dear Genevieve: Should I get my sitter a grad gift?
Dear Genevieve: My sitter has been with my family for just over a month and comes over on an average of once a week. I think she’s great, but I still don’t know her very well quite yet. She’s graduating this year and I don’t know if I should get her a gift or not. What do you think? ~Caren H.; San Diego, CA
Hi Caren.
Even though you haven’t had a sitter for long, you should do something for her graduation.
Of course, this doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. Or any money, for that matter! Just acknowledging your sitter’s accomplishment — in any way you choose — is important. Definitely give/send her a “happy graduation” card with a few kind words. The fact that you take the time to do that with such sincerity will put a smile on her face.
If you’d like to do more for your sitter (or if you had been working with her longer), here are a few more ideas that she would surely appreciate:
- Double her pay on her next job
- Get her a gift card to a restaurant, the movie theater, etc.
- Buy her some feel-good items, such as bath & body products
- Get her a VISA gift card so she can spend the money however she wants
What you give and how much you spend will depend on your unique relationship with the sitter and what you’re comfortable with. As a general rule, stay away from anything having to do with personal style — clothing, jewelry, perfume — since you say you don’t know your sitter quite so well yet.
Remember, treating your sitter well and doing little things like acknowledging her graduation will make her feel more like a part of your family and more willing to go the extra mile for you in return. In other words, it’s never a bad idea to show your sitter how much you value her work!
Genevieve Asks: Sitters, what were some great graduation gifts that you received from families you sit for?
May 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
gift cards are always fantastic! one’s for restaurants and movie theaters and places like that are great because they let you go out and do something relaxing/fun but not feel guilty about spending the money to do something for yourself ( I usually make myself save cash as much as possible). Visa ones are really good too though because they can be used for anything and it gives the most flexibility for spending (next to cash). Also, when I graduated high school it was really nice to get things I needed for going off to college. Little things for around a dorm room (bed trays, dishes, storage cubbies, office supplies, lamps, bulletin boards, etc… anything practical or cute really) were great because it cut down on what I needed to go out and get.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
to me ,when you give something for a gift it shows how grateful you are to the sitter/nanny.it also boast her morale and makes her feel also that she is appreciated and will put in more and even beyond her duties, thanks.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I am a graduating senior this year and I am planning on inviting the families I have babysat for to my party. The thing is I have known the families since before I started babysitting for them. If my families I babysit for don’t feel like they can afford anything, that is just fine, but I would enjoy a card to know if they appreciated me or not. A very thoughtful gift I would love to recieve is crafts or artwork from the kids. Every time a child gives me somthing I keep it, so I would love to have little mementos to remember my kids when I move away!
May 19th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
When I graduated one family gave me a card and a bear that sang a cute graduation song. The kids picked it out and were so excited. It meant so much to me that the kids wanted to give me something. I knew the parents cared but sometimes it is hard to know the kids feel the same way because you have to lay down the law about homework, bedtime, baths, etc. I think a gift the kids pick out no matter how silly means the most!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Yeah you should,even if it’s just something small..It’s kinda like saying thanks for what you do for me.
=)
May 19th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I agree. My philosophy has always been…take care of the person who takes care of the most important people in the world to you, your children. When she feels appreciated it will translate into her working harder for you. I typically add unexpected perks, ie, an extra $10 for gas, her favorite snack/food in the fridge, always acknowledging holidays, birthdays, graduations, etc. Extra $, manicure, Dunkin Donuts card. It is always so appreciated.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Hi! I graduated a few years ago and I got plenty of gifts from people that I babysat for! Your best bet is to go with a gift card! I would probably prefer a visa gift card! I wouldn’t care how much it had on it! Its all money!!!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Gift cards that is always a favriote I get from families. I wouldn’t say double the days pay though maybe give a nice tip extra. But the cards are always nicest and the gift cards makes it look like you put some effort in to them.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
As both a parent and sitter, I agree that gifts the kids pick out are extra precious. I say this because it takes a lot of planning and pulling off to take a child or children out shopping for a gift for someone, especially someone that they don’t necessarily see everyday! The best gift I got for graduation (10 years ago) was actually a summer pass to White Water (Oklahoma) for me and they also gave me a gift card to pay for food and whatnot while I was there…
May 21st, 2008 at 2:20 am
Might I suggest a craft made by the children along with a tiny stuffed animal with a graduation cap on or a paid day off. If they are old enough, you might let the kids throw a tiny party for her (just her and the kids- and you if you’re available) when she arrives to work one day- they will have a blast making a banner and cards, decorating, and even baking a graduation treat. This could cost next to nothing, but I promise you your nanny will never forget the gesture and the excitement from the kids. It is also a great way to get your kids excited about the thought of going to college in their future. I think that the fact that you care enough to ask is a great sign that you will find something to show her your enthusiasm and appreciation for her education and dedication. Best of luck.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Graduation is very important to the graduate maybe as much as the child to the parent. It’s a stepping stone that you’ve crossed and anything way to show that person you care is greatly appreciated. The sitter will feel the relationship that exists between herself and her employer is more than just a working one. The best sitters are those who you feel are family and a simply card says it all. It only motivates them to continue at a good path which in turn is wonderful for your child who is spending time with this person.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I agree with all that has been said. You don’t need to know the person for a long time before you show a kind gesture on an occasion like graduation. This happens once. And showing you care will go a long way.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Leaving the kids to do the grad party at home might be more work for sitter, not less. I’d vote for a child inspired gift as others have said. Another thing could be a little charm for a charm bracelet or necklace that would be inexpensive (silver) but a keepsake. The graduation bear idea is cute for sure but not very useful. A photo album would be nice to document her grad ceremony and party. The visa card was a great idea and American Express sells gift checks also that spend like a traveller’s check might. Gift cards to places that she can use to buy things towards her new life if it’s college, as in like Target would be good. The kids making something is very cool and to me, as sitter, would be nice. I think I’d like a card most of all and if the family I sit for wanted to, maybe a child made card and then a gift card to Target, Starbucks, etc.
The party idea for the kid’s to throw seemed a bit stressful for a busy and probably tired graduating person, and the kids amped up on special toys and sugary treats makes for a lot more work. Oh, the gift cards for a dinner out if that’s affordable to the family would be nice. I’d keep it simple b/c of the once a week relationship. The best in that case would just be a card, small gift and well wishes.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 am
the best graduation gift i received was from the family i had been babysitting for since their first was born! (They now have three children, and that baby I started out with is 7 years old!) Anyway, they made me a collage of pictures of me and the kids that went all the way back to the early days. They put the collage in a large frame and on the mat around the pictures, they had big letters that say “SARAH WE LOVE YOU” and then all the kids wrote something (although, the 3 year old twins’ signatures came out as scribbles…). The parents also wrote something about what a difference I made in their children’s lives and it meant the world to me!