My parents have a long history of not having it quite together for the holidays (understandable). January 6 gifts 'from the Befana' became a family tradition.
Yesterday I totally spaced on bringing C’s stuff for nap to school. I looked at the camera during rest time and saw him with some janky pink blanket over half his cot and something else rolled up like a pillow.
As someone who works with kids, all of those gift options are wonderful because we are always so surprised that a family will give us anything at all.
I missed Christmas gifts last year. I took E in and saw other parents bringing cards and stuff. The thought had never even occurred to me and I felt very guilty.
I don’t remember there ever being a gift for any of my teachers growing up. It seems like something to do if you’re close to them/if giving gifts is your thing, but not something they should be pressuring parents to do (which sending a note feels like pressuring).
@MagnificentCat Yea I think its super weird that its become “standard” for certain positions to receive gifts. Gifts shouldn’t be an obligation. Not to say its not nice, I just don’t think it should be sent home in a letter which is setting an expectation whether they wanna pretend it doesn’t or not.
Some parents give us gifts, some don't. It's more common in high income neighborhoods, of course. It's always a nice gesture. Gift cards are always the best, imo, considering how much of our own money we put into the classroom, but it's just nice to be thought of and appreciated, even if it's just something from the dollar store
My mom made homemade bread for our teachers. It was a tradition that she'd send an extra and my friends and I would dig into it for lunch
Fitz's post reminded me that my mom used to make fudge and cookies and rice krispie treats and send them in these novelty red boxes that looked like Chinese takeout boxes. The teachers always loved it, but I remember being teased for the boxes by the class bully.
So yesterday I was picking C up - they are usually in a room after 4 or so. I take him back to his usual room to get his stuff. "Ew, it smells like poop in here!" C: Yeah, it does! Probably because Jack pooped in the bathroom! Me: Well, that's the right place to poop... C: No, he pooped on the FLOOR in the bathroom. Me: Gross! C: I know! ..Wtf, 5 year olds taking a shit on the bathroom floor? I told D and C confirmed it again, but didn't give any more details about what happened, just Jack pooped on the floor.
C knows what an accident is - he’d definitely be able to tell me the kid pooped his pants or whatever. I mean, kids are gross and shit happens, I’m not mad about it, just and grossed out.
I feel like this was talked about before, but our daycare has a rule that if it is (with or without windchill) below 20 degrees, they don't go outside. I am less worried for G now, but M's face gets immediately chapped when it is cold and especially very windy, so I am thankful for that rule. Yeah we didn't have those rules as kids, but I dunno that we shouldn't.
Here for the elementary schools I'm pretty sure it's -13F with the windchill before they start doing indoor recess. I think that's the same as when I was a kid.
Yeah there are definitely rules I've just apparently forgotten over the summer what they were, 8 seemed not that cold when windchill was a factor also. C gets really red cheeks too, so I'm not mad if they were playing inside instead, he just needs. to. run.
Y’all are definitely better at bundling up your kids than the average parent here, but I bet most daycares here wouldn’t go outside if it was below like 45.
I think the department of health says that anything below 24 degrees is too cold for our city? Something like that.
I hate being cold but I was genuinely baffled when I was in LA in JULY interviewing for a job and was on a patio and felt heat lamp heat!