Holiday Tipping Guide: How Much Should You Tip Child Care Providers This Season?
Written by
Gabrielle Olya
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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The holiday season is a wonderful time to show your gratitude in the form of a tip or gift to the people who provide services for you in your day-to-day life. If you are a parent or guardian, this may include child care providers, such as nannies or day care workers.
“It can be tricky to decide whether to tip child care providers,” said Robin Hilmantel, senior director at BabyCenter. “They are already paid for their services, and they don’t count on tips for their livelihoods.”
While 80% of moms surveyed by BabyCenter said they will be giving a tip or gift to their child care provider, 20% are forgoing it this year.
If you’re deciding whether you should tip and how much, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Consider the Child Care Provider’s Salary
Your decision about whether or not to provide a financial gift to your child care provider may depend on their pay.
“Especially when it comes to day cares and preschools, staff are notoriously underpaid,” Hilmantel said.
Do What You Can Afford
Child care can be a major expense, and if you’re stretched too thin to tip this year, that’s OK. However, if tipping is financially feasible for you, it’s a good way to show your appreciation.
“If you can afford it and you feel like you’ve gotten good service from your child’s babysitter, day care teacher or nanny, it is a nice gesture to give them some sort of gift or tip during the holidays to show your gratitude,” Hilmantel said.
How Much Should You Tip?
There is no blanket answer for how much to tip your child care provider if you choose to do so, but there are some ranges you can keep in mind.
“In our survey, we found that the average holiday tip for a child care provider ranges between $119 to $189,” Hilmantel said. “A lot of respondents fall outside of that range, though, and tip amounts also tend to vary based on the type of child care provider.
“For example, our survey respondents who choose to tip give in-home day care providers 59% of the weekly tuition fee, on average — but that’s on the high end of the spectrum. We see holiday tipping generally range from 37% to 59% of a family’s weekly rate for child care.”
Where you live can also affect the appropriate tip amount.
“While we didn’t specifically cover this in our survey, we know anecdotally from speaking to parents that the area of the country where you live can also impact tipping norms,” Hilmantel said. “Areas with a higher cost of living will generally tend to tip more.”
The Best Ways To Tip Child Care Providers
According to the BabyCenter survey, the ways moms choose to provide tips also vary widely. Of moms who do provide a gift or tip, 55% give a gift card, 51% tip in cash, 44% give a purchased gift and 23% give a homemade gift.
“We recommend something like a Visa or Amazon gift card that can essentially be used like cash,” Hilmantel said.
However, if you can’t swing a monetary tip, a homemade gift is also a great way to show your gratitude.
“Nearly one in four parents in our survey are doing homemade gifts this year,” Hilmantel said.
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