Parents aren't obligated to give their child's daycare workers gifts at the holiday season, but many do choose to do so. After all, your child spends a large portion of their time in their daycare worker's care, and a holiday gift is a nice way to say thank you for the work and thought that the daycare provider puts into their job. But what is an appropriate gift for your child's daycare provider? Unless you also know your daycare provider socially, it can be hard to guess what type of gift they might like. Take a look at some great holiday gift ideas for daycare workers.

Hand Lotion

Hand lotion may sound like an odd choice, but there's a good reason why it might make a thoughtful gift for a daycare provider. Like healthcare workers, daycare providers must wash their hands or use hand sanitizer multiple times a day in order to maintain appropriate hygiene standards. If they are working with children young enough to wear diapers, they probably have to put on and take off gloves multiple times a day as well.

All of this can lead to cracked, dry skin on your daycare provider's hands. A nice moisturizing hand lotion is not just a generic gift, it's a thoughtful way of acknowledging something that your daycare provider must deal with on a daily basis in order to provide good care for your child.

Brunch

Maybe you have multiple children in the daycare, or your one child is cared for by several different daycare providers. Or maybe you'd just like to bring some holiday cheer to all the workers at the daycare center, not just your child's specific caregiver. Consider bringing in a breakfast, lunch, or brunch spread for all of the workers.

You can bring in a selection of fruit, bagels and cream cheese, coffee and juice, muffins, finger sandwiches, and crudités. The selection ensures there will be a little something for everyone, and the center's workers will all be able to enjoy the treat.

Cash

Many people don't like to give cash gifts because they feel impersonal – but when you're giving a gift to a person you know only professionally, how personal can you be expected to be? The simple fact is that daycare providers are not typically highly paid, especially if they're employees of a center, not the owners of the daycare. A thoughtful card with any amount of cash enclosed will probably be highly appreciated.

If you're truly uncomfortable with cash, consider a gift card instead. Prepaid Visas or Mastercards are the most flexible type of gift card, as the recipient can use them anywhere. However, they aren't that different than a gift of cash. Gift cards for a local coffee shop, bookstore, department store, or teacher supply store are all good ideas. You may also want to consider a gift certificate for some sort of pampering experience, like a free massage at a local spa.

With a little thought and planning, you'll be able to give your daycare provider some much appreciated holiday cheer to thank them for their care and attention to your little one. For more information, visit websites like http://www.cottonwoodmontessorischools.com.