Boss’s Day is celebrated in the United States, Canada, India, Australia, and South Africa, and provides an opportunity for nannies and sitters to show appreciation to their nanny families. Boss’s Day was created in 1958 to strengthen employer-employee relationships. Boss’s Day is not designed to create a financial hardship so do not feel pressured to invest a significant amount of money in a gift! Boss’s Day may be celebrated by giving a card, small gift, or taking an employer to lunch. The goal is to communicate your appreciation and recognize the importance of caring for their kids.
Here are a few ways you can celebrate and show appreciation to your Nanny Family:
Make a personal card.
You can use pictures of the children and share stories of their activities. Be sure and express your appreciation and joy in caring for their children.
Provide additional childcare.
You should not work a week for free but offering a couple of hours of additional childcare at no cost gives parents some unexpected free time. For example, if you normally work during the week, then offering to watch the kids for 2-3 hours on a weekend would allow parents to have a night out.
Give them a daily mood flipchart.
Flipcharts include happy, anxious, sad, and other faces so you can track how parents or children are feeling. You can start with ‘giddy’ and even use the flipchart to teach younger children about different types of emotions. At the end of the day, flip it to the mood that best represents the children, so parents have a heads up when they arrive home.
Create a memory book.
Parents love to hear about their children’s activities. Expanding on the idea of handcrafted cards, work with the children to create a book of memories of the past year or so. Use photos, children’s drawings, scrapbook stickers, and event ticket stubs to create a personal family memory book.
Buy a cup of tea.
For families that enjoy a nice cup of tea, check out tea drops. Just boil water, add the tea drop, and stir (myteadrop.com, medium sampler, $12).
Bake a favorite treat.
As a member of the household, you likely know some of their favorite desserts. For example, if everyone loves chocolate, a tray of brownies can delight the whole family. If the parents enjoy a special cake or pie, get a reputable recipe and bake it for them. Other ideas include fruit smoothies, homemade ice cream sandwiches, strawberry parfait, pineapple upside-down sundaes, or apple crumble. Make sure the treats are geared to the parents’ preferences, so they recognize the appreciation being shown.
Make a video.
Grab your phone and ask the kids several questions about their parents. Capturing genuine responses and sharing them with your nanny family will create new memories and commemorate their time together. This is similar to the memory book in that it can provide families with a permanent memento.
Create a gift basket.
Gift baskets can be created for a wide range of interests. If your nanny family loves chocolate, fruit, nuts, or popcorn, you can pull together a gift basket. Add a few fresh flowers or a balloon to make it more festive. If your nanny family is into hiking, researching local trails and providing maps and trail mix is one basket idea.
When working as a nanny, Boss’ Day is a time to show appreciation but also to celebrate being a part of an extended family. We all appreciate positive recognition, even parents, so take a few minutes to buy or craft a card and share it with your boss.
For nannies and sitters seeking to elevate their careers, learn about the US Nanny Institute online nanny classes at USNannyInstitute.com
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