1 in 5 parents don’t plan on tipping or gifting to their sitters this year, survey shows

Is your babysitter or childcare provider on your holiday gift list this year? For one in five parents, tipping sitters isn’t in the cards this holiday. According to a survey from BabyCenter of more than 600 moms, around 80% will be tipping their childcare provider(s) this holiday season. For some, they’ve followed a long-standing tradition or recommendation to give sitters a “bonus” in the form of a week’s worth of their typical pay. So, for example, if you are paying $400 weekly, you’d gift them $400. 

But, in a season of inflation and economic uncertainty, most parents seem to plan to gift less than that. “When parents choose to tip cash, they give between $119 to $155, on average, which comes to 37% to 59% of average weekly childcare fees,” the report concludes.

For those who are gifting sitters something extra, it’s not always money. Here’s what parents are planning:

• 55% gift card
• 51% cash
• 44% purchased gift
• 23% DIY/homemade gift

But, parents know the struggles their sitters are also going through financially, as evident in their torn reaction on whether to tip more or less this year. In fact, 25% are giving a bit more, 27% are giving less, and 31% say that inflation hasn’t impacted how much they plan to give.

For some, simply making ends meet and paying for regular childcare is a stretch. Pew Research reports that 1 in 4 parents have struggled to pay for food and housing, and 38% have been unable to make childcare payments periodically. BabyCenter’s further research on the state of family finances revealed 84% of family households have seen their financial goals negatively impacted by the expenses associated with childcare.

So, what’s a family to do if they really can’t afford to tip the sitter? Here are some alternatives to consider:

• A raise…on a slower timeline: Maybe you can’t drop a week’s worth of payment right now. But, maybe you could spread a bit of additional gift over a few weeks or months, as sort of a slowly dispersed bonus or even slight raise.
• A conversation or card communicating gratitude, and the situation. Most people get budgets are tight. If you can’t gift extra money right now, it might make it less awkward (especially if you’ve gifted in the past) to be up front about it, but to communicate that it doesn’t take away from how meaningful the provider and their care is to your family.
• Presents from the kids, given by the kids. Involve the kids in gift giving to their providers, to help them learn how to show gratitude, even if it’s a homemade craft or baked good. 
• A meaningful gift. Maybe you know your sitter never has time for a haircut, so you offer to schedule one for her, or possibly watch some kids (depending on the set up) to give her a break to go. Simply noticing her needs, since she cares for others through the year, can go a long way.
• Trimming elsewhere — maybe you choose this year to prioritize a sitter gift, given how much time and energy they put into your child, over a distant family member who could have a homemade gift instead.

With a bit of creativity, you can acknowledge the caregivers in your life for the meaning they have in the season and the whole year of investing in your kids.