Hello Mamas! My son is about to exit the Early Intervention program. We have an incredible team of therapists -- some of which have been working with my son for 19 months. I would like to give each of them a meaningful and personal gift as a token of our gratitude for everything they have done for us. I plan on writing each a personal letter to tell them how much their assistance has meant to us. I give them a gift card from Target every Christmas, and I know how much they appreciate it. Yet I'm hoping someone (maybe even a therapist!) would have a idea for something more personal than a gift card. Any ideas?
My son is about to turn 3 years old. :)
Speech, OT, etc.
GREAT ideas from everyone -- thanks so much!! I decided to use an online photo site to make a photo card, using my son's photo when he started EI (at 17 months old) and from now (almost 3 yrs old). I'll write a personalized note in this card. I love the idea of giving them a therapeutic toy/tool, but I don't know what they need or want. So, I think I may stick with the Target gift card again. Then they can use it for whatever they need -- whether for business or personal. I knew I could count on you Mamas! Thanks again!
My mom owns a tea business in Morris, would be glad to put together a special tea gift at any price range. What a nice way to relax after work. Best quality, great prices!
Hi-
Every work place is different about policies on gift giving. Most organizations discourage it.
That being said, as a therapist, the best "gifts" that parents have given me in the past include a picture of their child, a written letter to me, letter to my supervisor, etc – all gifts that don't cost money.
If you are pleased with the entire EI team and you would like to given them something special as a "collective" gift, how about something they can use in the clinic/home visits like a gift card (given to the supervisor) to Toys 'R Us? Then the team can decide how to spend it and you can feel that your “gift” helped other children that are seen by them.
:0)
I am an EI therapist:) The letter you are going to write is the best gift you can give! Believe it or not not all families are so thankful or express their gratitude. If you didn't want to give a gift card a therapeutic toy that each therapist could use for treatment would be a great idea. Those of us that don't work through a clinic have to buy all our own toys and treatment things.
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This was hard for me also. I gave them gift cards and a token that my daughter picked out.
could you have your son make them something maybe specific to what area of dev they were working on. Like if it was speech record him saying thank you to them Hallmark has recordable cards something along those lines. or if it was OT and they were working on holding a crayon have him draw something even scribbles with pretty colors and frame that.
Maybe a nice tote bag if they have to carry alot of things with them, or a fancy date book for recording appointments.
just some ideas. But best of all with be the personal letter.
Our Therapist... they accepted the gift. Hmmmmmm.... because yes, there are policies about that.
But well my son's Therapist is really great... I didn't hold that against her.
You can also write for them, a letter, about what a great job they did for your child... and send it to their organization/Boss.
I wrote an evaluation, for my son's Speech Therapist (upon exit, the organization asks for a overall evaluation of their services).
We also gave them a generous gift cert., for a very nice restaurant in our area. Along with a photo of my son and his Speech Therapist. A photo that I had taken on one of their sessions in our home.
I know you are not inclined to a gift cert. but for us we gave my son's Speech Therapist one, for the restaurant, because I knew that as a Mom herself, she and her husband rarely went to a "nice" restaurant themselves...
All the best,
Susan
There were two teachers who really helped my son to come out of his shell when he was the same age as your son. Anyway, we made a personalized card for them with my son's picture on it. I googled "clam shell sketch" and downloaded the image. I cut it out and let my son paste it on a piece of construction paper. We glued a smiling picture of my son in the middle of the clam shell and inscribed "Thank you for helping me to come out of my shell!" on the card. It's been over a year and whenever I see those teachers, they STILL comment on how special that card made them feel. It is so wonderful to experience great teachers and early intervention therapists, isn't it??!!
A photo of your son with the biggest smile along with the mentioned letter, should beat any target gift card!
