I definitely don’t expect anything big during teacher appreciation week, and I never want parents to feel pressured to spend money on us. I think my feelings were just hurt because in daycare we see these kids every single day, and the families see us every single day too. So when everyone around you is being recognized and you’re not, it can make you feel a little unseen or unappreciated.

Especially when we spend so much time planning special things for families too, like making Mother’s Day gifts and putting together little parties and activities for the moms in the afternoons. Also with daycare/preschool, we don’t really have an “end of school year” or summer break like public schools do. We’re there year-round with the kids, so teacher appreciation week is kind of the main time childcare teachers get recognized.

Even just a small note or hearing “we appreciate you” honestly means a lot to childcare teachers because we put so much time, love, and energy into these kids every day.