3 Subtle Ways to Help Secure Your Holiday Bonus

All year long you devote countless, and sometimes thankless, hours to the proper care of someone else’s children. Oftentimes, the holiday season is when our customers go the extra mile to show us how valued and appreciated we are. But, if this is your first year working for the family, you might not be able to rely on the certainty of a holiday bonus. According to Care.com, only 60 percent of families give holiday bonuses, 31 percent give a thoughtful gift and 9 percent give nothing at all. So, how do you help secure that holiday bonus? By going above and beyond, of course. Here are a few tips to get your customers in a gift-giving mentality this season.

Give & Receive

A thoughtful gift can go a long way. If you notice the wreath on the door has seen better days, or their beautifully displayed tablescape is missing a little something extra, FTD has festive holiday gift options. The gesture of the gift alone will show them that you consider them part of your family as much as you hope they consider you part of their’s. Other gifts like a personalized card or gift basket are appropriate choices.

Create Memories

All year long you consistently nurture and develop the personalities, minds and creativity of the children in your care. For the holidays, go above and beyond by helping create lasting memories, not only for the children but for the parents too. After all, the trips to museums and zoos are fun, but the parents aren’t present to see how much you do that truly impacts their lives on a daily basis. One fun idea is to create an at-home holiday photo session. Gather the kids and head down to the craft store for supplies. Then spend the afternoon creating a winter wonderland backdrop with the kids for a fun family photo session once the parents get home. Spend a few extra minutes past your normal exit time to capture some fun family moments together. The photos will serve as a fun family activity that the parents can participate in, as well as a lasting, tangible memory of all you do to go above and beyond for the family.

Ease Travel Pains

Is the family planning a big holiday trip? Stay one step ahead, as always, and help ease some travel pains by organizing and packing the children’s overnight and carry-on luggage. Document each suitcase with its own checklist of items so parents can easily identify what is inside, in case they want to add a thing or two, and know what all needs to return home. Once bags are packed, talk to the parents to see if there is anything you can help with during your “down time” with the children. Perhaps arrange a ride to or from the airport, print boarding passes/gather necessary documents in one location or download new games/movies/songs to entertain the children during travel. Your above and beyond efforts will not be lost on the family and will, again, demonstrate in the moment how much you do year-round to make their lives easier.

These helpful reminders, that reiterate your reliability, consistency and status as an important member of the family will help secure that year-end holiday bonus if they weren’t already thinking about one.