<p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.veepveep.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/120208-1456-howmuch11.jpg" alt="" width="274" height="378" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Household incomes across the country vary greatly from family to family.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Take my household… it relies solely on one income while most families I know have the benefit of two.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">And some households have lost their only source of income.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">You'll find that in every neighborhood. In every city. Our checking accounts all look very different right now.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">So I understand how difficult it can be for families to afford to give during the holidays.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">But I just don't understand how you can grumble about contributing to a holiday gift for a teacher or caregiver.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">These people who educate and take care of our children have their own families to take care of during the holidays.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">To support. To surprise with gifts. To cook holiday meals for. To take to visit family in other cities.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">How can someone be upset about giving a $50 donation?
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">It's not like you didn't know weeks ago you would be asked for a monetary contribution.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Last year, I emailed my daughter's class parent after asking if she made a mistake.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">(I thought a holiday gift of $50 total for three teachers was too little.)
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">And she responded that the PTA was told by other parents they only wanted to do $30 per family.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">So after giving in $50, Natalie also made a gift bag of products from The Body Shop for each of her teachers.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">I just didn't feel right not adding to that gift in some way because her teachers worked so hard.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">This year, my son is in daycare and he's there for hours every day as I work.
</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">His caregivers comfort him as he teethes and console him if he wakes up Mr. Cranky Pants.
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">And because I can't be there for him during the day, they are the ones who are taking care of him. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">I am so thankfully I found loving people who could do that every day for me.</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">But I don't feel the amount being asked for for them is sufficient. And it's disturbing some parents still complain!</span>

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #003366; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>How much is your school/day care asking for this year as the teacher's holiday gift contributions?</strong></span>