Just wondering who is open and who is closed this Monday. I have always used Christmas Eve as a holiday and not MLK, but now I'm regretting it. I could really use that time to get stuff done and all of my parents are off. I sent out an email saying that if you want to spend time with your child on that day you can take that day off (unpaid) without it deducting from vacation time. Two of my families took the bait, but I have not heard from my other two families (both of which are teachers so I know the time is off ).

Next year I'm definitely adding that to my holidays off because I've come to the point in my life where I must face the fact that it irks me when I have only one child in my care on a holiday because the parents "need" time to themselves or because they "can't" get anything done with their child.

Alright, yes, this is definitely more of a rant than a question.

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Open. But I get it! The "me" days around here are really stacking up! I did this for the day after Christmas this year, since it fell on a Friday: the majority rules. I have 6 families, so once I had 4 that said they would not be here that day, I announced that I would be closed. I'm done being open for just one or two just so the parent can chill in front of the TV.

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Open , I only take the holidays that my Dh gets off .

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Closed! I NEED my holidays!

PAID CLOSED HOLIDAYS
New Year Day
Martin Luther King Jr.
President’s Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving and the day after
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day

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I take all school holidays and MLK is one of them....with pay....BUT I plan to go to the dr to get my physical updated for daycare....so technically, daycare still rules...

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I am open but my husband just got a job with the state so now he gets all these days off as holidays, so it makes me wish I had the same says off as him. Especially since my kids will be out of school as well.

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Maybe I'm too new to this world to really see what I'm doing to myself, but I didn't take any holidays off this year. I was closed for Christmas Day but that's it. And I'm open on MLK. It irritated me that I had kids for some of the holidays so I'm going to be publishing a news letter stating my days off for this year, but MLK won't be one of them.

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My center is open. Since school will be off and we have a school age program, we're actually expecting more children than usual.

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I'm open in our area schools are open for MLK and President's day and such. We only close for the main holidays.

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CLOSED with pay. I fell for the "but we have to work those days!" Line when I was starting out... Then parents would pick up still in pj's or in sweats after having a day off. Nope. Schools, banks, government offices are closed those days here as well.

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This year I am open on most holidays because I am now closed on Fridays. I also take 2 weeks off for winter/xmas break, 1 week for spring break, 6 personal/sick days, Thanksgiving & day after, President's day, and one state holiday. I felt taking more fedreral/state holidays off would be excessive. 😉

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Open. I my kids aren't in school yet, so it's not one I mind working I put a not up saying a was open on the MLK holiday for their convenience. Hopefully it earn some goodwill for being closed for the 3 day weekend next month

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Closed, and desperate for it! The parents can't seem to get here before 9am since Christmas, which means NO ONE NAPS! I'm at my wits end and need a break before I start screaming. (4 out of 6 awake today. The youngest is beside me now, having been woken up by another child stepping on her!!! What?!)

Yep, lacking the joy today.

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Open - none of my parents have that day, except for my daughters.

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I used to close all federal holidays paid. I changed that this year and am open MLK and veterans day. I do require my teachers to keep their kids home and paid to me if off of school and the two I have will be doing so MLK day. So that leaves me with one child that day.

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Same here. I never went to a school that had MLK day off, or had a job with MLK day off - or President's Day, or any of the other similar holidays, so it never even occurs to me to take those off.

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Hijack

Can you move naps later? Maybe 1:00 or 1:30?

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Closed. Schools here have that day off, so we do too.

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I do close for it, and feel kinda bad because I don't think any of the parents have that day off work. But I've mentioned my guilt before and one of the parents said "oh well I guess I have to get used to it when my kid starts public school anyway" and none of them have ever actually complained. I picked what "holidays" I wanted off based on the fact that I just wanted to close once a month if at all possible, haha. I get bummed on the months where there is no holiday. I figure everyone needs a break, most parents are able to take sick or vacation days at their work without having to worry about it, at least mine are scheduled in advance and the parents know exactly when they will be.

I'm closed:
New Year's day
MLK day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day (observed the day before this year, hehe)
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Xmas Eve
Xmas Day

It just keeps me sane knowing I have these days off, because I feel even more guilty when I take a vacation day, since it's only a 30 day notice (I get 5 paid a year), so I never end up taking all of my personal vacation days.

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You're right--sorry to hijack the thread.

I may need to. I did a major schedule overhaul a few years ago that led to an earlier nap and a much better rhythm for all of us, but I may need to shift back.

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I am closed. But, I will be working on taxes. Our schools are open but, three of my parents are off that day.

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I'll be closed with pay and I'll also be working on taxes as well as progress reports and curriculum planning.

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Normally closed with pay but this time I'm staying open. I'm closing the daycare to move at the end of fed and just took 2.5 weeks off at Christmas so I'm not closing for any holidays

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Oh no, I was hijacking, not you!

If you've got kids not napping, I'd say that's a legit reason for a day off!!!

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Thanks--it's been making me absolutely crazy. I don't understand a world in which preschoolers don't nap, but most of my parents are self-employed and sleep in and don't do naps at home. One family is due at the office in the morning. Their 5-year-old, and mine, nap. The younger ones don't!

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open - I only close for the major holidays, most of my parents still work the "government" holidays. Our schools tried to be open on MLK day one year due to a lot of earlier snow closings and people had a fit. They had no issue taking president's day away but they flipped over MLK day.

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So a quick question that is related. If you don't take the day off/ close for the holiday (which I don't, darn it) and the parents have work off so they don't plan on bringing their kids do you make them pay for the day? I have recently come up against a few instances when I don't know if I should charge or not. Sick days? Do you give a certain # of unpaid a year or how do you work that? Hope it's OK to ask here. TIA!!

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I am closed ALL federal holidays with pay. This has been my policy for over 10 years and I've never had a problem with one parent complaining. Why? Because every parent that enrolls their child in my daycare have to sign a contract. The contract clearly states that I am closed ALL federal holidays, 2 weeks for vacation and 5 sick days per year, all paid. They know these things up front and have the option of signing the contract or not signing. If they opt to sign it and enroll their child, there is nothing for them to say later. Contracts are our saving grace in this business. Mine are about 10 pages long and are very detailed. I include EVERYTHING in it. (Weekly rates, business hours, holidays, vacation, sick policy, withdrawal policy, late fees, probation periods, discipline policy, daily schedule, education policy, napping rules etc). After the parents read the contract and I ask them if they have any questions, the response is usually "no, the contracts says it all", and it does. If you don't have one, I highly suggest you create one. I see no reason why we shouldn't take federal holidays off and have vacation and sick pay. Not all, but most jobs offer it to them. If they receive it from their employers, why shouldn't we. Not only that, an average working day for most of us in this business is anywhere from 10-12 hours per day. That's 50-60 hours per week we spend with their children, I think we more than earn the time we take off. I always give my parents a 30-60 day notice of any vacation time I will be using so they have plenty of time to prepare. And even though I have 5 paid sick days per year, I rarely use one, thank God! I am very fair and reasonable in how I use my time off. But when it's time, I don't hesitate to take it. There's an old saying, "it's not what you do but how you do it". I find that to be very true.

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My thoughts exactly. I need holidays for my own sanity and it keeps me a happy childcare provider! That benefits everyone!
All of our schools have those holidays off so I take them too. I have never had anyone complain either.

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Perfectly said. I agree 100% and do the same as you.

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That's the thing....my dh does get this one off.....so does my school-aged daughter. Gosh, I'm really kicking myself now!

Oh wow, you need a nap break!!

Well there is never a real day "off" here. I would take the day to either work on taxes or paint my daughter's room. I've been promising it for months!

I charge 50 out of the 52 weeks per year. One of those weeks is an unpaid vacation for myself and one is an unpaid week vacation for daycare parents if they choose to use it (I must have a 2 week notice though). Anything beyond that, they have to pay.

Yes, I have a very long contract that they sign. And I do have time off....I just want more .

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So I think I'm just going to question the dc parents in person in a manner that puts them on the spot. I'm thinking of something along these lines:

"Oh, I was going to ask....Monday is MLK and since everyone has it off, I am offering you an extra day off that doesn't count against your vacation time. Your child is the only one coming at this point so I was wondering if you don't mind having an extra companion on that day.... I have a lot of taxes and daycare-related paperwork I need to get done. Thanks!!"

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We are having the same issue. My wife is having total hip replacement the next day and a few parents also need time for themselfs, I don't want my wife getting sick and the DCP are more about them than the health of my wife. We need to be closed for three weeks and omg, you would think we just striped the parents of there life's . Now they have to find other places for there kids. One parent said yes I have a place for her on the 20 th and then my wife said did you read the news letter I write every month? I don't understand, when we were young we didn't have the luxe it of just dumping our kids some ware and going shopping we delt with them.

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I am closed, but around here, almost everyone has the day off. I started school in 1980 (!), and we were off for MLK every single year. It's definitely an expected holiday here.

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Closed.

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Open but have only 2 kids coming.

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Open here too. No biggie. Dh is off work and my children will be home, and we had no plans to go anywhere. I might end up talking with DCM about being able to transport dcg with us especially on days like this just in case family wants to get out. I don't think she will have any problems with this as when she began with us she wanted to make sure we had a car seat in case we needed to go somewhere (not sure if she meant in emergency situations only?). Ive never took dcg with us anywhere so far and dh is reluctant without some kind of liability/permission form. Anyhow sorry bout the hijack.

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I only have 1 FTer right now and the mom works through the school district so she might be off, so I still don't know.

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My daycare is open.

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Closed with pay

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open...... I decided to close on presidents day instead.

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I'm open. Our schools are open too.

The only thing closed here for MLK day is federal/state offices and banks.

None of my parents work in those offices so it'll be a regular day.

Same for President's Day. Schools open that day too.

Next scheduled close day for me is not until Good Friday (April 3)

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Open...all but one of my parents work that day. I am sure her little turkey will still be here, although she may not be here right at 7.

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I'm open, all but one of my parents have to work. Our schools are closed though.

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Yay I'm off! Everyone came through!

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THIS ... it's the 2 youngest which are my easy babies. I'm getting paid for all 4

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Girl! Are you crazy?!! Like every job in the world, you need a holiday or vacation. You'll burn yourself out and be resentful!! Take 2 weeks during the year and take a few holidays and most importantly, DO NOT FEEL GUILTY!!! They take time off!

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YAY!!

I am open. All but one will be here. Schools are closed and I allow myself 15 paid days off per year. I had all of my parents 'sign up' for possible care on holidays that were iffy to decide how to divide up my time off. Worked great, because I took the days where the fewest parents needed care.

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I was open, but no one came because school is out and parents had the day off for the holiday. Yippee!

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I'm open, I wish I hadn't bothered. I have to remember to take the day off next year.

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