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This is my 20th year in business....

In October of 2009.... after years of wishing I 'got' even 1 week of paid vacation......and after YEARS AND YEARS of soul searching... checking with other local home providers... reading many many handbooks online...
I finally made the firm decision that I would revise my PARENT HANDBOOK... and take not 1...but 2 weeks of PAID vacation per year...

I sent a letter to each of the clients I had enrolled at the time.. basically 'forewarning them' so to speak...that I was revising my PARENT HANDBOOK for the upcoming year...and that there WOULD BE CHANGES...

Once I got the handbook revised.. I provided each of my clients with a copy... and a letter letting them know that I needed them to read it IN FULL...and they would obviously have the choice of either signing the Parent Agreement.. OR... if they preferred to move their child to another caregiver.. they could give 2 week written notice...
I explained that the new policy would take effect beginning Jan. 1 .. 2010..
All of my clients signed the agreement.. no one acted like it was a very huge issue...
I had one on one conversations with most of them...and they were all very supportive..
In late December ... a few weeks before the first of the year.. I gave all of my clients WRITTEN notice of my first paid week of vacation...
Mid April of the following year...
so they had 5 full months advance notice...
My husband and I went on a 7 day cruise to celebrate his 50th birthday...
Unfortunately...right at the last minute I lost not one...but 2 clients... which involved 4 children..
Two sisters... both on child care assistance programs...
I had discussed with each of them the fact that the assistance program would not pay my personal vacation dates...and that they would be financially responsible... they understood... I offered each of them the option of paying it out.... they had over 5 months advance notice...they could have paid it out over that time period...both put it off...and put it off...to the point that when my vacation time arrived...they both left.. the first was before my vacation...gave no notice... walked off owing an outstanding balance... the other sister assured me she would not do this...but.. she never returned when I got home from my vacation... it was a mess...but...
thank goodness...it is over...and in the past!!!

That ended up being the only 1 week vacation I took that year... even though I had it in my handbook that I would take 2...
I just am not one of those people that will close down my daycare to sit home ... I only close if I am going on an actual trip...
The following year... (last year).. I closed down for 2 days... a Thursday and Friday.... my clients had 4-5 months advance written notice...... those were my only vacation days for the entire year also...

This year...we are taking 2 trips... only 3 weeks apart...
The first trip I will close Thursday and Friday...
The second trip I am closed Wed, Thurs, and Friday...
So all total... 5 days...but... seperate...

I do believe that this will be the year that I take that second week of vacation.. in December... because of how the Christmas dates fall on the work week... but... I honestly have not made that final decision yet...