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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Maternity Leave for the Daycare Provider?
JJPlaycare 11:31 AM 07-30-2010
Okay...... I am due in December and I am not sure how long I should take off with this baby! This is my 3rd child. I started daycare after my first born. With my second child I took 4 weeks off, but my mom came and did daycare the last 2 weeks of my time off. I have two older children, Zoe will be starting kindergarten and Ava will be going 2 half days a week to preschool. I honestly feel like taking 6 weeks off, just to get my family into a routine and let the bonding begin before chaos comes back! Is that too long, I don't know what do you guys do? Have you lost families while taking time off? Just looking for some advice and guidance! My mother might be able to help, but she can't commit right now and I need to let my families know ASAP! Not sure what to do or how to go about this! We have a 20 weeks ultrasound on Aug 4th, we are not finding out the sex of the baby, but should be able to tell if it is a healthy baby in which all I really care about! Soooo excited! : ) I am also in need of some baby names, my husband and I seem to not be agreeing on any names! LOL Like I said I have two daughters, Zoe and Ava so something that goes with those names would be great! LOL Just thought I would throw that in there!
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actaktmdt 11:37 AM 07-30-2010
I am looking forward to reading the answers you get. I am due in March, and my recovery will be a bit longer as it will be my second c-section. I am brining in a good friend to cover for me when I am at doctors apointments and and such and am planning on expanding the daycare to my basement and getting the licenseing for 12...I am thinking if all goes as planned she will watch the kids for me for at least 2 weeks and I will wait a bit to fill spots to figure out the kinks.
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JenNJ 12:04 PM 07-30-2010
Can you interview now for an assistant to take your place while you are on leave? Or will other providers in the area be willing to take on your kids while you recover?

I do think 6 weeks is too long. I honestly think 4 is too long as well. I think 2 weeks is a good amount of time and reasonable enough that most parents can find coverage for that time.
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MarinaVanessa 12:44 PM 07-30-2010
I agree and think that 6 and even 4 weeks is too long. If I were a parent and my daycare was going to be closed for longer than 2 weeks and I had to find my own temporary replacement I'd be a little frustrated. If I were closing for that long in my own daycare I'd be worried that my families would find a temporary replacement and end up staying with them instead of coming back.

I think the norm is 2 weeks. Why not close for 2-weeks and find an assistant for the rest of the time?
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nannyde 01:27 PM 07-30-2010
It would be hard to get them to agree to too much more than two weeks. You don't want them to settle in somewhere else. They are more likely to do piecemeal day care for two weeks. Get over that and they are going to get an established situation that they may end up liking a lot.

You have to remember too that parents can get a little squirrley over the idea of you having your own newborn in the house. They can't imagine taking care of six kids plus a brand new newborn that belongs to you.

If they have babies themselves there is most likely going to be a reel going on in their head with some mathmatics of how much your baby will affect your attention on their baby.

If you make too much of your own baby to them they will make too much of your baby to themselves.

BUT... and this is a biggie. If there is ANY possible way you can pull it off take as much time as you can. If you can come out okay with six weeks then take it.

Don't expect the WORDS they give you now to be the way it turns out once the baby is born. I lost HALF of my day care within a month on both sides of my sons birth. That two month period lost me half my income and I only actually took ten days off.

None of them SAID they were worried about how I could manage my own baby with their kid but I knew it was that and that many of them just didn't want to find a back up care provider for a couple of weeks when I didn't even know the exact day it would start.

Be prepared for some changes either way.
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jen 04:49 PM 07-30-2010
When my dd was born I took off 12 weeks and didn't loose a single client... Everyone found back up care and everyone came back. More than one parent commented on how the experience made them appreciate the care that I provided.

Don't assume that you can only take a few weeks...I'm sure that you are doing a fabulous job and your parents will be thrilled to come back.
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momofboys 04:59 PM 07-30-2010
Before I was doing daycare in my home I WOH part-time (when we only had 1 child). My IHDP had her first child & we made arrangements for me to temporarily change my work hours & we used grandma & grandpa for 3 weeks to help us out. DCP was ready to take our child back at 2 weeks after her baby was born but honestly I felt better sending our child to grandma's for the 3rd week. If you will have extra help (husband home, etc/hire an assistant) feel free to open back up after only a few weeks but you have to think about your energy level & what you will feel up to. Honestly I can not imagine having 4-5 or more "extra" kids in my home only 2 weeks after giving birth unless I had a permanent person there to help me for a few weeks after my DC parents returned.
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momma2girls 05:15 PM 07-30-2010
I took off 2 weeks before my scheduled due date, and 4 weeks after off. It was so nice. I provided everyone daycare friends from my daycare group as back up for me!! My baby is now 2 and it went by so fast!!!
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DCMom 05:36 PM 07-30-2010
I started daycare 21 years ago after the birth of my second child; he was 6 weeks old when my first family signed on. After the birth of my third child (I worked up to the day before she was born) I took two weeks. BUT I only had 3 daycare kids plus my own three; 3 of the 6 went to half day Kindergarten and my daughter was the only infant, so I really only had all six after lunch. Figure in quiet time and I only had them all for two hours before the dc kids were picked up, so it worked for me.

I think that you need evaluate what you feel that you can handle and take the time off that you feel you need. Only you know your clients and I would be upfront with them about what you are thinking. Everyone's situation is different regarding back-up care, but I'm sure they all have your time off in the back of their minds since they obviously know the baby is coming. They are probably waiting for you to initiate the conversation.

One of my families have two girls named Ava and Zoe~#3 is on the way and they have decided on Riley for his/her first name. I love all three names
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Michael 07:53 PM 07-30-2010
More threads regarding Maternity Leave: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...aternity+leave
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JJPlaycare 04:28 AM 08-02-2010
Okay ladies thanks for all the ideas! I think I have decided on what I am going to do, but this isn't for sure until I have the ultrasound on Wed and find out more details and make sure everything is A - OK! I think I am going to take 4 weeks off and then have my mom come and do 2 weeks of daycare after that, so really giving myself 6 weeks off, but my daycare families will only need to find care for 4 weeks!! I took 4 weeks with my last daughter and have basically the same kids from back then with a couple of newbies, but I figure if they leave over something like this than they weren't probably going to stay for the long haul anyways! I am having a baby and I deserve time off and time to spend with my family and if they don't like it, oh well their is other fish in the sea!! Nobody left last time and I don't think they will leave this time, but I will only know if I do it, so that is what I am going to do! I also think that they are all probably expecting me to take the same amount of time off as I did last time!! Thanks again! Megan
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boysx5 04:48 AM 08-02-2010
I think you need at least four weeks off after having a baby. When I had my last two sons I was only doing after school care so I had my days pretty much free til three pm so I ended up taking four weeks and then let them all come back I didn't lose anyone they all found care and agreed I needed that time off.
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melskids 06:30 AM 08-02-2010
i think it totally depends on what you can handle. with my second son, i worked right up until i went into labor (literally) and was open for business the day after i came home from the hospital. all by myself. now, 8 years later, if i were to get pregnant and have another baby, i know for a fact i couldnt do that again!!!
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JJPlaycare 09:12 AM 08-02-2010
Wow Melskids, you are a rockstar! LOL That would be alot to take in, you crazy lady!! I think I could manage it with the group of kids I would be having then, but do I want to NO! LOL I just feel like being selfish for my family and taking the time I want to! LOL My girls are SOOOOOO excited and I really want to take the time and enjoy it with them! This is probably our last and I want it to last as long as it can! LOL My pregnancy has gone by so fast, I don't want the first weeks to go as fast and this is why I want the time to ourselves to enjoy and take it all in! : )
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melskids 09:25 AM 08-02-2010
Originally Posted by JJPlaycare:
Wow Melskids, you are a rockstar! LOL That would be alot to take in, you crazy lady!! I think I could manage it with the group of kids I would be having then, but do I want to NO! LOL I just feel like being selfish for my family and taking the time I want to! LOL My girls are SOOOOOO excited and I really want to take the time and enjoy it with them! This is probably our last and I want it to last as long as it can! LOL My pregnancy has gone by so fast, I don't want the first weeks to go as fast and this is why I want the time to ourselves to enjoy and take it all in! : )
hey...like i said....i could never do that again...lol

i think you should take as much time as you think you need. enjoy your baby and soak up every minute of it.

BTW, Amelia or Olivia for a girl or Levi for a boy...JMO
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JJPlaycare 11:34 AM 08-02-2010
Ha, Amelia is on the list!! Olivia is my neighbors name! : ( I like Libby, Julia, Amelia and Lydia for girls! My cousin has a little boy named Levi, but love that name as well! Boys I like Gabriel (Gabe), Caleb (Cale), and Tristan! My husband doesn't like any of the names I like! LOL He likes for girls Mia, Edith (Eddy) and for boys Corbin and Ha I can't remember the other boys name he likes! Hmmm I don't know! LOL Thanks for the ideas!!
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melskids 02:45 PM 08-02-2010
oohhh....i like caleb!!!!
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sahm1225 04:39 PM 08-02-2010
I also worked up to the day I went into labor and then went back to work the day after returning from the hospital. I only watched one little girl (she was 2) and had my own 2 yr old to watch, so it wasn't too hard. That being said, if I was you, I would DEFINITELY take the 4 wks off. I have been very blessed and my baby slept great, but there wereays that I was so tired and all I wanted was a nap and I couldnt because I was working. Then I just felt sort of cheated from having maternity leave and time for just me & the family!

BTW - I LOVE Julia for a girl and Michael for a boy
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Former Teacher 05:53 PM 08-02-2010
If we were blessed with a boy it would be James David after my father and grandfather. For a girl it would be either Zoe or Lillian.
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