Okay, I need some advice on how I should handle this situation: (Sorry this is long....)
A DCM asked me in like June what my Christmas vacation week was going to be this year. (My calendar year goes September to September) I told her I don't necessarily know for sure becuase I was losing 5 kids to Kindergarten in the fall and didn't know what the needs of any new enrollees would be yet until after school started. When Sept 1st rolled around, she asked again because she said she had to ask for the time off WAAAY in advance at work. (BTW, I have another DCM who works at the same place in same position and she has never said anything about having to ask so far in advance) I told this DCM then that I was thinking of closing the week between Christmas and New Year's because the holidays fell on weekends so it just seemed logical. However, in October, I realized this was not going to work and have decided to take the week before Christmas off instead and remain open for the week between Christmas and New Years. (ALL the SA kids I lost to Kindergarten need care that week due to school vacation so of course I will take the added income and remain open!) When I told this DCM that I was going to do that she told me she had already made plans for her family to be here and watch her kids on the week in between Christmas and N.Y.'s so her kids will not be at daycare that week. She has also made arrangements to have someone watch her kids on the week I will now be closed instead. I normally charge everyone 1/2 pay for both of my vacation weeks during the year, so my question is: If I charge her the 1/2 pay for the week I am closed, what should I do about the week I will be open (but was tentatively going to be closed)? I just know she is going to have a cow about having to pay for a regular week because the kids won't be here and I feel that she sort of cornered me into giving her dates for vacation when I didn't really know they were or weren't going to work yet. I feel like I am available for her kids to be here, she is just choosing to have her family watch them, even though they don't need to now because I won't be closed that week. It is NOT a matter of money with this family. My normal policy is everyone gets 6 absent days per year and after that , they pay regular rate according to their contracted days. This family is full time 5 days per week and have used 2 absent days already this year. I'm jst wondering what everyone else would do.....should I charge her regular because I am here and available? (This is also a family that if I give an inch, they want a mile..kwim?) Advice anyone?

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