blueclouds29 08:07 AM 04-14-2011
I've been open since Sept so not even a year and have never taken a personal day yet. I do have a week vac coming in July. I see a lot of you saying that you take personal/sick days off. I only watch 2 kids besides my own. But where do your DC kids ending up going when you take off? What do your parents say when you take a day off? Just wondering? I haven't tried it yet and i'm just wondering that's all.
daycare 08:10 AM 04-14-2011
I dont really ask where there kids go. It is the parents responsibility to find care for thier children when the daycare is closed for any reason.
It's up to them to take care of it. I have never had a parent tell me or complain about closing. However, I dont close very much....
Meyou 08:17 AM 04-14-2011
For vacation or personal days usually one of the parents just take the same days off or some families take the same vacation as me.
For sick days...I only cancel if I'm really sick....dying sick. I did call parents at lunch about 6 months ago when I came down with a stomach bug and could hardly leave the washroom. Everyone understood and I'm pretty sure some of them flew here they arrived so fast to get their kids. lol If I call in sick one of them stays home or the child goes to grandmas or something.
MyAngels 08:22 AM 04-14-2011
Most of my families have extended family in the area that can take the kids if I'm off, or they take the day off themselves. I've had families over the years that take turns keeping the other families' kids when I'm off, that way they only had to take half of the days each.
I don't typically take a lot of time off, but the past couple of years I've taken a total of at least two weeks each year to deal with various medical issues with my family and no one has ever complained, and have been very supportive when I need time off, even at a moment's notice.
Lilbutterflie 08:50 AM 04-14-2011
When I was a full time working mom, either myself or my husband would usually take the days off from work if we were given notice of the daycare being closed. Between the both of us, we usually had enough vacation time to cover everything.
My daycare family (I only have one) uses Adventure Kids on the days I have to close, or they take the day off. I just got curious what they pay for Adventure Kids and looked at the webiste. HOLY COW! It's quite expensive!
cheerfuldom 08:57 AM 04-14-2011
I have four DC families. They are responsible for alternate care if I am off and so its not my problem. Its not a discussion really. I just let everyone know in my monthly newsletter when I am off or the daycare is closed and then I remind them verbally a day or two beforehand. I don't even let the discussion of "where am I going to take my kid" start because I don't want to give the impression that I will solve it for them. I do have one number of another home daycare in town that will do drop ins but the parents have to work that out with the other provider on their own.
morgan24 09:03 AM 04-14-2011
I never asked where they go. I let them handle that on their own. When I take a day or a weeks vacation I let them know about a month in advance and then I remind them the week before.
newtodaycare22 10:12 AM 04-14-2011
I just closed for my annual vacation in March. I have 7 kids...
1 stayed home because mom lost her job (came in handy for this week I guess lol)
1 went to the YMCA
1 stayed home with mom on maternity leave
3 went to grandma's
1 stayed home with mom 2 days/dad 2 days/ grandma 1 day
jojosmommy 10:17 AM 04-14-2011
We have a back up childcare company which takes kids whos parents work for Mayo clinic if their primary daycare falls through. Other people use family or take a day off themselves. I also give with my policies/handbook the names and phone numbers of two providers down the street from me. I dont guarentee they will like them or have openings but I atleast offer. If they ask I refer them to the handbook. No further discussion.
I also tell families when they interview they need to have 1-2 people besides themselves they are comfortable using ask back up daycare. Some use old providers, some use the people in the handbook I guess.
Don't ask and don't care. I don't mean to sound crass, but I actually don't care. My parents are told in early January ALL my days off for that year, so they have plenty of time to plan ahead. I NEVER change them. Some do tell me what they're going to do, but I don't ask.
MNmamaOf4 07:50 PM 04-14-2011
When I worked outside of the home and our former daycare would close, either DH or I would take off work, or he'd work half the day or I'd work half and we'd swap midday who stayed with the kids, this was typically when she'd close due to one of her kids being sick. If we knew further in advance, my MIL would typically take off work and stay with the kids because she get 9 weeks of vacation a year. So she'd help out when she could.
Currently I have 3 daycare families. One family the baby is here Mon-Thurs, so if I take a Monday off or whatever, I'll just swap days with them and have him on Friday (the day his grandma usually watches him). Another family is only here on Thursdays and then Friday mornings, and her schedule is really flexible so it's never an issue. My newest family will use my former DC for back-up, because they previously went there.