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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Much Notice of Vacation Time?
Dsquared 03:23 PM 02-29-2016
My contract states that we take a paid week in the summer in August. I don't give specific dates because with my husbands job it's too soon for me to know now. Last year I told everyone in May the dates for our August vacation. I have this one mom that keeps asking when we are going. She has family flying in from California and she wants to have them come the same week I am on vacation. She is really stressing me out. Any advice ladies?
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Unregistered 03:42 PM 02-29-2016
I usually give notice of actual dates a month prior to my vacation time which my contract says. However I do have a clause that says less notice may be given in emergency situations. Similar to you, sometimes I do not know the exact dates months in advance. Do not let this dcm stress you out. Do what your contract says or if there is nothing in your contact then I think 2-3 weeks notice is good.
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Ariana 04:35 PM 02-29-2016
My contract states that I will TRY to give at least 6 weeks but that parents may not receive that much and that it is still their responsibility to find alternate care.

I would just tell her that as soon as you know she will know!
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BabyMonkeys 04:38 PM 02-29-2016
My contract states 30 days, but I would give as much notice as possible.
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KSDC 07:52 PM 02-29-2016
My contract says 2 weeks notice, but I give more if I am able. With your DCM, I would just tell her, "I don't have the exact dates yet. As soon as I know, I will let you know." Rinse and repeat.
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childcaremom 01:31 AM 03-01-2016
Originally Posted by KSDC:
My contract says 2 weeks notice, but I give more if I am able. With your DCM, I would just tell her, "I don't have the exact dates yet. As soon as I know, I will let you know." Rinse and repeat.


I had a dcm like this and it was driving me nuts. My contract says that I will give at least 4 weeks notice. So I told her a version of above, and reminded her that she will have at least 4 weeks notice of the dates.
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laundrymom 01:56 AM 03-01-2016
I have one asking about spring break 2017 already. I've not even looked at the schedule yet. I understand preparation but it's over a year away. I generally give out my schedule in September for the upcoming year. I think that's enough time. I would think a month or two possibly is long enough though.
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DaveA 03:42 AM 03-01-2016
Originally Posted by KSDC:
My contract says 2 weeks notice, but I give more if I am able. With your DCM, I would just tell her, "I don't have the exact dates yet. As soon as I know, I will let you know." Rinse and repeat.
Exactly. There is nothing wrong with telling DCPs as soon as I know you will.

My contract states 4 weeks notice with emergency provisions. I have to admit my DCPs are a bit spoiled in this because we tend to plan far ahead. After DCPs tried to drop off a child while there was nobody at my house a couple times I also go overboard on reminders. So every quarter I send a list of scheduled closures for the next 6 months. I also send out a reminder the first of the month, 2 weeks out, and the week of any closures.
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Play Care 07:10 AM 03-01-2016
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I have one asking about spring break 2017 already. I've not even looked at the schedule yet. I understand preparation but it's over a year away. I generally give out my schedule in September for the upcoming year. I think that's enough time. I would think a month or two possibly is long enough though.
Wow! It would be on the tip of my tongue to say "I don't even know if your family will even still be here or if I'll still be doing child care!"

I wouldn't, obviously. But it would probably be what pops in my head.
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happymom 08:14 AM 03-01-2016
Your family is trying to plan their vacation around your vacation. Just tell them as soon as you get your ducks in a row, you will let them know the dates.

My home daycare provider and I used to plan our vacations the same week, it was AWESOME, and never a big deal.
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LindseyA 08:33 AM 03-01-2016
One month should suffice. My dcfs always take their vacations when I do. We take one week in the summer every year for our camping trip. We book our sites in February since they fill up very quickly where we go. I tell the families the dates as soon as I book them in Feb. But that's for one week. I also give myself another week (sometimes I break that last week up) and give one months notice.
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Play Care 08:49 AM 03-01-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
Your family is trying to plan their vacation around your vacation. Just tell them as soon as you get your ducks in a row, you will let them know the dates.

My home daycare provider and I used to plan our vacations the same week, it was AWESOME, and never a big deal.
That's wonderful it worked out for you.

The ONE time I had a parent suggest we try to work around each other's vacation schedules it became clear that they meant for me to ask permission to take vacation at a time that suited them. I quickly burned out on that idea.
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Michael 11:13 AM 03-01-2016
Here are some previous threads that answers your question: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...acation+notice

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76029
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Controlled Chaos 12:56 PM 03-01-2016
1 month is accomodating I think. I like to put upcoming closures in my monthly newsletter. BUT my contract says 2 weeks, which I like having the freedom to do that.
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Renae82 01:05 PM 03-01-2016
Originally Posted by Dsquared:
My contract states that we take a paid week in the summer in August. I don't give specific dates because with my husbands job it's too soon for me to know now. Last year I told everyone in May the dates for our August vacation. I have this one mom that keeps asking when we are going. She has family flying in from California and she wants to have them come the same week I am on vacation. She is really stressing me out. Any advice ladies?
In my contract I have two firmly scheduled vacations and one that I can take at any time with two months notice. It might help if you can tell mom what date you can give her a firm answer on? Perhaps you have already tried that. That would be my only suggestion.
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Crazy Baby 08:34 AM 03-02-2016
My contract states that I will give two weeks written notice, but I usually try and tell them as soon as possible.

If you don't know yet, then you don't know. She will just have to wait. She signed the contract knowing that there wasn't a specific time limit listed, right? I think a month in advance is plenty, some might think otherwise.
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Dsquared 08:39 PM 03-06-2016
thanks for the advice!
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Dsquared 08:45 PM 03-06-2016
She sent me a text 10 minutes after picking up her child saying something to the affect of... thank you for keeping me in the loop about your family vacation. I will check back in a couple of weeks and see if you picked the week. This is after I told her I would let her know as soon as I know. Sigh** This is the part of my job that I do not like.
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Unregistered 08:52 PM 03-06-2016
That would drive me nuts!

Response:

"Again, I will let you know when I know. Asking repeatedly will not speed the process along. Thanks for understanding."
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Snowmom 06:15 PM 03-07-2016
Originally Posted by DaveArmour:
Exactly. There is nothing wrong with telling DCPs as soon as I know you will.

My contract states 4 weeks notice with emergency provisions. I have to admit my DCPs are a bit spoiled in this because we tend to plan far ahead. After DCPs tried to drop off a child while there was nobody at my house a couple times I also go overboard on reminders. So every quarter I send a list of scheduled closures for the next 6 months. I also send out a reminder the first of the month, 2 weeks out, and the week of any closures.
What the WHAT?
I'm picturing a pitch black house at 6am with a DCM trying to pick the front lock and stealthily prying the front door open so she can sneak her child in.

I go overboard with the reminders too. Initial 2 month notice, 1 month reminder, monthly calendar posted at the sign out sheet with a big black X marked out, upcoming dates on the website and communication board 2 weeks before... and STILL I get the "what days are you closed again" just days before.
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DaveA 04:01 AM 03-08-2016
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
What the WHAT?
I'm picturing a pitch black house at 6am with a DCM trying to pick the front lock and stealthily prying the front door open so she can sneak her child in.

I go overboard with the reminders too. Initial 2 month notice, 1 month reminder, monthly calendar posted at the sign out sheet with a big black X marked out, upcoming dates on the website and communication board 2 weeks before... and STILL I get the "what days are you closed again" just days before.
Not quite that bad but close. The best was once I turned my phone back on after landing in Atlanta to get hit with a bunch of "Door's locked" "We're here" texts followed by a "Oh yeah- closed. Sorry!" text from 2 different DCMs!. Since all my closures the rest of the year are either regularly scheduled days off or planned way in advance DCPs know about them already. But I'm sure the next quarterly letter will be met with shock and stunned surprise.
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renodeb 03:11 PM 03-08-2016
My contract says a months notice minimum but so far I have been able to give much more.
Deb
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