I am thinking of taking a paid vacation next year. I am considering doing 12/23/13 to 1/6/14. Parents pay every Friday for the next week, how will that work if I am closed? How do you do it? Is two weeks too soon since I just started? I was thinking a week in the winter and a week in the summer but my fiance said that it would be easier to take off mid winter then mid summer. But I like having a week off every 6 months. As a mental health week. What do you think?

Would you leave a sub and an assistant so you wouldn't have to close? I dont think I could really relax knowing I was open without me being there. Plus I am sure they would like the time off too...

I would LOVE to be in HAWAII for a week in the winter...

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I take a week in the summer and a week between Christmas and New Years. I like my vacations to be split. Plus, more than a week is hard....not for DCF's only but for me. I am an extrememly routine person and even now as I sit on my sofa enjoying day 6 of my vacation, I find myself kind of out of sorts. I have no plans or routines except to be lazy and relaxing but that is kinda hard for a Type A person....lol! I still don't go back to work until Jan 2 and by then my house, my mom's and maybe my neighbors will be cleaned and organized....

Anyways as far as payments, I am to be paid this Friday (the 28th) but since I am closed all my parents left post dated checks and I will cash/deposit them on Saturday just like I do any other paydate.

For families who pay in cash, they had to find a way to get it to me before I closed for vacation. I have a couple families who pay through bank transfers and they will do their transfer as normal.

Anyone who opts to pay after I return gets stuck paying the late fee of $10 per day. It isn't really an option for them, but I do have one mom who always forgets so she ends up paying a huge late fee. She forgot this year again and asked if she had to pay the late fee....Um, yeah same as you did last year....

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Just put a clause in your policies that says that all payments must be made on the last day of childcare if your DC is closed. This way if they pay on Friday then that last Friday they'll need to pay for the week that you'll be closed and for the following week after you come back.

To make it easier on them you can remind them 4-6 weeks before your vacation and offer to let them start paying a little extra each week. Maybe like an extra $25 a week so that on that last Friday they only need to pay the amount of one week of daycare and either have already paid for the 2nd week or they only owe a few dollars.

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I have 2 weeks vacation.............one week I take the week after school lets out and the other 5 days I take throughout the year. This way it isn't such a burden on my parents to find daycare while I'm closed. My daycare is in my house so I don't want anyone here if I'm not here. Two weeks in a row like that can be hard on a parent specially since they have to pay you and probably someone else, specially around Christmas. But you can always run it by your parents now just to get a feel for what they say. Usually I take off the day after Christmas but this year I asked my parents what would be easier for them and they all said Christmas Eve to be closed so that's what I did. Just tell them your thinking about taking and extended vacation and want to see how that would work with them.

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another option is figure out what the 2 weeks pay is divided by 50 weeks. then add that amount to everyones bill each week and thn they do not pay on vacation week and you have put it in th bank. Good thing is if someone leaves before vacation they have already paid it. LOL

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How does this work if you have a different bank then the parents??? I have one family that has asked about this cause they NEVER write checks, they even had to order checks just to pay me. I take cash too but then they would have to run to the ATM every friday. They have even offered to pay the fees for one of those credit card machines that attach to my phone but I'm not sure about that either.

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Good idea! Do you tell them that you add that on or do you just make your tuition that much more so it's like they aren't really paying for your vacation, but are? I hope my question makes sense...

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I was just thinking I will also change my policies and take 2 weeks paid next year... We deserve it!!

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I have a savings account at one bank, a personal account at another and a daycare account at a third.

The parents must bank at the same bank for them to do bank transfers unless the bank offers this service. I think you can do it through the MMK food program software to but my DCF's just do it through the bank.

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I am not organized enough to actually do it but have friends that do. they tll them they take 2 weeks paid vacation but it is included in th weekly tuition and they will not have to pay during vacation week. they also round it up. so if it is 4.80 they collect $5 a week. the parents love it

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The only issue I can see with this is when a client signs up or leaves in the middle of the year. In this case you wouldn't have complete payment for your vacation time.

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I like having split vacations also, and frankly I think it's easier on dcf's if we take off in the summer, because that's when they usually take off.

But, that being said,

i'm taking a week in the summer (next year I believe it's June 10-14) and then a week at Christmas next year (Dec 23-27). I can't wait...

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And as for payments, I ask for post-dated checks.

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All parents give me post-dated checks.

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