I could really use a break for a few days or a week sometime in the near future....from watching the daycare kids anyway. How do you do about vacation time when you are the only one taking care of the kids? Is there an alloted time. what do you do?

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then just book a week off. Let everyone know a couple weeks or months in advance. You are allowed to take time off, don't worry about the kids, their parents must have back up care.

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Correct me if I am wrong Dave, but are you still just watching your SIL child? or do you have a few more DCK's now?

If you are worried about any parents thinking you aren't relaiable enough because you need/want to take a few days off, then start small and schedule a Friday off here and there just to give yourself a long weekend.

Once you have gotten everyone used to having to have a back up provider (which in my opinion is necessary for ALL parents) then go ahead and take a week vacation (from daycare obligations) and don't look back or feel guilty one bit.

In the future if you plan your vacation days/weeks ahead of time, parents can schedule their vacations around yours if they don't have back ups.

If you really can't manage taking a whole week off, then opt for a few long weekends or sometimes just a Wednesday off in the middle of the week to break up the long-ness of the week helps a ton!

Don't let ANYONE tell you that you don't need a vacation or a break because happy provider = happy daycare kids and we all want happy daycare kids right?

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I have it in my policy's that I take two weeks, possibly three weeks vacation per year, paid. It's up to me when I take it but I give at least one month notice do parents can plan alternative care. You need a break. Take it. Do you have any kind of written vacation policy?

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See this is what happened to me. I started a new family and the last provider only took a week off every year. No sick time/fed. holidays/anything. So they new they only needed one week off and would schedule their own vacation then.

Here I come and have quiet a few days off compared to that. Well they still refuse to get a back up so they have gone through all their time off it seems. My husband says quit feeling quilty, you need time off also.

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New family had no business signing up with you if they didn't have a plan when it came to your scheduled vacation and closing days.

They signed and YOU are the one feeling guilty! Stop it!

Your DH is right ya know...YOU need time off too and it isn't right of new family to make their problem yours.

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I also do 3 day weekends, I find thats all I need to feel refreshed.

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Oh, I take my time but the two vacations we scheduled this year, I was sick one of them and ds was sick the other. We literally could go no where.

Then I ended up taking more sick days then in my book because I literally couldn't get out of bed. I have to hear "We are out of sick time so no more time off for you-".

This year was just a mess for me and time off. I literally feel I have had no time off because of being sick on my vacations. Does that make sense?

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Exactly! I always have some sort of break to look forward to, even if it's only an extra 3 day weekend. It keeps my morale up and I've been providing child care for almost 24 years now and it's never hurt by business. Just do it!

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I plan my days off a year in advance. I get 10 days total paid, and sometimes take a few in addition to that (unpaid) for instance I ALWAYS take my birthday off (it's in March) I spoil myself by sleeping in, getting a pedi and lunch out. I take from whatever the fourth of July lands on until the following Monday off. This year that was a 5 day weekend, next year it will be a four day weekend. Most parents are off for the fourth anyway, and 4 out of 7 families opted to take a family vacay during that time. I take long weekends around thanksgiving and christmas, always new years eve/day, etc. It really helps break up the monotony. Next year I am adding in 4 more paid days with January contract renewals, and plan to take a day off in February, April, June and August too!

^Notice a pattern here? Two days off in Jan, one in Feb/3 day weekend, one in March, one in April/3 day weekend, one in June/3day weekend, longer weekend in July, one in August/3 day weekend, longer weekend around thanksgiving, longer weekend around christmas, new years eve/new years day.

Pretty much take a 'recoup' day off once a month! Makes for one happy daycare lady!

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I have 2 weeks(10 days) vacation paid, plus Holidays. I take them throughout the yr. when I would like to.

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We keep our holidays to a minimum since we just started up. In the future, I look forward to taking more.

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I am watching another two year old and a 11th month old as well now along with my niece. My niece and the two year old both came sick and i ended up with the stomach bug this weekend and i think the others in my house are sick now too, so frusterating!

Im just looking to take a couple days off in Oct when my oldest has fall break, i just worry they will find someone else and take their kids out of my care.

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You sound so much like me many years ago. Blackcat suggested you start slow to prove your reliability. That will work great! I started with an extra day around a holiday....then moved on to making the parents pay for their vacations......then they paid for mine......and now I charge 52 wks a year with holiday, vacation, emergency and personal days.... You can build up to it and you will be glad you did. I was blessed with a wonderful support group/mentor here which gave me the courage to follow through. Good luck!

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When I first started I went two months before I closed for a sick day.......well about 5-6 weeks into it actually. Then I lasted another two months before I needed another sick day. This is where I call the night before to close but no one left. It was such a relief to know at 6 pm after I called and left a voicemail to whoever didn't answer that I didn't have to worry and could enjoy another 30+ hours without kids and just relax.

I do have 10 paid closed holidays which 5 remain, labor day-2 at thanksgiving-2 at christmas. I do take 5 paid closed days which 2 were used for sick days last winter/spring and 2 more were scheduled 3-4 weeks in advance for training and vacation just one day at a time though. I have one remaining paid day and am thinking about taking that in October for either our 2 year anniversary or my birthday.

I recently expanded my daycare license and added 2 part time kids and 1 more full time to afford a helper who is actually working 30 hours a week starting this week. The pay cut I have to take it going to bite, but I need to take some time off and relax. Daycare does stress me out but I do enjoy it. Just not 60 hours a week enjoyment, lol. I'm pregnant and have 6 months to go and want to relax more now anyways. I wish you luck and take some days off. If it's not in your contract give parents a written notice that you'll be closed on a certain day 3 weeks out is plenty of time and take it unpaid just for an long weekend. 2 more weeks is the 3-day labor day weekend so hang in there!

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Dave,

you have been on the boards long enough to know these things.....

policy,hand,rule book and contract.

In the above you must have PAID two weeks vacation (which you need to give plenty of notice ahead of time to all your families) another vacation that you may take with out pay if you choose.
3-5 paid sick days/personal days
Holidays paid

If you don't allow yourself these few days you will head straight for burn out. It refreshed you and makes you a better provider and parent. Your family deserves your attention and vise versa. Your not asking too much and also in your contracts etc.... you should state these are paid days to you and that your families need to have reliable back up and your not responsible for that back up.

This is good business practice. Don't feel guilty about it.

Sorry but for a tummy ache,your home, you can hit the bathroom when you need and I wouldn't close or use a day for that. I would however feel crummy and just try to get through it, just like most people at jobs have to do.

When you do your interviews put all this out there right away and don't feel bad about it. Then look forward to your vacations, enjoy your holidays and be sad when they are over just like most daycares do. We work very hard, long hours at this job and it not asking much for this. It makes for better providers and families.

Another option is to hire someone to come into your home for the weeks that you are on holiday- but most parents can find alternate care or schedule their vacations for the same weeks that you are off. Be fair and give plenty of notice ahead of time. I know some daycare offer the parents to pay extra to cover the vacation weeks so they don't have to pay someone else, plus pay the paid vacation. Another option.

I know your heart is good, but having a good heart also means taking care of ourselves and our needs.

Best-

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DHS doesnt pay me unless the child is actually being watched, so i guess i cant really take a paid day off unless its with the one child whos out of pocket. And yes i have been on these boards a while, it does not mean i simple know everything!

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DHS won't pay for days I am closed either so I bill the parent directly.

What I do is about a month before my vacation, I take the total they will owe me and split it up over that month so each week they pay me a little bit.

That covers the day(s) I am closed and they pay like everyone else. HTH

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you do sound snarky there. I'm sorry, but you you whined how you couldn't get children for a long time, except for your neice, now you have 2 children and your niece and now your complaining how you need a vacation from them. Maybe this is not the profession for you, if you are so worried that if you take a day off you won't get paid. Well, guess what I DON'T GET PAID FOR MY VACATIONS EITHER, and I still take them. Its not always about money, sometimes its about your sanity. I also don't get paid for holidays or if the child doesn't show up, and I still make it work.

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have it in your contract that if the state doesn't pay the responsibility is upon the parent.

The 2nd part I am going to ignore because I think you know that I came from a good place. Sorry your having a hard time.

best-

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Wow! Did Dave do something to make soemone mad or something???

He is asking a question and sharing his concerns and worries about taking a needed vacation and not losing the new clients he has worked hard to enroll. Where is the normal show of support that members usually receive?

He has been on this board for a while but like everyone else, we all still post, vent, complain and share so why is it wrong for him to do so?

I am sorry Dave, not trying to speak for you, but seriously surprised at the lack of support going on here.

I understand why it is scary to take a needed break for fear of alienating your new clients and thinking they would leave due to unreliability but like I said, I worked up to taking a longer vacation and simply added to it each year.

Yes, this topic has come up before on the board but in reality so has EVERY other topic we have discussed so I dont think repeating a topic is a bad thing....

Anyways, I hope you were able to gleen some helpful/useful advice from this thread.

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I didnt think i was allowed to bill the parents for that. I need to check with my DHS rep then, because i thought it was illegal to accept money from the parent who is on DHS. Hmmmm

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[quote=countrymom;256114]
QUOTE]

I do have some sanity left, but things change from month to month. It would help my sanity if we didnt have to wait four weeks for my wife to get paid from her new job since she switched companies. Maybe thats why im a bit nuts right now.

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