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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>WOW, DCM Must Have Been Reading My Mind!
MaritimeMummy 06:41 AM 09-12-2012
I had been contemplating for a while asking my only full time DCM if I could close 2 days a month for personal appointments and for just plain "rest" days for my kids, since they, and myself, are getting overwhelmed with the long hours that DCG is here.
Anyway, I had decided that I would try to take a short vacation to ease my burn-out, so I thought our Canadian Thanksgiving next month would be ideal, since I'd be taking Monday as the holiday anyway...then only 4 vacation days from Tuesday to Friday. So, 5 days, plus 2 weekends I'd have been off anyway, giving me 9 straight days with no DCKs...a first in over a year! Nothing to sneeze at! The part time families had no issue with it. With the full time DCM, I was met with concern over alternate care during that week. I had already had back up care taken care of, she could still use her subsidy, and it is a close, personal friend of mine that I trust with my own kids. Ideal for her.
So she started crying, saying she understood that I need a vacation but that she needs to know...am I going to stop doing day care?! She is SO worried that I am going to bail and not keep doing child care after my vacation is up, and she suspects that the vacation is my "out". I assured her that things would not change, I just needed a break. That I could wait until Christmas to take a short vacation but that I might be too severely burned out by then and at that point may NOT want to keep doing it. I honestly *have* been toying around with stopping daycare but nothing serious. I just wanted a break!
Anyway, after having a discussion with her yesterday about DCG's recent behaviour toward the other children here (not a huge issue but she's really overly-friendly and in personal space a lot...and ends up hurting the younger kids inadvertently), I was approached this morning by DCM and she said, "Now honestly, I am worried I am going to lose you, so I don't want to overwork you. Is it okay if we went down to 4 or even 3 days a week?" I am screaming in my head, "NO! I need to be paid still!" but 4 days a week is okay. So, i am going to be closed on Mondays. :-D A 4 day work week is really going to help refresh me.
Anyway, I had decided that I would try to take a short vacation to ease my burn-out, so I thought our Canadian Thanksgiving next month would be ideal, since I'd be taking Monday as the holiday anyway...then only 4 vacation days from Tuesday to Friday. So, 5 days, plus 2 weekends I'd have been off anyway, giving me 9 straight days with no DCKs...a first in over a year! Nothing to sneeze at! The part time families had no issue with it. With the full time DCM, I was met with concern over alternate care during that week. I had already had back up care taken care of, she could still use her subsidy, and it is a close, personal friend of mine that I trust with my own kids. Ideal for her.
So she started crying, saying she understood that I need a vacation but that she needs to know...am I going to stop doing day care?! She is SO worried that I am going to bail and not keep doing child care after my vacation is up, and she suspects that the vacation is my "out". I assured her that things would not change, I just needed a break. That I could wait until Christmas to take a short vacation but that I might be too severely burned out by then and at that point may NOT want to keep doing it. I honestly *have* been toying around with stopping daycare but nothing serious. I just wanted a break!
Anyway, after having a discussion with her yesterday about DCG's recent behaviour toward the other children here (not a huge issue but she's really overly-friendly and in personal space a lot...and ends up hurting the younger kids inadvertently), I was approached this morning by DCM and she said, "Now honestly, I am worried I am going to lose you, so I don't want to overwork you. Is it okay if we went down to 4 or even 3 days a week?" I am screaming in my head, "NO! I need to be paid still!" but 4 days a week is okay. So, i am going to be closed on Mondays. :-D A 4 day work week is really going to help refresh me.
lovemykidstoo 06:53 AM 09-12-2012
You are going to love that. I only work Monday through Thursday. I did 5 days for about 4 years and the kids that I had on Fridays slowly dwindled, so everyone I interviewed I told them I don't work on Fridays. Doing daycare 50 hours a week was toooo much!!!
Unregistered 07:09 AM 09-12-2012
I don't work Fridays and I love it. I'm not closed,however my assistant works every Friday from 8a.m.-4:00p.m. I'm here for drop off and pick up.
I clean my house,run errands,schedule appointments,etc.
Some times, like last week I did NOTHING! I got a hair cut,manicure/pedicure,lunch with a friend,took a nap. I did daycare for 60 hours a week for 7 years and finally cut my hours back last year,it's the best thing I've ever done and I would never go back to working those hours again.
I clean my house,run errands,schedule appointments,etc.
Some times, like last week I did NOTHING! I got a hair cut,manicure/pedicure,lunch with a friend,took a nap. I did daycare for 60 hours a week for 7 years and finally cut my hours back last year,it's the best thing I've ever done and I would never go back to working those hours again.
momma2girls 07:15 AM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
You are going to love that. I only work Monday through Thursday. I did 5 days for about 4 years and the kids that I had on Fridays slowly dwindled, so everyone I interviewed I told them I don't work on Fridays. Doing daycare 50 hours a week was toooo much!!!
I agree, I wish I could be off on Fri.You are going to love that. I only work Monday through Thursday. I did 5 days for about 4 years and the kids that I had on Fridays slowly dwindled, so everyone I interviewed I told them I don't work on Fridays. Doing daycare 50 hours a week was toooo much!!!
MaritimeMummy 07:56 AM 09-12-2012
I was toying with taking Wednesday off because I figured that would break up the week much better, but Monday is just as good. :-)
I have yet to officially tell the part time families but they will have no problem...the one is extremely flexible and works around my schedule and the other has awesome back up care, and will be going on a year maternity leave anyway, so she can pick what days he comes...she does not need or want 5 days a week. :-) AWESOME!
I have yet to officially tell the part time families but they will have no problem...the one is extremely flexible and works around my schedule and the other has awesome back up care, and will be going on a year maternity leave anyway, so she can pick what days he comes...she does not need or want 5 days a week. :-) AWESOME!
EntropyControlSpecialist 10:45 AM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I don't work Fridays and I love it. I'm not closed,however my assistant works every Friday from 8a.m.-4:00p.m. I'm here for drop off and pick up.
I clean my house,run errands,schedule appointments,etc.
Some times, like last week I did NOTHING! I got a hair cut,manicure/pedicure,lunch with a friend,took a nap. I did daycare for 60 hours a week for 7 years and finally cut my hours back last year,it's the best thing I've ever done and I would never go back to working those hours again.
I don't work Fridays and I love it. I'm not closed,however my assistant works every Friday from 8a.m.-4:00p.m. I'm here for drop off and pick up.
I clean my house,run errands,schedule appointments,etc.
Some times, like last week I did NOTHING! I got a hair cut,manicure/pedicure,lunch with a friend,took a nap. I did daycare for 60 hours a week for 7 years and finally cut my hours back last year,it's the best thing I've ever done and I would never go back to working those hours again.
That sounds amazing! I need to do that.
