I am planning on writing up a "Closed on these dates" sheet this weekend. Could anyone share the Holidays that you are closed for???? I have 1 DCB coming Monday because I assumed (I know, my fault) that Labor Day would be a given. I don't want this to happen in the future again. Thank you in advance.

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I have off
labor day
Thanksgiving & day after
Christmas & day after
New Year's day
4th of July
Memorial day
My birthday

I know many here take more than that

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I close Memorial Day, Independance Day, Columbus Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.

DH is a veteran and we volunteer for many local commemorative services. My clients respect and honor that easily. Some come volunteer with us...

I also close Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday (low attendance, notorious for late pick-ups ), Week of Christmas, New Years Eve (see Black Friday) and New Years Day.

I am a wife and mother, my clients also respect and honor that. I have yet to have one volunteer to help me with my gatherings, though.

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New Years Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Black Friday
Christmas

I tack on a few extra days before/after the 4th and Christmas as well. I give the list out usually the 2nd week of January.

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I close:
New Year's day

July 4th (although 2 of the last 3 years I had parents that really needed me, so I took the kid to our family reunion)

State Fair Day (the fair is important to me and we don't like to go on weekends. Since I don't take many holidays, I reserved the right to take off one week day to go to the fair)

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

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New Year's Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving/Day after
Christmas/Day after

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I am closed New Years Day, MLK Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (it just sounds better then the day after christmas) for other federal holidays I'll do a sign up sheet. In my area schools are closed for all federal holidays, as well as all government offices.

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I close for all federal holidays (can't remember them all off the top of my head) plus Easter Monday, thanksgiving and day after, Christmas Eve/christmas day/boxing day and New Year's Eve & day.

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• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Day
• President’s Day
• Memorial Day
• July 4th
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veteran’s Day
• Thanksgiving Day and the day after
• Christmas Day and the day after
• Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve … close at 3:00pm

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Exactly this plus two weeks vacation!

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My 2013 calendar:

January
Tuesday, January 1st: New Year's Day (paid)

February-April: (none)

May
Week of May 20th: I may close one day if there are special events during Olivia's last week of school. I'll let you know if this will happen when I get her class calendar for that month. (UNPAID)
Monday, May 27th: Memorial Day (paid)

June
Thursday, June 13: Closed (paid)
Friday, June 14th: Closed (paid)

July
Thursday, July 4th: Independence Day (paid)

August: (none)

September
Monday, September 2: Labor Day (paid)
Friday, September 13th: Closed (paid)

November
Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving (paid)
Friday, November 29th: Closed (paid)

December
Monday, December 23rd: (Closed, UNPAID)
Tuesday, December 24th: Christmas Eve (closed, UNPAID)
Wednesday, December 25th: Christmas (closed, paid)
Thursday, December 26th: (closed, paid)
Friday, December 27th: (closed, UNPAID)
*This week there are two paid holidays/days off. As such, payment will be due on FRIDAY, December 20th, equal to two days of pay. Late fees will apply if payment is not made on FRIDAY.*

January, 2014
Wednesday, January 1st: New Year's Day (closed, paid)

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Thank you Everyone. In 20+ years I have never had this issue. I will have dates listen in my handbook and I will print out a separate sheet to give parents to reinforce.

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I do the same (all paid), but I also take off the week school is closed in April (unpaid) and another in July or August to be determined in February!

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It's probably too late but if I had a parent tell me they were coming on Monday, I probably would have said right then "Tom, that's Labor Day, I'm not open on Labor Day." Or maybe even call them today and just say "when you said see you Monday I didn't even think, Monday is Labor Day so I wanted to be sure you remembered I'm always closed on the major Federal holidays. See you on Tuesday!" Obviously this would only be if you didn't already agree to work specifically on that day for the parent.

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Another option is to offer care on certain holidays but charge a higher rate for them,

A provider friend of mine stays open for holidays such as Labor Day or Memorial Day etc where the potential for having to work is higher for parents in retail and/or food industries but she charges 1.5 her daily rate so she feels more than compensated for working on those days.

Her regular rate is $30 but for holiday days she charges $45. She says VERY few parents need her but the ones that do REALLY appreciate having the availability and don't mind having to pay a bit more because they DO understand it's a holiday and a lot of them are also making time and half for working on the holiday.

She does NOT offer this service on holidays like Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.....just the holidays that aren't so family-orientated...kwim?

HTH

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I only close on Christmas and Thanksgiving. I have amazing families that only bring the kiddos if they are working so I end up with most holidays off I also make it clear that if our schedule is super light we have a fun day instead of the regular schedule

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I take the same two holidays and I also only work when they work.

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I have these holidays off (not paid) -
New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (and the day after), and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I like the idea of being open for some of the holidays, but charging a higher rate ... most of our "family happenings" don't happen until later in the evening anyways for those holidays (4th of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day ... even Christmas Eve). I might change that in my policy nest year.

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We pretty much follow the local school district holiday schedule. We alot ourselves 5 personal/sick days a year. And 2 paid weeks vacations a year. Plus a paid week off over Christmas break. These were all added slowly over the years as we became more established.

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I do 2 weeks paid vacation per year & take the following off, paid: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. A couple holidays I'm closed for anyway since I don't work weekends.. Easter & Mothers' Day fall into that realm.

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What do you say to the parents about the paid vacation time? How do they respond to that?

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I have mostly followed my husband's work days off schedule which is mainly the Federal/State Holiday list. I take a paid week in the summer either the first week of June or first week of July. I also do the day after Thanksgiving (usually my birthday falls somewhere around there). I close the week of Christmas unpaid. I have in my contract that I will give 30 days notice before taking 5 days in a row off. I have not had anyone dispute 5 days off paid. Only one I have had a DCD question was the day after Thanksgiving paid because it was not technically a holiday. I told him it was on the original list that I gave at the beginning of the year so yes it was a paid holiday. I figured after giving him 11 mos notice not to mention they questioned it the week after the holiday (paid every two weeks). I was really surprised they did not argue when my Grandma died and I had to take one day off for the funeral.

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Holidays I take off are Good Friday and then Easter Monday, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve-New Years Day (yes an entire week). These are all paid days. I try to just take ones that people would/want to be home with their families anyway.

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