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sahm1225 05:40 PM 12-01-2020
I am closed 12/21-12/25. Been posted since October 2019. Two dkf mentioned thar it’s inconvenient for them since they’re off from 12/24-1/2...
I thought I chose the right dates (the week
of Christmas) but they’re work gives them the week AFTER Xmas..

I did a poll to see which weeks works better (12/21-12/25 or 12/24-1/2)... and all but one said the 12/24-1/2.

Now I feel bad. If anyone had said anything, I would’ve switched it! I thought I chose the right week and the 12/24-1/2 would’ve been better for me too...

I guess I’m just looking for validation to keep it the same or just someone to understand my venting

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Snowmom 06:07 PM 12-01-2020
My advice is to stop worrying about what's best for others and take off what YOU want to take off. They really shouldn't have a say in it at all.
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Blackcat31 06:09 PM 12-01-2020
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
My advice is to stop worrying about what's best for others and take off what YOU want to take off. They really shouldn't have a say in it at all.
This.
You will never make all of them happy so make it work for you.
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e.j. 07:35 PM 12-01-2020
I agree with Snowmom and Blackcat - do what works best for you. That said, you say that 12/24-1/2 would have worked better for you as well as all but one of your dc families. Is there a reason you can't change your week off to that week at this point?
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Josiegirl 02:35 AM 12-02-2020
Which one is best for you?? It sounds like you're trying to please all your dcfs and that'll never happen so don't stress yourself out trying to keep everybody happy.
If you keep it as is, you're going to inconvenience dcfs, if you change it at this point you'll likely inconvenience other dcfs. See? Someone is always inconvenienced.
You need to do what's best for you; it's YOUR business not theirs. They'll figure out a way to get through it all.
Guilt can eat you up in this biz, please try not to go there.
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Cat Herder 04:51 AM 12-02-2020
I based mine on school closures, to spend time with my own kids, when they lived at home. Now that they are grown, I take my breaks in the spring and fall and on the actual holidays (24th-25th & 1st).

Here, school is closed December 18th - January 5th. 12 school days, plus 3 weekends. Pre-K, too. Parents know well in advance, but few seem to plan until the last minute then take it out on daycare and school administration. I'll never understand it.
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Annalee 05:23 AM 12-02-2020
I am closed 12/24-1/4....re-open 1/5. Just do what works for you...last year, my immediate fam scheduled a trip to the smoky mountains so I shifted the days around. If it's that important to you, just do so and be professionally 'non-negotiable'...this is the term my dad taught me many years ago saying if it's that important, then do it and move on.
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sahm1225 05:29 AM 12-02-2020
In hindsight, I should’ve done 12/24-1/2.

One family specifically requested off the 12/21-12/25 because of my holiday calendar. If I change it now, it’s not fair to them since they were the only ones that listened.

So unless they say that they don’t mind, I’m not changing it and putting them in a bind. But next year, I think I’m
Taking two weeks off
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Annalee 05:33 AM 12-02-2020
Originally Posted by sahm1225:
In hindsight, I should’ve done 12/24-1/2.

One family specifically requested off the 12/21-12/25 because of my holiday calendar. If I change it now, it’s not fair to them since they were the only ones that listened.

So unless they say that they don’t mind, I’m not changing it and putting them in a bind. But next year, I think I’m
Taking two weeks off
Just remember, though, sometimes clients use the word 'bind' loosely.....it's a control factor....
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Cat Herder 05:48 AM 12-02-2020
Originally Posted by Annalee:
Just remember, though, sometimes clients use the word 'bind' loosely.....it's a control factor....
Now that is a mouth full.

Brings to mind "Now I will have to reschedule my hair appointment and take her to the gym daycare!! I already paid for the session and can't reschedule. She hates it there."

This after being given the calendar a year in advance, reminders being posted on the facebook page and Daily Connect plus reminders written on the sign-in sign-out sheet daily.
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Annalee 05:49 AM 12-02-2020
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Now that is a mouth full.

Brings to mind "Now I will have to reschedule my hair appointment and take her to the gym daycare!! I already paid for the session and can't reschedule. She hates it there."

This after being given the calendar a year in advance, reminders being posted on the facebook page and Daily Connect plus reminders written on the sign-in sign-out sheet daily.
Absolutely!!!!
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Dohare81 08:55 AM 12-02-2020
Do what we do. Take two weeks off!
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Ariana 10:10 AM 12-02-2020
I took 3 weeks off last Christmas for sanity reasons. No one was real happy about it, especially teacher mom but guess what? She never left so who cares
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Unregistered 03:32 PM 12-06-2020
This reminds me of a time that I had a very important trip planned and I had planned it out 1.5 years in advance. I told every one of the parents the day that I booked the flights, what I was doing, and that I would be gone for 5 days. I gave them the exact date, and I gave them a reminder when my January contract for that came up. I highlighted it in the contract and handed it to everybody for them to sign for the new year. In the summer, I gave another reminder to let them know to prepare for the October trip. On the 1st of October of that year, I gave one more notice and even offered three select providers as backups. I had six families in care, and everybody ended up booking child care, except for one of them who decided to stay home for the week because she wanted a vacation as well. One week before my trip, one set of parents told me that there was no way that they could take the week off because their job wouldn't let them have it off. They did not want to use one of the selected providers, because they said that she was too far away, and the other two providers ended up full because they waited till last minute, and the other providers were still taking their regular drop-in care clients. She freaked out on me, and told me that there was no way that she was going to come back because I did not give them enough notice. She told me that I had put them in a bind, and that I needed to reschedule my trip for them. I looked her in the face, and I said" I don't know how this is even possible that we are having this conversation, as I gave you a year-and-a-half notice, and several reminders. I don't understand why you wouldn't have tried to schedule this long ago with your work. And if you couldn't get your work to agree to it, why you wouldn't have booked one of the day care more immediately." She tried to tell me that she did try to book the daycares, but both of the providers that she called, said that she had called just a couple of days before the trip was schedule. As a matter of fact, they were waiting for this Mom to call them, and were surprised that they didn't so when they didn't they figured that the parents had made other arrangements, so they went ahead and continue to fill their spots. The mother quit. And then tried not to pay me. I had to threaten Court, and let her know that she had plenty of time and that I have witnesses to say that they did not do anything to mitigate their own loss. They have way more time than they should have, and that I do not take termination paperwork during vacation time. They ended up owing me another two weeks, and while it took a long time to get the money, they did end up paying. To make matters worse, I've bent over backwards for this family, even providing transportation to and from a preschool that was not in the district, and provided much more care to their child, then was normal for his age group. I did not ask for anything extra, for either the transportation or the extra care.

Stick to your guns, and don't let them try to put you in a corner. It isn't your fault that they weren't prepared. They had notice.
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Tags:backbone, christmas, schedule - holidays, vacation, vacation policy
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