Input on Vacation Days

[Daycare_Mama]

Hi everyone! I want to change the way I take vacation days around a little for 2011 and I'd like some input.

Currently, I get 10 paid vacation days, 6 paid holidays, and 3 paid sick days (for myself or my daughter).

That's 19 paid days per year and at this point, I don't want to add or drop any, but I'm going to get rid of the 3 sick days and just turn them into vacation or holidays off. It's been a bit confusing with whether or not I'm using a sick day, so I'd rather just have strictly paid vacation/holidays and just take an unpaid day off if I need to close daycare for illness.

Anyways, in 2010, I took scattered vacation days and one full week off around the 4th of July. What I'd like to do is still take one full week off around the 4th, but also take a week off between Christmas and New Years.

What I'm wondering is if anyone else does this week off between Christmas and New Years and do you have it paid or unpaid? I'd like to keep my unpaid days off strictly to when I need to "call in" sick, but I feel like having to find back-up care and still pay me could be a burden for some families around Christmas. Currently, I just have one family, but I will be licensed by this time next year and will hopefully have more families!

I suppose I could take a bit out of each paycheck in 2010 to put aside in an envelope so that taking a week unpaid at xmas time won't effect me too much, but I'm not the greatest saver in this way.

I need and deserve the week I take off in the summer and I am finding myself wishing I had a week off after Christmas too to give myself a break, enjoy the new toys with my kids, and just refresh before starting again in the new year. I just need to figure out the best way to have this off and would like to know how others do it?

Also, for those of you who take paid holidays, do you count Christmas Eve and/or New Years Eve as a holiday even though it's not a government holiday?

Thanks!!!

[momma2girls]

I have it written in my contract as: If I take a sick day or my children are sick(which knock on wood, hasn't ever happended in over 8 yrs.)I will take it out of my vac. days or as unpaid.

[caregiver]

I have been doing daycare for over 28 years. I take a week of vacation around Christmas time & one week also around the 4th of July. I have it in my contract that I will not charge the parents for my vacations. I am trying to be fair to them by not charging because they will have to find other care while I am on vacation and it is not fair to make them pay me and another provider while I am on vacation. The vacation time off is my choice, not their's,so why charge them is my feelings. The parents Have always appreciated that! I do, however make them pay when they go on vacation, this is my income and also to hold their spot open. I also do not charge them when I may have to take a sick day,which does happen a few times of year, especially when they seem to bring their child here sick and don't let me know this and I usually will catch it from them,it is a big pet peeve of mine. So when they bring their child sick, which I do have in my contract that I will not take the kids when they have certain illness,which they don't seem to pay attention to, then they can't get upset with me when I catch what their child has given me while in my care. Anyone else have this problem? Anyway, I do charge when the child is home on a day when they are scheduled to be in my care. As I said, this is my income. But...I just can't bring myself to charge them when I take vacation, that is just me though.

[caregiver]

Oh. also I do charge for Holidays when they fall on a scheduled day the child is to be here.I do close on most Holidays except like Halloween and I do daycare on New Years Eve day, and not on New Years day.

[legomom922]

I take the week off between christmas & new yrs too and it is unpaid. I feel too it is a burden to pay for alternate care around christmas and its hard to even find someone else who would even take their kid at that time.