My sister in law runs an in-home daycare. She has a license from the State of MN. I was talking with her over the weekend, and we were talking about how little time we spend together, and I suggested a family vacation together (mine and hers - to the beach or something). She said she would never do that to her day care families. She said she doesn't have any vacation time built into her contracts, just regular holidays and one 3-day weekend for the year.
My question is, those of you who run in-home daycares, do you schedule a vacation for yourself? How long is it, and how far out do you schedule it.? I was encouraging her to talk to her families and to find a week that she could take off... not just for her to spend it with me, but for herself and her family. She didn't think it was fair to leave her families with no daycare for a whole week.
Thanks for your thoughts, I'll share them with her.
Jessica
Thanks for your thoughts so far. To be clear, I don't want to tell her how to run her business. She lives in a tiny town (100 people) so I do understand her concern for her clients. When she is sick, her Mom helps if she can... or her sister. My brother has taken off a day once and awhile if my nephew is sick and needs to go to the doctor (he's 4).
I just worry about her getting burnt out, and needing time for herself. I can't imagine not having a vacation from my own kids... let alone 9 other kids! :)
I'll keep reading your comments, and will share them with her.
Thanks again.
As caring as she sounds, she has to take time for herself. Any home daycare I ever interviewed had it built in.
I have had an in home day care center for 29 years now. I am open 48 of the 52 weeks a year, closed when the school system is closed, holidays, spring break, week of July 4th, day after Thanksgiving and Christmas to new years. I give my schedule in Janurary. Parents only pay for the 48 weeks of care and everyone seems happy. Good luck to you! M. in Wisconsin
My day care lady gives herself 10 days a year, on top of all Federal holidays and three additional. however, if she or we take 5 days in a row, we don't have to pay :). As long as she gives enough notice or can provide a backup, tell her to take it!! And she needs to build it in when she renews!
Everyone needs a break especially those working with kids. Her family also needs some time together. I have had a home daycare for almost 17 years and I take 1 week in the summer, giving parents notice 4-6 months ahead of time. I am thinking of also taking a few days at Christmas, I would like to give more notice so not sure I will do that this year. I will also take 2-3 long weekends next summer along with the week off. I have several kids who are parttime, so I think if I look at their schedule, I will be able to schedule days off around the majority of the kids and the other moms/dads can use family or a vacation day of their own. I don't charge for any vacation time I take, so if they had to pay someone else it would be okay for them.
Perhaps if she felt a week was too long, she could take 2 shorter weeks, but she NEEDS some time away to relax.
S.
My sister in law uses an in-home day care and yes, hers does take a vacation once a year...in fact it may be twice a year, can't remember. I know she does one right before July 4 that is like the Friday before the weekend and then the full week after...so 6 work days I think. I also think she takes some time off just before Chrsitmas, but I am not positive. She does it a year in advance so all parents know the schedule.
I certainly don't think it's unreasonable for your SIL to schedule vacation time for herself, but she would need to do it as far in advance as possible. Some families have to apply for vacation time months or even a year in advance so springing it on them would not be professional. Although, she could "warn" then that in 2011 there is going to be a week of day care closed or whatever and do it that way. It depends on how many families she has too, but talking to them is a good start!
until recently our town ( 500 people so I understand the small town) only had one day care. She takes off a week twice a year. One in the spring and one in the fall to move her kids to and from college. She still took a week off for herself since her kids are now done with school this summer. She puts a note up on her door a month in advance of her vacations and doesn't charge for the week she isn't watching kids. At first everyone was lost and didn't know what they were going to do, but all the parents understood and has a back up plan. I feel a month is plenty notice to find a back up for thier kids to go some where else.
My brothers daycare provider changed her contract and has a week paid vacation in her contract. I know it hurts my brother when he has to pay double for one week on daycare, but our family usually pitches in and takes turns watching her. But I also know that she lost alot of families when she switched that, but if you think about it alot of people get a paid vacation at thier jobs and someone still pays for them to be off while they enjoy themselves.
Good luck to her and I hope she does choose to take a full week of to enjoy her family. Everyone wants thier time off, but forget that thier daycare givers need it also! I think she should go for it and it sounds like it will be well deserved :)
our day care lady schedules 2 weeks into her contract, which she takes every year at the end of June/beginning of July. Your sister needs to be able to take a vacation with adequate notice to the parents!!
Every in-home daycare I know of (except 1) has 2-4 weeks of vacation every year. Most have 4. 2 over the holidays, and 2 over summer. Which works really well for the families, because those are the two times when daycamps get up and running.
I know one woman who USED to be 24/7 365, and she eventually changed it (after being threatened with divorce). At the "start" of the year (september) she sent out a notice that she would now be starting 1 week in December and and 2 weeks over summer break. That year she sat down with her husband and they worked out their schedule so that the following year she also changed her daycare to 24/4, so that she had 2 full days off a week. His wife's arguments was the same as your SIL's, that she couldn't "do that" (vacation or days off) to her families. Her H said, she was more than willing to do that to her OWN family. She'd been 24/7 for several years, and her H said he never got alone time or to go on vacation with her, that their own kids never got alone time with her or to do outside activites (because she had to be home for the daycare kids) so if she really didn't want him in her life, that they should go ahead and file.
The 24/7 thing had worked while their own kids were babies, but when they hit the school years, things started to go badly, and it became a problem.
I use a home daycare, and in the contract she states 2 weeks of vacation a year - always the week around/after the 4th of July and then various days. We usually know a couple months in advance, although a couple times she has told us right away in January when we sign the new contract, which is great. I am paying less per week than I would if the kids were in a center, and one of the offsets to that benefit is closings on sick days and vacation days. I think it's a fair trade.
I run an in home daycare and have been doing it for two years I have 2 weeks built into my contract but have yet to take time off except when my kids are sick. We are getting away this Labor day weekend but then again my families have off work. In two years we plan a week for my whole family mom sister and all of our families to go to orlando so that will be nice. Yes if she doesn't get away every once in awhile she will get burnt out very fast!!! As long as she gives plenty of notice she should be able to do it. All you can do it make a tenitive date and have her talk to her families to see if they will work with her. Good luck and god bless
What does she do when she is sick? Every home daycare that I interviewed has a back-up. I went with a center, so I never got around to the vacation scenario, but I think it would be crazy for her not to take a week or two every year. If she is concerned about her families needing care--which I very much appreciate--she needs to find a back-up or take the time when it might be possible for them to get extra time off (i.e. week between Christmas and New Year's, school Spring Break, etc.).
I would want at least a month's notice. I get peeved to no end when our center decides to take a "prep" day with only a couple weeks notice.
? it is noble of her to take that into mind the families that is. But even teachers in all types of schools get actual vacations. I remember using home daycares and they were very clear that they would get a vacation. She either isn't feeling too confident or worried about losing her families. She could possibly get sick sometime, too, does she have anyone to cover that? Part of why people go into home daycare is so that they can enjoy their families. Maybe she should rethink this and get someone to cover her. You can get burnt out.
YES...
I used to do that.
I had scheduled into my contract, vacations that coincided with school breaks etc. It is as much for me as it is for my family AND my own kids.
But, your SIL... has her way. And her reasoning....
Her clients, would need to know of any vacations WAY ahead of time.. ...because they, need to find alternative and back-up care for their kids, too. And that is not easy to do....
But ultimately, that is up to her. It is her business.
If she REALLY wanted to... she would, on her own, schedule vacations for herself with her clients.
That is up to her.
If you tell her how to run her business... she might resent that and wonder why you are doing that.
I do believe we ALL need a vacation. As a parent who uses in home day care for me when she takes vacation I do too cause I have no one else ( I also have to pay when she closes....dont believe that part is quite fair)My in home day care closes 2 weeks a year and most holidays. It can be hard to figure into a schedule but we all need that break!!!
I did daycare in MN for many years. I built in a week vacation and then the last six years I worked in two weeks. I gave them notice in January of my vacation times. I found that most of my families tried to take their vacation when I did. I never took a full two week vacation it was a week in the summer and a week late fall. I was very much like your SIL in the beginning, but found I was a happier, healthier and better functioning daycare when we all had time away. I found when I openly discussed my vacation plans with them, they were all very receptive and totally understood. I would imagine her parents are wondering why she doesnt have a vacation plan.
