Taking The Day Off

[wdmmom]

If you own and operate an in-home daycare, have you ever taken a day off because of personal illness?

How do you notify all of your parents? How much notice did you provide?

I have been doing this for almost 3 years and I have yet to take a sick day. (Knock on wood.) I have 5 personal days/sick days and I take them every year but I always take them as personal days.

I'm sure at some point I may need to take a sick day and I'm curious as to how others notify their families and how much time is sufficient for them to find alternate care for the day.

Thanks!

[MyAngels]

I have closed for my own sickness only twice in 19 years. The first time I notified parents in the early evening that I would be closed the next day. The second time I notified everyone between 6:00-6:30 a.m. the morning that I closed.

I'm reliable to an extreme, and no one seemed to have a problem either time.

[Meyou]

I find most families understand even really short notice if you are really, really ill. I was recently in an accident while we were on vacation and my DH ended up having to call all my families with no notice that I would be home for at least 10 days before I could take the kids again. Not one complaint or problem and they all offered to give me more time if I needed it. Thankfully I didn't although my mama came and helped me my first week back to work.

[LittleD]

I think I've taken 2 days off. Once I called the evening before, and the other time an hour before they were scheduled to be here. I don't get up until maybe 30mins before they get here, so they were even lucky to get the hour, LOL! I've watched them when I've been ill, if they HAD to have care, but if I'm am too sick to watch them properly, (spending a majority of my time in the bathroom, or can't stay awake) I'll book the day. I just say I'm too sick to properly care for your kids today, so sorry for the inconvience.

[sahm1225]

I've been open for 2 years and have closed once because of illness and one for personal reasons.

illness: My assistant and I came down with the stomach flu overnight. I called all the parents at 6am to let them know that I was closed for the day. It was about 1 hour-2 hour notice for the families. None of the families complained.

personal: My husband started having chest pains and we called the ambulance to rush him to the ER. It turned out to be an allergic reaction to the pain medicine he was taking from his accident the day before, so it was just crazy. I sent a text to the one family that I had for that day at about 4:30am, so they got 3 hours notice.

I think as long as we don't abuse the illness/sick day policy that most families will understand. I would call them as soon as you know you wont be able to open for the day (if it's a few hours or the night before). I think most families called into work for my 2 times, but a few of the kids went to the near by daycare that offers drop in services.

[MsMe]

We are a two provider home so we have been lucky enough the never have to close due to personal illness.

In July we closed for the first time ever (in eight years) for two days. I broke my elbow and it required surgery with an overnight stay in a hospital 3 hours away. I am single so my Mother went along so I was not alone. I cried while

We are a Mother/Daughter team and do tell the parents if something happens in the immediate family we WILL both have to be gone and they do need to have an idea of back up.

Part of my burn out issues have always been linked to working 60hrs per week. Find a trusted family member, friend, or assistant. Get them trained, meet teh parents, kids, help around your program so that you CAN take a day off even if it isnt bc of illness.....that way you won't do what I did and work every minute of everyday for years and miss everything in you life and start to resent the job.

[sharlan]

In 27 years I closed for 10 days while I was in the hospital. One family kept their baby with a friend for another 2 weeks because I couldn't lift him.

Any other time that I was too ill to watch the kids, one of my daughters took over.

[SilverSabre25]

I have it in my contract that if I have to close unexpectedly for any reason, that I will make the decision and notify families before 11 PM the night before or between 6 and 7 AM the morning of.

I have used this once, when I went into labor with my son. Any other time I've been too sick to work, DH has either stayed home or come home to take care of the daycare. This has been a couple of times...3 maybe? But at least one was pregnancy related.

[Blackcat31]

ALL my days off are scheduled in advance (almost a year).

I have been in the business for almost 2 full decades and have not ever closed due to illness.

I am one of those lucky people who are rarely sick. (knock on wood).

I always joke to others that I am somehow immune to every thing that comes through daycares. I don't question why I am just grateful for good health.

[DaycareMomma]

I have been open for 3 1/2 years and I have closed quite a bit. My youngest son had a stretch where he was so sick he was in the hospital a lot. I'm talking one year he was in for 3 weeks total. My daycare parents knew well in advance of his illnesses and so it came as no surprise when he was put in the hospital all those times.

I have had GREAT families that have worked through it with me, none have complained about it at all. They were all just concerned about my son.

For the past year and a half, my son has gotten so much better to where I haven't taken a day off for illness in almost a year! I have worked through major migraines, colds, you name it. My children have stayed healthy so I haven't needed to close due to them. So most of my days off are personal days and the parents know WELL in advance of them.

[e.j.]

I haven't had to close for illness in several years but when I first started out, I caught everything the kids brought in. I had to call parents maybe one or twice a year because of things like stomach bug and strep. I would usually go to bed feeling fine but wake up in the morning feeling sick so, although I called them asap, the parents didn't get as much warning as I would have liked to have given them.

I don't work on Fridays so I've always tried to schedule all personal things (dr. and dentist appointments, IEP meetings for my kids, etc...) on that day. If I absolutely couldn't schedule an appointment on a Friday, I'd talk to the parents and give as much notice as possible.

[Cat Herder]

After years of close contact with carrier monkeys...aka DCK's... I find my immune system can and will attack small mammals.

If an emergency comes up I plan to call everyone (if DH and my Mom were unavailable). My hope is that they would assume that if I am closing, it must be really bad.

[cheerfuldom]

I have never had a sick day in over 4 years! (even though there were times I wished I had closed)

[Christian Mother]

I have wonderful parents and kids!! I normally don't take any time off even though I indicate on my phb that I take 5 personal days a yr. I just normally don't. But, a couple times a yr I get really sick (hospital sick) and my husband ends up covering for me. In a way he loves it bc he gets 3 wks paid vacation a yr and really loves to be home to play with the kids. The parents are all told up front that they must have a back up provider but if I am sick and unable to care for the kids if my husband is available he will watch them those days I can not. They have all been excellent with that and trust him completely.