How Do You Take a Break?

[My3cents]

Dave,

you have been on the boards long enough to know these things.....

policy,hand,rule book and contract.

In the above you must have PAID two weeks vacation (which you need to give plenty of notice ahead of time to all your families) another vacation that you may take with out pay if you choose.
3-5 paid sick days/personal days
Holidays paid

If you don't allow yourself these few days you will head straight for burn out. It refreshed you and makes you a better provider and parent. Your family deserves your attention and vise versa. Your not asking too much and also in your contracts etc.... you should state these are paid days to you and that your families need to have reliable back up and your not responsible for that back up.

This is good business practice. Don't feel guilty about it.

Sorry but for a tummy ache,your home, you can hit the bathroom when you need and I wouldn't close or use a day for that. I would however feel crummy and just try to get through it, just like most people at jobs have to do.

When you do your interviews put all this out there right away and don't feel bad about it. Then look forward to your vacations, enjoy your holidays and be sad when they are over just like most daycares do. We work very hard, long hours at this job and it not asking much for this. It makes for better providers and families.

Another option is to hire someone to come into your home for the weeks that you are on holiday- but most parents can find alternate care or schedule their vacations for the same weeks that you are off. Be fair and give plenty of notice ahead of time. I know some daycare offer the parents to pay extra to cover the vacation weeks so they don't have to pay someone else, plus pay the paid vacation. Another option.

I know your heart is good, but having a good heart also means taking care of ourselves and our needs.

Best-

[dave4him]

DHS doesnt pay me unless the child is actually being watched, so i guess i cant really take a paid day off unless its with the one child whos out of pocket. And yes i have been on these boards a while, it does not mean i simple know everything!

[Blackcat31]

DHS doesnt pay me unless the child is actually being watched, so i guess i cant really take a paid day off unless its with the one child whos out of pocket. And yes i have been on these boards a while, it does not mean i simple know everything!

DHS won't pay for days I am closed either so I bill the parent directly.

What I do is about a month before my vacation, I take the total they will owe me and split it up over that month so each week they pay me a little bit.

That covers the day(s) I am closed and they pay like everyone else. HTH

[countrymom]

DHS doesnt pay me unless the child is actually being watched, so i guess i cant really take a paid day off unless its with the one child whos out of pocket. And yes i have been on these boards a while, it does not mean i simple know everything!

you do sound snarky there. I'm sorry, but you you whined how you couldn't get children for a long time, except for your neice, now you have 2 children and your niece and now your complaining how you need a vacation from them. Maybe this is not the profession for you, if you are so worried that if you take a day off you won't get paid. Well, guess what I DON'T GET PAID FOR MY VACATIONS EITHER, and I still take them. Its not always about money, sometimes its about your sanity. I also don't get paid for holidays or if the child doesn't show up, and I still make it work.

[My3cents]

DHS doesnt pay me unless the child is actually being watched, so i guess i cant really take a paid day off unless its with the one child whos out of pocket. And yes i have been on these boards a while, it does not mean i simple know everything!

have it in your contract that if the state doesn't pay the responsibility is upon the parent.

The 2nd part I am going to ignore because I think you know that I came from a good place. Sorry your having a hard time.

best-

[Blackcat31]

Dave,

you have been on the boards long enough to know these things.....

you do sound snarky there. I'm sorry, but you you whined how you couldn't get children for a long time, except for your neice, now you have 2 children and your niece and now your complaining how you need a vacation from them. Maybe this is not the profession for you, if you are so worried that if you take a day off you won't get paid. Well, guess what I DON'T GET PAID FOR MY VACATIONS EITHER, and I still take them. Its not always about money, sometimes its about your sanity. I also don't get paid for holidays or if the child doesn't show up, and I still make it work.

Wow! Did Dave do something to make soemone mad or something???

He is asking a question and sharing his concerns and worries about taking a needed vacation and not losing the new clients he has worked hard to enroll. Where is the normal show of support that members usually receive?

He has been on this board for a while but like everyone else, we all still post, vent, complain and share so why is it wrong for him to do so?

I am sorry Dave, not trying to speak for you, but seriously surprised at the lack of support going on here.

I understand why it is scary to take a needed break for fear of alienating your new clients and thinking they would leave due to unreliability but like I said, I worked up to taking a longer vacation and simply added to it each year.

Yes, this topic has come up before on the board but in reality so has EVERY other topic we have discussed so I dont think repeating a topic is a bad thing....

Anyways, I hope you were able to gleen some helpful/useful advice from this thread.

[dave4him]

DHS won't pay for days I am closed either so I bill the parent directly.

What I do is about a month before my vacation, I take the total they will owe me and split it up over that month so each week they pay me a little bit.

That covers the day(s) I am closed and they pay like everyone else. HTH

I didnt think i was allowed to bill the parents for that. I need to check with my DHS rep then, because i thought it was illegal to accept money from the parent who is on DHS. Hmmmm

[dave4him]

[QUOTE=countrymom;256114]
QUOTE]

I do have some sanity left, but things change from month to month. It would help my sanity if we didnt have to wait four weeks for my wife to get paid from her new job since she switched companies. Maybe thats why im a bit nuts right now.