Last Time You Took a Vacation?

[Play Care]

I take three weeks per calendar year. I take them unpaid (though I charge slightly higher prices to make up for that)

My last week off was at the beginning of the summer. Before that I went away to Florida in February, and my last week will be at Christmas. I think there are at least three places in my contract where I stress that parents are responsible for back up care and I stress it again during the interview. I find even at three weeks many of my parents still have way more time off than I do. So I learned early on to take it.

[butterfly]

You could also consider raising your rates enough to allow yourself to take at least 1 week off. So if you charge $125, raising your rate by $2-3 dollars will cover it. You need to take care of yourself in order to care for others.

Or put away $2-3 from each parents' payment to save for a day off.

I save one child's payment all year long to be able to take a vacation and time off.

[melilley]

last vacation from work where I stayed home-I can't remember but, it had to be last year when I was working because I had 3 weeks and when I quit got paid for two...last vacation where I went somewhere other than camping was our honeymoon in Aug 2007 in Vegas. We came home with the biggest Jackpot of all and found out we were pregnant the next month! Haven't been able to go anywhere since!::

:: same happened to me. We went to Vegas in Oct. and in Nov. we found out that I was pregnant! Something about Vegas....

[melilley]

I have it in my contract that I have all major holidays, plus the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas eve off-paid. I also have two vacations-one paid in the summer and one non paid sometime during the year and I will give adequate notice to parents for the second vacation. Plus I have 5 paid personal/vacation/professional development days that I can take per year.

I opened in Jan and have had Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and a week in July off and am taking a personal day in Oct. and will let the parents know today.
I also give full time parents one week off without having to pay so it kind of evens out.

You definitely NEED to take time off every once in a while or burnout is a given!