Do You Close Early Before Holidays?

[DancingQueen]

Every job I've ever had has allowed us to leave early the day before a major holiday (except for restaurant industry LOL).

I was wondering how many of you shut down early on the days preceeding a major holiday.

[laundrymom]

no,.. but we are the exception to the rest of the world, . We are keeping kids so the people getting off early can finish whatever they need to do before they get them. . I had a mom last year ask me where I went for my lunch hour,... she wanted to get lunch some day,.... I just looked at her,... then at the kitchen,... then at her.... and shook my head. .

[DCMom]

I don't officially close early, but I often have a light day because many of my dcf's go out of town for the holidays. Of the ones that are here, most if not all are usually gone just before or right after quiet time. It's kinda nice

[DancingQueen]

I want to put it in my contract. Not for all days - but the big ones.

Like thanks giving. My husband gets out at 3 -and I'd like to be done when he gets home.
Day before Xmas even - same thing
usually the same for 4th of July and memorial and labor day too. But I could probably leave those 3 out and focus on the big two.

Do you think it would be OK? How would you word it?

[MyAngels]

I do close early on Christmas Eve (at noon), but normally I end up getting it off altogether because my families are off that day. I just put it in my contract, along with all of the other holidays.

[misol]

I want to put it in my contract. Not for all days - but the big ones.

Like thanks giving. My husband gets out at 3 -and I'd like to be done when he gets home.
Day before Xmas even - same thing
usually the same for 4th of July and memorial and labor day too. But I could probably leave those 3 out and focus on the big two.

Do you think it would be OK? How would you word it?

Most jobs that I've worked at were the same way with letting us out early before a holiday. The only day I close early is Christmas Eve. I have a list of paid holidays in my contract and for the eve it just says

Christmas Eve (1/2 day - closing at noon)

Only you can determine if you think it's OK or too much. I would say it depends on how many other days you have off in your contract. I'd much rather close the following day than to get off early the day before.

[laundrymom]

now on occasion we have went out of town for a long weekend, or holiday and I put a BIG NOTE on the door starting the friday before and say,.. Miss Jill is driving to visit her daddy as soon as the last child leaves on,.. whatever date,.. so if you could pick up early to save her from st louis traffic pulling a camper at rush hour,.. It would make me HAPPY!!!!

[legomom922]

The only day I close early (at 3pm) is new years eve because we go out for a special dinner every year just me and my hubby. I close on Thanksgiving & Christmas, & Eve but do not close any earlier before those days. My belief is that we are in the "service industry" where we are open like most of the rest of the working world. The majority of businesses are open even on holidays and these are the days that are the most hard on parents to find care for. It's not like we work in some office and nobody even notices that we are gone. The moment I start thinking I want "this day & this day off", and I want to "leave early on this day and this day", and I want "this week off and this week off", I will look into another profession........

I think most parents wouldnt think much of you taking off Christmas Eve or Christmas, but if you start to take too many "holidays" off, they could look elsewhere.

[MommyMuffin]

I do not close the day before thanksgiving, but I do get thanksgiving and the day after, I close at 12 on christmas eve..I sure hope nobody needs me but i figure if they need to work at least I can offer half day

[WImom]

I'm not closed the day before but I do have in my contract that I'm closed the day after Christmas Day and 4th of July is they fall on a Su-Thurs. I am also closed a full day on Christmas Eve. I close pretty much all the days my husband has off as a holiday.

[SilverSabre25]

Right now, I do not close early. My kids almost all get picked up by 4:30. If I ever have someone who gets picked up later than that, then I might consider closing early before Turkey Day and on Christmas Eve.

[kathiemarie]

I'm closed Thanksgiving and the day after. I'm also closed Christmas Eve day though January 2. These are paid days off. I think I take about 8 holidays in the year plus 5 personal days.

[CKSher]

I am closed Thanksgiving and the day after. For Christmas, I took a Christmas break for Weds-Fri. I have not had one single parent complain that I take too many days off. I was open Christmas Eve one year and only one family needed me, so when I got a call for a drop-in child I accepted since I was going to have the other family anyway. I called the 1st family the night before to see if I could take her children out for some fun and she said she was not bringing them, that she had the day off and decided she might as well let them sleep in. I ended up open the whole day for 1 child who was not even a regular dc child (plus I found out later that her parents had the day off, but had stuff they wanted to do). Never again!!! I started daycare so I could be home to raise my son and quickly found that while I do get to see him all day which is great I can't spend the time I would like to with him. This is my way of ensuring I get quality time with my family and it helps me avoid burnout.

[DancingQueen]

man I just found out my husband is off the 23rd AND 24th of December.

lucky dog!

[KEG123]

I'm writing up my policies now. I think what I'm going to do is just be off completely Xmas Eve and X mas day.