What's Your Nov-Dec Holiday Off

[Unregistered]

We have the standard Veterans Day, Thanksgiving day, Thursday after thanksgiving, Christmas day, New Year's day.

But when I searched around most pre-school (like 2 weeks off) and daycare in our area has more Holiday off and it just make sense. So, we want to add some in our policy. I initially send this modification in the beginning of the year (January 4) to be observe this coming holiday season but we still gets complain. So, Is this too much?

We want to add:
Christmas Eve - Early closing at 2pm (We're still open for 7 hours)
Day after Christmas if it falls on a weekday
New Years eve - Early closing at 2pm.

Is this too much?

[CountryRoads]

No, not at all.

Here's my Nov/Dec closures:

Nov - Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving

Dec - Christmas Eve through New Year's Day

I love Christmas break and look forward to it every year.

I honestly would just close on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Unless you guys don't mind staying later, but I don't like risking parent's running late and possibly cutting into plans I have

[Michael]

Please consider registering on the forum. Here are some more threads on Holiday Policies: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...holiday+policy

[Snowmom]

By stating "we", I am assuming you are a center based childcare, not in-home provider?

I think center based has different parental expectations than a family/in-home business. The higher price and larger staff leads families to expect less closures. Unless the center follows a school calendar.

The chain centers around here only close for major holidays.

In-homes vary greatly. Mine is closed Veteran's Day, 2 days at Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve-New Years Day.

I'm always in the camp of "do what's best for you" though. If you want to take more vacation, by all means, do it! Take care of yourself first and foremost!

[jenboo]

I close all state holidays, a few 3 day weekends, Christmas eve,, the Friday after Thanksgiving, the week between Christmas and new year's eve, and a week in summer.

[BumbleBee]

I close Thanksgiving & the day after. Then Christmas Eve thru New Year's Day.

[Cat Herder]

When my kids were small I closed Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and December 24th through January 2nd. That was one of my biggest goals in having my own business; holidays with my kids.

Now that they are adults, I only close Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, December 24th-25th, and New Years Day.

* I close on Black Friday and New Years Day because the kids are notoriously miserable those days. I close on Christmas Eve because the parents are notoriously late picking up that day. Grandparents tend to pick up on New Year's Eve so I stay open.

[Jo123ABC]

I also usually take all state holidays. So Veteran's, Thanksgiving, Christmas day, New Year's day. I always use a vacation day for Christmas Eve. This year I'm also taking black Friday and the day after Christmas. I kind of want all Christmas week but am fine with working Mon and Fri that week. I have 2 DC bdays and a Christmas party to do so we'll party those days and keep it simple ::

[Unregistered]

OP Here. Thanks for all the responses. Just to clarify. When you choose to close an entire week from Christmas to New Year, Is that an additional paid vacation from the standard 2 weeks off? or that's your unpaid personal time off? I guess, we can do whatever we want but just want to see how many choose to take it unpaid. Thanks!

[e.j.]

I take Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after off. I close at noon on Christmas Eve and am then closed through New Year's Day. The week between Christmas and New Years is one of my 2 or 3 unpaid weeks off. (I reserve the right to take a 3rd week off but have only taken 2 weeks off for the past several years.)

[jenboo]

OP Here. Thanks for all the responses. Just to clarify. When you choose to close an entire week from Christmas to New Year, Is that an additional paid vacation from the standard 2 weeks off? or that's your unpaid personal time off? I guess, we can do whatever we want but just want to see how many choose to take it unpaid. Thanks!

Only actually holidays are paid for me. I increased my rates by $10 a week and stash that $10 in savings savings. This covers all my time off.
Im still getting paid, parents think they aren't paying me. Win win.

[Cat Herder]

OP Here. Thanks for all the responses. Just to clarify. When you choose to close an entire week from Christmas to New Year, Is that an additional paid vacation from the standard 2 weeks off? or that's your unpaid personal time off? I guess, we can do whatever we want but just want to see how many choose to take it unpaid. Thanks!

When I took the week of Christmas, I counted it as one of my two weeks off per year. I don't charge tuition on my closed weeks because I figure my tuition rates based on 50 weeks instead of 52, so they are prepaid. I do this for parent's convenience as they budget monthly, not annually like me. They must pay someone else those weeks and would view it as extra even though it is not.

I now take a week each for Fall and Spring break, Federal Holidays, plus 4 doctor's appointments/personal/training days per year.

[Ariana]

I have 20 days allotted for vacation time so this year I am taking 3 weeks off at xmas. It is unpaid. My stat holidays are usually paid but over Christmas I make them unpaid so taking 3 weeks off is easier to swallow for the parents

[CountryRoads]

Anytime I'm closed, it's unpaid.

[Snowmom]

I'm paid for all holidays and the Christmas Break (12/24-1/1).
Time off beyond that is unpaid (but worked into my rates).