Charging on Holidays

[Unregistered]

whatever

I see both sides of this issue but one thing that gets me is like everyone said, the days around a holiday. This year xmas is on a sat. as well as new years, but my daycare is taking that Friday ( xmas eve and new years eve) and that Monday ( dec 27 and Jan 3rd) which most of us are working, especially those Mondays. SO why is this ok? Yes we all need vacations but at most jobs they don't close down so everyone can go on vacation. Why not split it up? ( some personel take off) And this excuse of you are holding a spot is only true if there is a waiting list for daycare. Been to daycare lately? Not overbooked like they used to in todays economy. You are paying for a service. Unfortunately they got you by the B@!!$ b/c if u like the place and they take good care of your child, it is not worth it. But writing that check out for Thanksgiving and xmas and new years kills me every year.

[marniewon]

I see both sides of this issue but one thing that gets me is like everyone said, the days around a holiday. This year xmas is on a sat. as well as new years, but my daycare is taking that Friday ( xmas eve and new years eve) and that Monday ( dec 27 and Jan 3rd) which most of us are working, especially those Mondays. SO why is this ok? Yes we all need vacations but at most jobs they don't close down so everyone can go on vacation. Why not split it up? ( some personel take off) And this excuse of you are holding a spot is only true if there is a waiting list for daycare. Been to daycare lately? Not overbooked like they used to in todays economy. You are paying for a service. Unfortunately they got you by the B@!!$ b/c if u like the place and they take good care of your child, it is not worth it. But writing that check out for Thanksgiving and xmas and new years kills me every year.

Most professional jobs (and many non-professional jobs) offer their employees a weekday holiday if the actual holiday falls on a weekend. You ask why the provider can't split them up - it's not her fault that there are 2 holidays exactly a week apart! Personally, I don't take Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve off, so I'm only taking those days this year (because the actual holiday is on a Saturday).

But writing that check out for Thanksgiving and xmas and new years kills me every year.

Are you telling me that you have to work EVERY holiday and you don't get compensated for that? I don't know of any place who insists on employees working and doesn't pay AT LEAST time and a half. Seems to me that would be plenty to pay your dc provider for a much needed day off AND a neighbor kid to babysit your kids for the day (or how about family, for free??).

And this excuse of you are holding a spot is only true if there is a waiting list for daycare.

Nope - you are STILL paying to hold a spot - waiting list or not! Holidays are a big time for drop-in care, and if you don't want to pay for your spot, there are probably other families who could use that day or week.

Unfortunately they got you by the B@!!$ b/c if u like the place and they take good care of your child, it is not worth it.

Bingo! u like the place and they take good care of your child That's it right there! You like the place and they take good care of your child....but you don't feel they are worth compensating them for a holiday? How many hours a day do you work? Because your dcp probably works anywhere from 10-14 hours a day. How many breaks do you get? Because your dcp might be lucky to grab a few minutes at naptime, IF all the children go down at the same time and actually sleep. Do you make minimum wage? Because there's a good chance that even with all the kids in her care, your dcp might not even make that much (I don't).

Your dcp opens her home to the children she cares for, getting wear and tear on her furniture, toys, etc, has to put up with a lot of BS with parents who won't pay, or pay late, or bring sick kids, or complain about any holiday that she takes with little pay and few breaks, and long hours. Obviously she loves children to do this, and you should be thrilled that you got such a great and caring dcp and be happy to give her a much needed vacation/holiday once in a while!

[AfterSchoolMom]

I see both sides of this issue but one thing that gets me is like everyone said, the days around a holiday. This year xmas is on a sat. as well as new years, but my daycare is taking that Friday ( xmas eve and new years eve) and that Monday ( dec 27 and Jan 3rd) which most of us are working, especially those Mondays. SO why is this ok? Yes we all need vacations but at most jobs they don't close down so everyone can go on vacation. Why not split it up? ( some personel take off) And this excuse of you are holding a spot is only true if there is a waiting list for daycare. Been to daycare lately? Not overbooked like they used to in todays economy. You are paying for a service. Unfortunately they got you by the B@!!$ b/c if u like the place and they take good care of your child, it is not worth it. But writing that check out for Thanksgiving and xmas and new years kills me every year.

Do me a favor - go to work for about a month, skip your lunch break and any of your other breaks. Work about 4 hours longer than you usually do every day. If there are any holidays, don't take them off. Don't speak to another adult during any of this time. Make sure that it's really loud in your workplace ALL the time. THEN see how you feel about your provider having off a couple of days around Christmas.

[jen]

Do me a favor - go to work for about a month, skip your lunch break and any of your other breaks. Work about 4 hours longer than you usually do every day. If there are any holidays, don't take them off. Don't speak to another adult during any of this time. Make sure that it's really loud in your workplace ALL the time. THEN see how you feel about your provider having off a couple of days around Christmas.

Love this!

[momofboys]

Most professional jobs (and many non-professional jobs) offer their employees a weekday holiday if the actual holiday falls on a weekend. You ask why the provider can't split them up - it's not her fault that there are 2 holidays exactly a week apart! Personally, I don't take Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve off, so I'm only taking those days this year (because the actual holiday is on a Saturday).



Are you telling me that you have to work EVERY holiday and you don't get compensated for that? I don't know of any place who insists on employees working and doesn't pay AT LEAST time and a half. Seems to me that would be plenty to pay your dc provider for a much needed day off AND a neighbor kid to babysit your kids for the day (or how about family, for free??)


Nope - you are STILL paying to hold a spot - waiting list or not! Holidays are a big time for drop-in care, and if you don't want to pay for your spot, there are probably other families who could use that day or week.



Bingo! u like the place and they take good care of your child That's it right there! You like the place and they take good care of your child....but you don't feel they are worth compensating them for a holiday? How many hours a day do you work? Because your dcp probably works anywhere from 10-14 hours a day. How many breaks do you get? Because your dcp might be lucky to grab a few minutes at naptime, IF all the children go down at the same time and actually sleep. Do you make minimum wage? Because there's a good chance that even with all the kids in her care, your dcp might not even make that much (I don't).

Your dcp opens her home to the children she cares for, getting wear and tear on her furniture, toys, etc, has to put up with a lot of BS with parents who won't pay, or pay late, or bring sick kids, or complain about any holiday that she takes with little pay and few breaks, and long hours. Obviously she loves children to do this, and you should be thrilled that you got such a great and caring dcp and be happy to give her a much needed vacation/holiday once in a while!

Very well put!~

[My Daycare]

Do me a favor - go to work for about a month, skip your lunch break and any of your other breaks. Work about 4 hours longer than you usually do every day. If there are any holidays, don't take them off. Don't speak to another adult during any of this time. Make sure that it's really loud in your workplace ALL the time. THEN see how you feel about your provider having off a couple of days around Christmas.

Perfect, but don't forget to clean and disinfect all day.

[nikia]

Perfect, but don't forget to clean and disinfect all day.

Do me a favor - go to work for about a month, skip your lunch break and any of your other breaks. Work about 4 hours longer than you usually do every day. If there are any holidays, don't take them off. Don't speak to another adult during any of this time. Make sure that it's really loud in your workplace ALL the time. THEN see how you feel about your provider having off a couple of days around Christmas.

And the changing poopy diapers, wiping snotty noses, and cleaning up vomit when parents choose to leave out the part of their child being sick the night before.

[Unregistered]

Do me a favor - go to work for about a month, skip your lunch break and any of your other breaks. Work about 4 hours longer than you usually do every day. If there are any holidays, don't take them off. Don't speak to another adult during any of this time. Make sure that it's really loud in your workplace ALL the time. THEN see how you feel about your provider having off a couple of days around Christmas.

I would do that but I did not CHOOSE to do that line of work. I see all your points, I really do. But get mad at your boss, or your career choice, not me, who by the way is the customer and person who you depend on to pay daycare everyweek so you can get paid. And if you work 4 hours longer, and no lunches, and you don't get paid for it, then once again that is on you. No one is arguing take the holidays off, but taking advantage on OUR dime is the issue.

[Unregistered]

Most professional jobs (and many non-professional jobs) offer their employees a weekday holiday if the actual holiday falls on a weekend. You ask why the provider can't split them up - it's not her fault that there are 2 holidays exactly a week apart! Personally, I don't take Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve off, so I'm only taking those days this year (because the actual holiday is on a Saturday).



Are you telling me that you have to work EVERY holiday and you don't get compensated for that? I don't know of any place who insists on employees working and doesn't pay AT LEAST time and a half. Seems to me that would be plenty to pay your dc provider for a much needed day off AND a neighbor kid to babysit your kids for the day (or how about family, for free??).



Nope - you are STILL paying to hold a spot - waiting list or not! Holidays are a big time for drop-in care, and if you don't want to pay for your spot, there are probably other families who could use that day or week.



Bingo! u like the place and they take good care of your child That's it right there! You like the place and they take good care of your child....but you don't feel they are worth compensating them for a holiday? How many hours a day do you work? Because your dcp probably works anywhere from 10-14 hours a day. How many breaks do you get? Because your dcp might be lucky to grab a few minutes at naptime, IF all the children go down at the same time and actually sleep. Do you make minimum wage? Because there's a good chance that even with all the kids in her care, your dcp might not even make that much (I don't).

Your dcp opens her home to the children she cares for, getting wear and tear on her furniture, toys, etc, has to put up with a lot of BS with parents who won't pay, or pay late, or bring sick kids, or complain about any holiday that she takes with little pay and few breaks, and long hours. Obviously she loves children to do this, and you should be thrilled that you got such a great and caring dcp and be happy to give her a much needed vacation/holiday once in a while!

Wow, I really did not mean to open a can of worms. And what you all do is a thankless job and I am VERY blessed to have my child in a great daycare. Hopefull you can see my side too. No one is asking for you to take unpaid holidays. And technically the parents are paying for your paid holiday by paying for a full week. But can't it be both? Can't the parents pay a prorated fee if it is a partial week and you still get paid?
It is more the days off when no one else is off that is the issue.Like I have said I do get it and once again I thank all of those who are really doing good work, just those days that they are closed (monday after xmas) but everyone else has to work still kills me. Think about the parents who do not have paid days off and they now have to stay home, lose a days pay and then on tuesday pay for the whole week. Just reverse the roles. And if not, we can agree to disagree

[AfterSchoolMom]

I totally understand where you're coming from there, and can see it from a parent perspective. I personally don't charge for my days off. However, that wasn't what you (or another unregistered poster who I assumed was you) said:

But writing that check out for Thanksgiving and xmas and new years kills me every year.

[jen]

Wow, I really did not mean to open a can of worms. And what you all do is a thankless job and I am VERY blessed to have my child in a great daycare. Hopefull you can see my side too. No one is asking for you to take unpaid holidays. And technically the parents are paying for your paid holiday by paying for a full week. But can't it be both? Can't the parents pay a prorated fee if it is a partial week and you still get paid?
It is more the days off when no one else is off that is the issue.Like I have said I do get it and once again I thank all of those who are really doing good work, just those days that they are closed (monday after xmas) but everyone else has to work still kills me. Think about the parents who do not have paid days off and they now have to stay home, lose a days pay and then on tuesday pay for the whole week. Just reverse the roles. And if not, we can agree to disagree

Personally, I charge for Holidays, but do not charge for any other day that I might be closed. HOWEVER, and this is BIG, did you sign a contract that states what you were going to have to pay for?

It makes me loopy when I take the time and effort to create a contract that people are supposed to have read, they definitely signed, and THEN they complain later. If you didn't want to have to pay for those days, why did you agree to do so?

[marniewon]

Personally, I charge for Holidays, but do not charge for any other day that I might be closed. HOWEVER, and this is BIG, did you sign a contract that states what you were going to have to pay for?

It makes me loopy when I take the time and effort to create a contract that people are supposed to have read, they definitely signed, and THEN they complain later. If you didn't want to have to pay for those days, why did you agree to do so?

Exactly! There are so many providers out there, and they all don't have the same policies - I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find one that doesn't charge for holidays or their vacations or whatever. If you (general "you") signed the contract, then that's on you. Should have read it and known the policies of that daycare before you signed it.

[MissAnn]

Licensed provider?

Our daycare provider charges only for the days my daughter is physically there so long as we tell them by the Sunday evening of that particular week. So we do not pay for holidays, we do not pay for our vacations, and we don't pay for any days I know in advance that she won't be there. They use this open communication system of scheduling to give their caretakers more flexibility in their own schedules. So no, not all providers charge for the "slot." Some actually charge for the care that is provided.

I would be curious to know if this is a licensed provider? Does she carry insurance on her program? I for one could not afford to charge only for days each child attends. This is income we rely on, just as you do. If I want to stay in business and more importantly if I want to provide excellent quality, that takes money. Before I was licensed, I charged only for days the child attended. As soon as I earned my license, that quickly came to an end. I do not sell myself short. I also do not make much over minimum wage. I love owning my own program, but honestly.......the hardest part is having parents who do not understand why we have paid time off in our contracts.

[Unregistered]

paying day care

I can understand paid holidays for the day care providers (and I hope that they use this money to give their staff paid holidays!)...however, when I get a phone call while in route to the daycare saying that they are closing due to not having enough staff to watch the children (due to wether) then I am not a happy camper. Now I either have to find somebody very quickly and pay them to watch my children for the day OR lose a day's pay myself and still have to pay the daycare...so, now let's look at this situation from the daycare's point of view. She does not have to pay her staff since they called in, she does not have to pay for utilities for that day, there will be no arts and crafts supplies used that day, no toilet paper, no paper towles...you get me point...it doesn't seem right to charge for a day that you close that is NOT a holiday...oh, and by the way, teachers DO NOT get paid holidays. They get paid for 180 school days plus however many professional development days they have to do...if schools are closed for a snow day the teachers do not get paid for that day, they have to make it up in June and that's another day taken away from them that they could be working a summer job and making money...

[mac60]

the state I live in, teachers get paid a salary, average here $47,000 per year....break that down and that is a pretty damn good wage for the days and amount of hours actually worked for the school year..... plus all the benefits and PTO.