Opening on President's Day.....

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I could have wrote this all the way-

yes you do need a backbone, sorry but I am closed on Presidents Day. Don't open your door. Put a note up now reminding them. ITs ok to have a break! It makes you a better provider. Parents need to have back up!!!

Yes, it was definitely a rookie mistake. It was my first year operating a home daycare (had been working in centers for over a decade). I just assumed "all federal holidays" was clear enough, but I guess many people do have to work on this particular holiday. It's a toss up, but they have off on MLK day, so I get that off and have to work President's day.

[TaylorTots]

I am open and charge if they keep their kids home. My policy is you let me know 2 weeks in advance of an absence and I do a half daily rate for you. No one has said anything yet so either I will be having a full house or getting paid well for a lack of attendance.

[snbauser]

I'm open but I follow our school schedule since I have all school employees. It was originally a teacher workday but thanks to our winter, is a regular school day.

BUT if it was in my schedule to be closed and I had plans, I wouldn't open. If I didn't have plans, I might consider it. I am going to be in a similar situation after this week. We are out of school today and will probably be out tomorrow and Friday. I'm waiting to see what the make up day will be. I've heard they will either be Saturday school or spring break. I am trying to decide what I will do if that happens.

[TwinKristi]

I'm open, it's not one of those important holidays to me and most people work anyway. One dad is off and said he may bring DCG for a short day to get a few things done. They live 40 min away and he works up here so I know he won't be here at his usual time. He was also off Monday and this Friday but my other parents work.

[originalkat]

From my handbook:
Holidays and Breaks

I strive to provide families with an exceptional quality, all-day, year round program. I try to recognize the needs of working parents and their families. However, holidays and breaks are necessary for the well-being of all. Please see the calendar for specific dates. If a holiday falls on a weekend, we will close on either the Friday before or the Monday after.

We will be closed on the following paid holidays.

New Year Day
Martin Luther King Jr.
President’s Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving and the day after
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day

[sharlan]

I'm not closed that day. It's not a major holiday IMHO and 2 of my families work that day.

[craftymissbeth]

It's not an 'important' holiday to me, either, but it's the only extra day off I'll have for the whole month. I'm feeling burnt out and could definitely use a three day weekend.

[Play Care]

I understand a lot of these types of holidays regional - in my area schools, banks, government offices and libraries are closed. I used to be open because I figured most parents were working only to find that all my families had at least one parent off.

I try to be reliable so parents can WORK. For me, taking a day off on a day when parents are either off, or have access to alternate care arrangements (teen sitters, relatives who are off, etc) makes more sense than taking a random day another time (not that I'm opposed to that either:

In this case the provider took a day off. It happens to be a minor federal holiday. But take away the fact it's a holiday and ask yourself if you had a day off scheduled and a parent asked a few days prior if you were still going to be off because of other unplanned time off, how would you feel? The reality is, it doesn't matter what the day is. The provider gave ample notice she would be closed. If she opens this day (because the parent guilts her into it or others question the validity of the holiday, etc) then why bother taking time off for any reason? Because parents are always going to be working.

[KidGrind]

I had two parents ask me this as well. We will be closed tomorrow and maybe Friday b/c we're in a State of Emergency, so now I'm struggling again with opening on Monday.

I am not opening Monday. I have no control over the weather. You see the snow yet? I am going to clean tomorrow for about 2 hours then it’s couch, Girl Scout Cookies and me. If you happen to go out, BE SAFE.

[MCC]

I am not opening Monday. I have no control over the weather. You see the snow yet? I am going to clean tomorrow for about 2 hours then it’s couch, Girl Scout Cookies and me. If you happen to go out, BE SAFE.

It's snowing now! I am not going to open either, though I really have struggled with it, but it really comes down to the 1 parent who has to work, did not plan properly for snow days, and now is turning it on me. It's not my fault she didn't have a back up plan. I do think they are going to term over this, but, oh well... sad b/c it's my favorite DCB.

[JLH]

My Parent Handbook clearly states that we are closed on the following unpaid holidays:
New Year's
MLK
President's Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving and the day after
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after

I also leave a list of these days on the inside of my front door year round. To ensure no one comes knocking on my day off, I leave a note on the outside of my front door a week before the holiday and it stays up until the morning I'm ready to open again.
I've opened my daycare, closed, had twins, and reopened a new daycare a couple years later, so I've had some time to play with the holidays option. The first time I opened, I took all holidays or the mon before or fri after off paid, and I took a week paid off for the week of Christmas and for the week of 4th of July. I found that around my vacations I would lose nearly every kid.
When I reopened a few years later, I took only about 4 days off a year and they were paid. Every holiday I worked I would end up with only 1 or 2 kids showing up, often late, and their parents were off for the day. To make it worse, they were almost always kids on subsidy that I would have gotten paid for even if they had been absent. I had a few snarky comments from parents for the 4 measly days a year I had off too because they had to pay when they couldn't attend.
Last month in Jan. I renewed our contracts and again am trying something new. This time we are closed for most all major holidays but they are unpaid. So far we've closed for 2 and are coming up on our 3rd holiday closure and no one has said anything bad. I don't feel bad for closing for a few extra holidays and the parents seem to like not having to pay. happyface

[NoMoreJuice!]

Holidays

I take these paid holidays off:

- New Year's Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving (yes, Black Friday. MUST SHOP.)
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day

Never had a fuss from anyone. Never apologized either. These are pretty standard holidays that most parents have off, and the ones that can't miss work can call Grandma. I should mention that I do NOT take off paid vacation weeks or sick days though. If I close for any reason (funerals, sick days, vacation), it is credited on the next scheduled payment.

[KidGrind]

It's snowing now! I am not going to open either, though I really have struggled with it, but it really comes down to the 1 parent who has to work, did not plan properly for snow days, and now is turning it on me. It's not my fault she didn't have a back up plan. I do think they are going to term over this, but, oh well... sad b/c it's my favorite DCB.

I read your post. I thought for two seconds maybe I should open on Monday. Then I thought, “H**l no!” You were almost a bad influence. ::::

[daycarediva]

I'm open. I am supposed to have a lighter load, since only 3 parents are working but I highly doubt that will happen.

[Annalee]

It's snowing now! I am not going to open either, though I really have struggled with it, but it really comes down to the 1 parent who has to work, did not plan properly for snow days, and now is turning it on me. It's not my fault she didn't have a back up plan. I do think they are going to term over this, but, oh well... sad b/c it's my favorite DCB.

Sometimes I feel my days off run together and I get leery of what parents think about that, but it is in their contract and posted by the door is the list of closings, so the responsibility to handle that lies with the parent. Hang in there! happyface