Hate four weeks notice to take day off!

[newbie]

In my old office job, if I fancied a day off I could take one sometimes with less than a weeks notice . And yet in this job, I give 4 weeks notice! The thing is this is fine when arranging a big 2 week holiday abroad but not great when u just want the odd day . I have had an extremely stressful weekend as my daughter has been poorly and now I am feeling exhausted and just generally fed up as I have got so much stuff building up like washing, ironing, housework etc and its all getting on top of me! Today to top it all off my kitchen sink leaked everywhere and it was just the last straw!! I feel so run down and tired and feeling a bit sorry for myself . In my old office job I would have been able to ask for a couple of days off and yet in my childminding job it's just not possible! Sorry not expecting any answers, just needed a moan lol xxx

[Bridey]

You only need to give four weeks notice if you expect to be paid for it. No-one is stopping you taking a day off but its not considered good practise if inadequate notice is given. However, every now and then this cannot be avoided.

[RuthJ]

Aw, feel for you

I try to plan in advance the odd day off so I've got something to look forward to! Make the week easy for yourself if you're feeling run down. DVD's, story times and free play might just get you through the week.

Take it easy x

[ziggy]

Previously i had families with grandparents on hand (although i never took advantage). Now my full time family have no one here so it's impossible to take a day off.

I guess it is one of the down sides of being a minder but i still love being at home and (more or less) doing what suits me

[hectors house]

It's hard isn't it having to plan so far in advance and sometimes our lives and family needs just won't wait 4 weeks.

Is there a day when you could finish a little earlier without inconveniencing to many families? eg: On a Tuesday I have one mindee who finishes at 3, one who finishes at 3.30 and one who finishes at 5 - In my case I would be tempted to ask the parent of child who finishes at 5 if as a one off she could get someone else to collect child at 3.30 or if I could drop the child off at a friends house. An hour and half may not sound like much but could make all the difference when you feel like you are drowning!

I have never had a job where I could take a day off at short notice, always worked for small companies where there was always too much work and not enough hours in the day - but it does get to me sometimes when parents turn up, not in their work clothes and say "I have day off today - it's my mums birthday or going to spa with a friend she bought me a voucher for Xmas" and I think "I would like to do that with my mum or my friends occasionally but wouldn't want to let 3 families down"!

[bunyip]

There's nothing wrong with asking clients if you could renegotiate a contract change to allow for less notice.

But, you're going to have to accept 2 things.

1. It'll only work if your clients are lucky enough to have the sort of arrangement you had in your previous job, and I suspect that isn't really all that common.
2. Are you willing to reciprocate and let parents give you only a couple of days' notice to change their plans as to whether or not their children attend?

Hope you get some rest and get things in order.

[SYLVIA]

I dont have 4 weeks notice for time off only for terminating of contracts. I write on my contracts "as much notice as possible". I don't take advantage of it but it has helped in the past. Never had a problem so far from parents either. Fingers crossed now that it stays that way

[julie w]

Its difficult when its not only yourself to think about. I give my parents a list of my holidays in January. However Id planned to take family to Germany for 5 days at the begining of Dec this year, but unfortunately we cant go now. So im taking mum and dad to Wales for a mini break at the end of Sept instead. I'll only need 2 days off for this (long wk end) . But one of the parents isnt very pleased because shes booked all her holidays to coincide with mine as she has no other child care. Now I want to change the days, her work wont let her change hers and she feels shes wasted her holidays. I feel awful about it.

[phoenix2010]

I told all my parents which holiday Im taking for the whole of 2013 back in January and when I reminded them this week that im off next week , 2 acted completely surprised

It seems even 3 months notice isnt enough for some people

I find things like doctor, hospital and dentist appointments are a real pain and usually end up with mindees in tow , but thats how this job is unfortunately , people are relying on us , sometimes in my cases 6 families on a single day

but I know what you mean x

[doris127]

I give all families notice of holidays in November for the following year. I love it when I get asked if I could have kids during my holidays and made to feel guilty for saying no!

[Tazmin68]

I have just done newsletter to patents and confirmed when I am away next year I plan that far ahead. We are away first week in June and I have just done a reminder with Aprils invoice so if they have forgotten they still have plenty of notice.

[blue bear]

Do you have any childminders who could cover for you? In the past I have provisionally organised cover then approached parents saying I need x day off but x childminder can cover for me that way I have solved the problem for them, parents are usually more than happy or have an alternative arrangement they can make for care. It's when you tell them you are having time off without giving them the required notice and they have no alternative they are likely to complain.

[Kiddleywinks]

I told all my parents which holiday Im taking for the whole of 2013 back in January and when I reminded them this week that im off next week , 2 acted completely surprised

It seems even 3 months notice isnt enough for some people

I find things like doctor, hospital and dentist appointments are a real pain and usually end up with mindees in tow , but thats how this job is unfortunately , people are relying on us , sometimes in my cases 6 families on a single day

but I know what you mean x

Me too!
I gave my holiday dates to everyone in my January newsletter, and also print the dates for the whole year at the bottom of each invoice so there can be no 'I didn't know!'
I have one parent that has had 5 long weekends from work so far this year, and just this week has given me a blank 'don't know what I'm going to do' look claiming she can't take any more time off work or find cover for my holiday week at Easter or my 2 weeks during the summer (?!) - I gave her an equally blank 'and...?' look saying Oh dear..... right, see you tomorrow

Having already given my holiday cover minders details in January (who has agreed to cover but parent hasn't contacted to date), along with the FIS contact details (which is where she got my details from) I refuse to wet nurse unorganised parents - am I a bad minder?

[ajs]

OP can't you take a sick day, parents can't possibly expect you to give 4 weeks for a sick day

[nikki thomson]

It's so hard isn't it, I recently had a family berevement and I obviously was going to go to the funeral, I gave 2 weeks notice (which was fine) parents brilliant, mum doesn't work full time so changed her days at work.
My family live 200 miles away so I wanted 2 days off, which again was fine but I don't get payed, I say to my husband (who is military) and they get so much holiday and on welfare issues the army are fantastic. When his mum was diagnosed with cancer (she lives in Glasgow) we live in wiltshire, he just went into work said he was going to Glasgow and he was gone 10 days, off he went.
I try to say to him I can't just do that (he doesn't get it), when my gran was dying I wasn't working that day with lo but the children's school is miles away I had to sort out friends to pick my 3 up, where were they going to go after school etc, all so I good do a mad dash up the motorway to see her, 6hr round trip in the car, as the next day I was working and I can't just ring up and say oh by the way I'm not working today, it doesn't work like that.
I love my job but at times it's hard, when u need time off at short notice. X