really struggling with holiday dates

ive told all parents I will send my holidays for the year in febs invoice (send these on 20th jan) does anyone else struggle with this decision ive only just started minding and before worked a normal job where could pretty much choose holidays whenever with v little notice. I suppose this way its set in stone and I can look forward to them just don't know when to choose. also want to coincide with my partner but I have booked a surpise holiday to turkey in june for his birthday which he has no clue about so bit tricky :(

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Originally Posted by Jessymax

ive told all parents I will send my holidays for the year in febs invoice (send these on 20th jan) does anyone else struggle with this decision ive only just started minding and before worked a normal job where could pretty much choose holidays whenever with v little notice. I suppose this way its set in stone and I can look forward to them just don't know when to choose. also want to coincide with my partner but I have booked a surpise holiday to turkey in june for his birthday which he has no clue about so bit tricky :(

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Although you have told parents you will let them know this month what does it say in their contracts? Mine says 4 weeks notice on each side. Everybody is different. I know some cm's who do not have school aged children and they, for want of a better phrase 'play a waiting game' with some parents to see when they will take their holidays and they sometimes win as they seem to have lots of weeks in the school holidays with hardly any children and still get paid. In their contracts parents pay for holidays but not the cm's holidays and then they take a week or two during the term. Personally I do not get paid for my holidays. I think ahead as to what I want to do with my family during the year. My family is still tied to school holidays so that is when I take them. You also need to think how many weeks a year you want off. And if your contracts state you do or do not get paid for your holidays taken. For example you could tell them you're having a few days off at Easter but haven't decided the rest yet and will tell them nearer. It's a long year. You will need breaks.

My contract says that I will give min of 4 weeks notice of holidays. I do try out of helpfulness to give the dates for most of my time off around end Jan beg Feb but reserve the right to take additional days with the min 4 weeks notice if/when I need to. TBH none of my childminders I used with my DS gave me their holiday dates for the year so early on so I think I'm doing okay by doing what I do. I only do it to try and help but I'm not contracted to.


xxx

my contract states 4 weeks notice both ways I don't charge when I am off but do charge when they are and I feel if I set them now (tobe nice) they may choose to coincide with mine? then its win win for them maybe im being too nice

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Originally Posted by Jessymax

my contract states 4 weeks notice both ways I don't charge when I am off but do charge when they are and I feel if I set them now (tobe nice) they may choose to coincide with mine? then its win win for them maybe im being too nice

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I dont see anything wrong with the parent coinciding their holidays. Saves them trying to arrange other childcare arrangements if they can't get the time.

I try to give parents as much notice as I can because in certain jobs only so many staff can be off at any one time so if it been booked the parents struggle.

I tell them as soon as I book but wouldn't be able to do it so early in the year, dh job is very unreliable in that there is times he has to be there and often we don't know Til a few weeks before. If you don't yet know can you send a letter with invoice instead and say sorry but unfort you don't yet know your dates, here is the ones you do have and you will let them know as soon as you do? With regard to your surprise trip maybe just tell them in person and ask them not to mention it to your partner ?

That is the problem when the cm does not charge for /his her holidays but does charge parents for theirs.
The result is that many will coincide their holiidays with you so they do not pay.....and with that may save 4 weeks of fees

maybe you could rethink the charges after this year?...your choice but when on holidays your expenses do not 'stop'

Have you thought of sending the holidays dates in a Newsletter rather than via invoice?...just a thought!

I give my holiday dates in every months invoice as well as on termly newsletters. I try in Jan to give dates for Easter and summer and an indication for christmas.

I don't charge when I am away, but do when parents are if I am working. Some parents fit in with me and others do their own thing.

I need to give dates early as dh is limited as to when he can take holiday.

(What I did to cover these 4 weeks of no income was to work out how much half fees were for those weeks, divide it by 48 and added that to my hourly fee ... everyone pays the new rate, still thinks they get a good deal as don't pay when I'm off (but actually they have!)

I haven't started newsletter yet as I am lucky I get lots of time to chant with parents every time they pick up and drop off when that changes I probably will. also put anything importantv on notice board in entrance. as for holidays I ummed and arghed for ages about how much to take and what to charge I just cant justify charging when I am on a beach somewhere not paing for heating or electric or water or kids food at home :/ just the take I have on it so far (this could well change xx

What I did to cover these 4 weeks of no income was to work out how much half fees were for those weeks, divide it by 48 and added that to my hourly fee ... everyone pays the new rate, still thinks they get a good deal as don't pay when I'm off (but actually they have!)[/QUOTE

Am I being really thick?... Would the increase in fees be different for each family?

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Originally Posted by samb

What I did to cover these 4 weeks of no income was to work out how much half fees were for those weeks, divide it by 48 and added that to my hourly fee ... everyone pays the new rate, still thinks they get a good deal as don't pay when I'm off (but actually they have!)[/QUOTE

Am I being really thick?... Would the increase in fees be different for each family?

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Yes and no... everyone pays an hourly fee so it is worked out on however many hours they do. Same percentage increase but varying amounts for each family.

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Originally Posted by Jessymax

my contract states 4 weeks notice both ways I don't charge when I am off but do charge when they are and I feel if I set them now (tobe nice) they may choose to coincide with mine? then its win win for them maybe im being too nice

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I'm going to disagree with Simona's post (and probably a lot of other CMs) on this point.

Yes, the sensible thing for any parent to do, if they can, is to coincide their holiday with their CM under these terms. A bit stoopid not to, if it saves money.

IMHO, the sensible way round this would be if we all factored an amount into our fees to allow for our holiday and parents' holidays, then didn't charge for either: just limit the amount they take.

The real hiccup with my proposal is that CMs who do it tend to look more expensive to the dumbo-type parents who can only see the hourly rate, then moan when they get charged for all the 'extras'. :(

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Originally Posted by bunyip

I'm going to disagree with Simona's post (and probably a lot of other CMs) on this point.

Yes, the sensible thing for any parent to do, if they can, is to coincide their holiday with their CM under these terms. A bit stoopid not to, if it saves money.

IMHO, the sensible way round this would be if we all factored an amount into our fees to allow for our holiday and parents' holidays, then didn't charge for either: just limit the amount they take.

The real hiccup with my proposal is that CMs who do it tend to look more expensive to the dumbo-type parents who can only see the hourly rate, then moan when they get charged for all the 'extras'. :(

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Buyip...it is not a question of disagreement...47,000 plus cms each do their own thing to serve their own childminding model!

I have tried all sorts of ways to deal with holidays...charge...not charge...limit them....review and update and each time it had its advantages and disadvantages.

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Originally Posted by Simona

Buyip...it is not a question of disagreement...47,000 plus cms each do their own thing to serve their own childminding model!

I have tried all sorts of ways to deal with holidays...charge...not charge...limit them....review and update and each time it had its advantages and disadvantages.

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Yes, I don't think any one system would suit every CM.

Dare I say it? I don't think anything at all would please some parents. :p

There was a new CM on Nutmoms just recently, who was asking "what would parents like from a CM that they don't get?" It was very tempting to hit the 'reply' button, type "b-l-o-o-d", and hit 'send'. :(

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Originally Posted by bunyip

Yes, I don't think any one system would suit every CM.

Dare I say it? I don't think anything at all would please some parents. :p

There was a new CM on Nutmoms just recently, who was asking "what would parents like from a CM that they don't get?" It was very tempting to hit the 'reply' button, type "b-l-o-o-d", and hit 'send'. :(

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Maybe the one thing parents would like to have is to believe they employ cms...rather than buy our services!

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Originally Posted by Simona

Maybe the one thing parents would like to have is to believe they employ cms...rather than buy our services!

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Actually not a bad idea. I could make a fortunate just suing them for workplace harassment when they phone me at home at all hours. :D