Holidays and parents

[moljak]

I provided my holiday schedule for the whole Sept 2011 - Sept 2012 to all my parents.One has come back and unhappy with me taking holidays in school holidays.I know we're expected to work ALL holidays but it's upset me that shes disappointed in me.
Days that she needs to find alternative childcare are Dec 28th and 29th
April 10th, 11th and 12th

June 6th and 7th

Aug 20th,21st 22nd, 23rd, 28th,19th,30th 31st.

Do you think I'm being unfair?

I'm working Oct half term even doing overtime, 1st week of xmas hols, Feb half term, 1st week of Easter hols and 4 weeks of summer holidays.

I don't want to take my kids out of school term time so don't want to take holidays term time.

This has turned a perfect relationship sour and really spoilt my day

[WibbleWobble]

I have had a similar response to my holidays1

I have given my holidays for the WHOLE of 2012! i have taken 26 days and half are term time and half holiday time.....already had complaints and huffs and puffs.

one mum told me she didnt have enough hols left to fit in my hols up to april. THATS COS YOU JUST TAKE RANDOM DAYS OFF WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT!!!

i am not backing down

i am knackered

mandy xxxx

[nikki thomson]

Hi, I'm not being funny but I'm not sure what she expects, I want to have my hols when the kids are off not when there in school, also at our children's school we have to have written permission to take them
Out of school in term time which they never give you so it turns into sn unauthorised absence.
My holidays are 2 weeks in summer, oct half term week, week between Xmas and new year and a week at Easter. Don't back down otherwise you'll end up with no family time, maybe see if another cm can help on those dates and give mum the number if they can don't do all the work for her, failing that then I'm afraid it's just tuff luck, sounds harsh but some parents forget we need holidays and just expect us to work around them. X

[green puppy]

I have it written into my contracts that I take 2 weeks in august and 2 weeks at christmas. If I need extra time off then I give a min of 4 weeks notice but as much as possible. You have the right to take whatever holidays you choose and are giving plenty of notice, stick to your guns as Parsleypetal said we all need a break!

[mr man]

all my hols are in school hols, so i have family time with my own children. NO way would i have any in term time. whats the point of that? i prefer my time with my own children.

i have 5 weeks off a year, all same 1 wk at easter / 2 wks end of summer hols / 1 wk oct half term / and 1 wk at xmas.

its spread out nice for me.

all typed on back of invoices each month and no one has huffed at me. i cant believe the cheek of them - really.

ive even added 2013 to it now, as i have the school calander.

[Pipsqueak]

I provided my holiday schedule for the whole Sept 2011 - Sept 2012 to all my parents.One has come back and unhappy with me taking holidays in school holidays.I know we're expected to work ALL holidays but it's upset me that shes disappointed in me.
Days that she needs to find alternative childcare are Dec 28th and 29th
April 10th, 11th and 12th

June 6th and 7th

Aug 20th,21st 22nd, 23rd, 28th,19th,30th 31st.

Do you think I'm being unfair?

I'm working Oct half term even doing overtime, 1st week of xmas hols, Feb half term, 1st week of Easter hols and 4 weeks of summer holidays.

I don't want to take my kids out of school term time so don't want to take holidays term time.

This has turned a perfect relationship sour and really spoilt my day

Hang on a minute you have been that organised you have provided your holiday/closure dates for the following year... and parents are moaning to you about it - and you are taking notice????? (special emphasis on the LAST part of the sentence) .

Who the HELL said you are supposed to be working all the holidays???? You are self employed and work when YOU want. Obviously you need to be aware of the market requirements but you do as you please with your business - is the long and short of it.

If parents don't like your holidays - then they can go elsewhere can't they (bet they won't)

I would just nod, smile sweetly and say oh dear and forget about the comments and certainly not let it spoil my day

[JCrakers]

Blimey...your'e self employed and totally entitled to take holiday when you want to.
If you have children of your'e own your not likely to take them out of school for a holiday to please other people.
Would she like it if you worked yourself to the bone and then had more time off for stress?

[minkzebell]

I've just given notice for my hols in 2012 and have had big sulks from one parent...... kind of puts a dampener on it, she seemed to think that as she is a teacher all my holidays would always be in the school holidays..... erm NO

[boxtree7]

I do holidays well in advance as well. Over christmas there is 1 day a mum is struggling with (just 1 day) not to worry they have their 6 week hoildays all organised around when it suits them. Ignore the mum and don't change your mind. It unfair and horrible that parents question your time off. the same family came to me 3 days over the summer holidays out of 5 weeks and the mum again struggles with 2 days that i was off the last week. It really isn't our problem - enough notice given.

[rickysmiths]

I always have similar holidays to you. With a teacher husband we have never been able to take main holidays in term time.

I do explain this to parents clearly at interview stage. I don't know if it has ever been a deciding factor in not using me, but in all the families I have cared for in 17yrs I have only had one family complain and try to dictate my holidays to me!
I always tell the parents my proposed holiday by the end of Jan each year.
I allow a couple of weeks of checking and discussion because I expect and advise my parents that we all take our main holidays together and then they don't need to find alternative care and its better for the children.

Mostly all is fine and as I tend to take the same each year nothing is a great surprise. I have 5 weeks plus Bank holidays.

This couple then told me I had to take a week in the middle of June and a week in the middle of Sept Needless to say I told them no and they left and went to a very expensive Nursery who were at their beck and call.!!!

Remember parents have holidays as well and between them they have 2 lots of holiday. In my experience most of my parents have more holiday than I do.

Parents have to factor their childcare into their holidays and how they use them. I would say tough to these parents. Maybe they should have checked with you before they booked thier days.

You must take all your holiday, you earn it and as you do a physically and mentally demanding job you need it. If you don't take good breaks you will go nutty. Most important you like the parents want and need to spend time with your family.

Do not let this get you down. The parents will have to sort themselves out.

[WibbleWobble]

i would also like to point out....i dont charge for my holidays! i put this on the bottom of the letter to remind them all

mandy xx

[moljak]

Thank you for all your replies.I am sticking to my guns but it has soured my day I also don't charge for my holidays so feel I'm being more than fair.There is also another minder who covers my holidays and mum knows this as has used her before.I'm giving plenty of notice and as she is the only parent who is disappointed then I'm afraid she's just going to have to get on with it.

[madmamma]

You can please some of the people some of the time, you will NEVER please everyone ALL of the time

Don't take it personally, I mean, what on earth do you need a holiday for anyway??!

[Chimps Childminding]

I am sorry this has upset you!! I think you are being MORE than fair, that is a lot of notice you have given!!

Stick to your guns! There is no way when you have more than one family you mind for that you can work around everyone else when booking your holidays you have to do whats right for YOU! If you have young children it is only to be expected that you would want your holidays whilst they are off

Has she already booked all her holidays so she has no days to cover?? if so maybe she should hold some back in future, or wait till you have booked yours so she knows what she needs to cover!!

To be honest you only need to give 4 weeks notice to terminate a contract (well thats our notice period) so I think giving at least 3 months notice of holidays is more than adequate!!

[mushpea]

well all I know so far is that i am finishing work at 3.30pm on the friday of half term and am having christmas week off, I never work christmas week as its family time, plus its my birthday that week too , as for the rest of the year I havent got a clue,, will probably have a week in august but dont know which week so I think you have been more that fair by giving them so much notice

[babs]

I need to sort my holidays out in the last 3years I've only ever taken Christmas off apart from bank holidays and I'm getting moaned at cus I'm taking 8 days plus bank holidays ...sighs can't please everyone even when you only take one holiday a year...

[mabel]

wow - amazed how organised you are ! your parents should be grateful - i give about 6 weeks notice - but I do fit in school holidays when it would be cheaper to go out of school hols! mine have never ever complained but
I have had only 10 days holiday this year - will be taking xmas off tho'

[Bananabrain]

You can please some of the people some of the time, you will NEVER please everyone ALL of the time

Don't take it personally, I mean, what on earth do you need a holiday for anyway??!

My thoughts exactly. In this job you cannot possibly please everyone. I know, because I tried. And what gratitude did I get for my trouble?
Not much

[rickysmiths]

I need to sort my holidays out in the last 3years I've only ever taken Christmas off apart from bank holidays and I'm getting moaned at cus I'm taking 8 days plus bank holidays ...sighs can't please everyone even when you only take one holiday a year...

My goodness when your parents have a min of 28 days holiday how on earth do you manage on sooo little? I'd be dead now if I only had 8 days holiday.

You have got to get tough and take a min of 20 pref 25 days a year or you'll burn out.

[miffy]

Gosh your parents would not like me, I often only give them a few weeks notice of holidays.

You've given them a whole years notice and you haven't taken that much time off - if both parents work then they should have enough annual leave between them to cover your holidays.

Take no notice, you are entitled to holidays AND to take them when you want to. If you have several families on your books you couldn't possibly fit your hols around all of them even if you wanted to.

Miffy xx