to send my DC's to nursery over the Christmas period?

[Ceebee74]

My nursery is open every day (apart from the bank hols) over the Christmas period, including Christmas Eve. I am working upto and including 23rd Dec and then not back until the 5th January. Dh is also off work for this period aswell.

I know I am definitely going to send them to nursery on Christmas Eve as I will need some space to get organised (we are hosting Christmas lunch this year) but will pick them up sometime after lunch.

I am also considering sending them for maybe a couple of days in between even though me and DH will both be at home. The main reasons for this are that it would give us a chance to do some stuff round the house that desperately needs doing and also, we have no babysitters and have not been out as a couple in the evening since DS1 was born 3.5 years ago (get your violins out ) so the only way we can get some 'couple' time is to use days when the boys are in nursery and we have a day off work at the same time - we might go out for a leisurely lunch, shopping, cinema - but just be able to do what we want at our pace. Also, this is just an aside, we will be paying for the nursery anyway.

However, it does seem a little bit 'wrong', particularly with it being Christmas.

AIBU?

many public sector workers don't get Xmas off,so need good nursery provision.i know of nurseries that only close public holidays

Gosh cookie that would be really helful for those people - doctors, nurses, police,fireman etc etc - who continue to work all through the holidays!

I tell you whats bloody unreasonable, its the whole farking country coming to a halt for 2 whole weeks!

Well yes clearly i understand your point, but personally i would not like to work it, is it so bad that i would actually like to take time off work seeing as i work every other bloody week day off the year!!! Or do i not deserve any time off, just because i work in a service job?

Ooh this has moved on a bit.

My DH is away 2 or 3 nights a week so no, we don't get much time together in the evenings either! It is, in fact, a wonder that we still have a relationship and managed to conceive DS2

It would seem the MN world is divided into those that would and those that wouldn't...different strokes I guess but glad some people don't think IABU

I ask you this, would you put your child in on xmas eve if you knew there would only be a few children there and maybe not even in the same age group?

the mere mention of nursery sends some apoplectic anyhoo. never mind gallivanting and having fun sans children.

Cookie its nice you can have 2 weeks off over xmas as can lots of other people - I am just pointing out that this is not the case for a lot of people, and a childcare facility that closes for 2 weeks is ridiculous!
FWIW - we are open till 6:30 on xmas eve and are just closed the bank holidays, luckily for me this year it falls on a non working day, but every other year my children have had to be in some sort of childcare - is that really unreasonable - I am a GP BTW would you mind if we closed for 2 weeks ??

haven't read all the posts on here, but of course YANBU! don't even think twice about it, would do the same in your situation. its all about balance surely?

sorry no the nurse/dr/paramedic/fireman cant attend your call as the nursery want a nice long holiday....

well if you have to work Xmas Eve (as I always have, and I'm not the only one) then you dont have a choice.....and even if you are off, I cant see the harm in sending DC in for the morning; most nurseries/CM in my experience in any event only work to lunchtime on Xmas Eve, whereas everyone in my office is there til 4/5pm!

I think my DC's would genuinely like it but they get on well with the other children, staff etc. Perhaps some children would struggle. My nursery is very tight knit / long serving staff who know them well so it is kind of like extended family in a way. I wouldnt do it all day though - just for a few hours to finish shopping. DS in particular would like the change and new attention!

scottishmummy shame on you for mentioning the F word!

ceebee I am always going to agree with you because you are actually me lol

"seeing as i work every other bloody week day off the year!!!"

Do you not get any holidays Cookie? - because I think you'll find thats illegal even if you are a temporary worker.

I was just about to ask the same thing Kewcumber. Are you a childminder Cookie?

what f word?
fuck
fornicating
frosted icing

you stick to your own mn pasting i will liberally f away if i please

thanks

My CM takes holidays in the year of course she does and I dont begrudge it for a minute!
She usually gives me plenty of notice and I book the same weeks off work!
But this assumption that everyone is entitled to 2 weeks off for "xmas" is riduculous its one day FGS!

I meant Fun scottishmummy

I think she means 'fun' scottishmummy. Simmer down...

oh pipe down madonna
fun that filthier than frosted icing.haha thought i was told off for swearing

Its not something I would ever do and I personally think its such a shame that any child should be in nursery on xmas eve and not with their family getting excited about Santa etc. For me xmas and especially xmas eve is all about children and I would,nt want to miss a second of it, its 2 days a year!.
With regards to the in between days again I personally would not send then to nursery unless I was at work myself. Again i would be enjoying Family time and relaxing at home. I think adults forget that sometimes children need a break too and to enjoy home conforts.
Their is plenty of time for 'couple time' other times of the year or evenings when in bed.

Blimey - you're awfully tetchy

clearly this polarises opinion.i dont think yabu at all

ach no! all the frosted icing gave me a sugar rush.

I would never consider sending my kids to nursery when I was about. Just couldn't do it. I think because I knew they would prefer to hang out with me if given a chance. Maybe I had them in a crap nursery .

But you're paying for it, as you say, and there is no reason at all why you shoulnd't take advantage of that.

WELL.

ceebee omg there is a nursery round here that is open between xmas eve and the new year????

hells bells mine have been going to the wrong one all this time!!

Every december I joke that I'd like them to open between exmas and new year.. that if they could open on saturdays in December that would be handy for the xmas shopping, and if the manager could take the dc's home with her for the night occasionally for an appropriate fee we'd be very grateful...

But my requests fall on deaf ears!

These school holidays now are rubbish.. now why won't the school reopen between xmas and new year... prepare the children for the world of work???

But on a serious note,

We don't have any family nearby. At times like xmas a lot of friends have their children looked after by all the relatives who are also off work, so they get time to themselves. But no one comments on that. In my case the only time we get to ourselves is if we are not working on a nursery day. Some people get breaks from family and friends looking after their children, some of us get breaks by paying for childcare.

i do smile at the i would never do that.well no one is going to turn up with a van and drag your weans away to a dark dank nursery

this is only someone musing about a one off day at nursery