Is it acceptable to take 2 weeks off at christmas?

[CrazyBabies]

Hi there, When I speak to new parents I say I take 4 weeks per year off. I took a couple of days at the beginning of June, and 6 days in summer hols. A new family started in June, so i only took a week in the summer.
Am worried about saying I will be having two weeks off during christmas. Second week - no fee.
Is this ok. Holiday has now been booked as husband wanted to book whilst good deal with flights.
I have a cm friend who can do cover. These two families have grans that some times look after their grand children.
Just feel bad.
I feel I have provided a very good service - its all been positive, and I worked my day off this week, and am flexible.
I would like to know your thoughts please

What's in your contract about notice - 6 weeks isn't long for some people to get holiday.

I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong but I've had jobs where you need to plan your leave and would have needed to know earlier than this.

Sounds ok to me - and I'm a FT working mum, so know how hard it is to sort childcare! :)

It is quite short notice but I would expect a CM to want some holiday over Christmas, so if I needed to know earlier, I would ask.

as a parent i think the principle is OK but the 6 weeks notice is not ok unless you've firmly arranged the alternative childminder cover. I'm irritated enough at having to arrange childcare the week between christmas and new year (fortunately DH can take annual leave) although I understand you guys need some family time, I think I'd be v v pissed off if you suddenly sprang on me that you were shutting for 2 weeks at a time of year where lots of parents will be feeling the pressure with work and kids

Hi, thanks - sounds fair comments.
In my contract I have stated 4 weeks notice on both sides, so I am within that period.
The thing is, is that these families have back up and their grandparents step in every now and then when they have to work extra,
Also, one of the families is 2 days a week, and the othe 3 days. So they are looking for cover for 2 or 3 days over the entire xmas period. One of the families has a partner that doesn't work full time too.

I stipulate in my parent handbook (given out at first meeting) that I close for two weeks at the end of August, and two weeks over Christmas.

These are unpaid but I would not arrange cover for these weeks.

However If I were one of your parents I'd be very annoyed at being told this now rather than when I'd signed a contract with you, even if you'd arranged cover - parents or children might not like the CM you've chosen to cover. For some parents, this might be a deal breaker when it comes to choosing childcare.

As a parent, why would you be annoyed? She clearly told parents she takes 4 weeks off a year. Not their sayso when that is. Personally, I think 6 weeks is ample time.
Please don't feel bad about taking deseved time off. Too many CM's fall into the trap of feeling they should always be there. You deserve a break as much as anyone. You have alternative back up ( if parents aren't as keen on her, tough: it'll just show how super you are in comparison).

Your business, but if you have it as a regular thing then you might as well be term-time only.
I know too many CMs who have so many conflicting demands from parents that they don't take ANY holiday for years!
Six weeks plus is plenty of time for the parents to make other arrangements.

Oh dear!
Basically - I said 4 weeks but didn't state when, and 4 weeks notice.
Like I said, with one of the families I have only taken 1 week so far, and the other a long weekend and six days. So not that terrible.
Also its only 2 or 3 days they need to find cover for - that's if they are working. They may even decide to have more time off.
I don't think I am being unfair. It's the first time in 5 years that I have had an extra week off - unpaid, and with contracted warning.
Think I deserve a hol after all the unsociable hours I put in for 47 weeks of the year.
I just feel bad as its a week extra (for one family).

I don't get the 'annoyed' posts. I happen to have already told my parents all of next year's holiday for forward planning, however, you have in your contract that you give 4 weeks notice so you are well within that! If parents are really worried about when you'll take time off, they should ask you if you have any idea when you'll be taking it. And if a new person starts with you nearer the end of the year, they are more than capable of asking before starting how much time you have left to take this year.

Not quite understanding the 'might as well be term time only' comment - there are approx. 12/13 weeks of holiday in a school year so taking 2 weeks off in the holidays does not compare with taking all holidays off. Anyway, I've learnt that I now HAVE to take some time off in the school holidays if we want to go away anywhere (visit family etc) as you can't just take your kids out of school willy nilly.

I don't know if I'm missing something in the OP but I just don't understand why people would think you're doing anything wrong?

if you have arranged cover its not a major problem - and 6 weeks is ok - however as a parent I do appricate as long as possible notice - my old CM used to do it about 6 months in advance so I then I can decide whether to book holiday/arrange alternative childcare - eg grand parents or use any cover offered -

I am taking 2 weeks off at Christmas. I told the parents back in January, but my contracts state 4 weeks notice of holidays, so I could have waited until now. Just give as much notice as possible of holidays. With my DD 's dancing, I sometimes get last minute notice of dates but parents are all aware when I am waiting for exam dates or competition dates.

I always took 5 weeks a year and sometimes they got 6-8 weeks notice for a holiday, which was more than the 4 weeks I was required to give. I also didn't arrange cover, when I was unavailable that was not my problem. I was always full and never lost parents over it. Why the hell should you rind yourself up over this, they are not your kids, CMing is just a job like any other and it never directed my life frankly. I have now stopped after 5 years and gone back to a proper job where stuff like this is never an issue. Yeah :-)

I'm a parent but I don't understand why you feel so bad - sounds like you are squarely within your contractual rights. Arranging cover is nice of you but surely can't be expected by the parents (unless your contract binds you to do that). A CM taking 2 weeks off at Xmas can't be that surprising for many people, surely?

Sounds Luke you are within your times so I'd just tell them ASAP. It sounds like you have known that you were planning this a little while ago if you've been researching and booking it so you could have given your parents a heads up it might be on the cards and now it's definite tell them now rather than wait to give them exactly 4 weeks notice.

You know your families - lots of people are on holiday over Xmas so it might be a great big non issue and they'll be glad not to be paying when they wouldn't be needing you. Others might be working and be glad of extra notice as they might want to get it sorted ASAP. And if you've offered an alternative you're not leaving them completely in the lurch.

Just go and enjoy your xmas holidays :)

Your contract sounds pretty clear and standard to me so there should be no issue giving notice now. The only thing I would say as a mum who uses a childminder is that I am glad my cm always gives me much more than the 4 weeks notice in our contract as in reality my employers want more notice than that. For me, this is the best time to take 2 weeks off as I always take 2 weeks at Christmas, you may find its the same for your parents anyway.p

I think if you are taking more than your standard four weeks (which you say for one of the families this will be) then you need to give as much notice as possible i.e. tell them on Monday, because they have probably planned their own annual leave around your four weeks and may have a problem covering.

My CM always takes 2 weeks off at Christmas and 2 weeks in the summer, plus a few (no more than five) odd days through the year but she gives masses of notice of those.

And surely they must have worked out that you still have some leave to use up - agree that you are giving plenty of notice and should they have been worried about cover at Xmas, or there was an issue for cover on their side, they could easily have asked you what your plans were before now. Just tell them asap and enjoy the break

Christmas time can be a really hard time to get annual leave from work and so whilst you may be within your notice period, it may be far too late for them to book the time off work if they need to.

Not everybody likes a replacement minder that they may not know.

Why would only the second week carry no fee, surely the two weeks should be free as the service is not available to be used?

If I was using a childcare service, i'd be very cheesed off if they chose to close at busy work times as they knew "i had grans that could step in". It may not always be the case, they may have made other plans etc.

I think only the second week is free because that takes her over her standard 4 weeks , can't work out exactly what she has already taken but looks like about 3 weeks.

They're either going to be peeved or they're not, might as well just tell them. If the rest of the working relationship is good and the OP has been flexible then hopefully they will be ok with the arrangements

If they've got back up provision then it will probably be fine, but in future it's best to talk about holidays in summer and Christmas as far in advance as possible, DH and I had to book our Xmas leave in October. However, if we'd been using your services we'd definitely have checked with you before we booked our leave, so it cuts both ways.

It can be really difficult to get time off around Christmas, it's the only part of our holiday calendar that is blocked off and everyone puts their request in and a draw is done to determine who gets what as everyone wants it off.

I think in principle you taking two weeks off at Christmas is fine, but it would have been nice to have given a lot more notice than at other times of the year because it can be so difficult to get time off.

I guess you know this and this is why you are nervous about telling them...

Hi everyone, thanks for all your replies.
DH and I only decided to go away in the past couple of weeks. We have a disabled son so it was lots of umming and rrring iyswim! Since I have only taken I week off with one family , I can still take off 3 more weeks between now and june, and as contract states on both sides that 4 weeks notice should be given, I am within my rights!
The other family, I have taken 2 weeks in the summer, so can take 2 weeks between now and june, with 4 weeks notice on both sides, so still within my contract.
And both these families have lots of support from family and friends.
I used to teach so I know what its's like to need good childcare, and actually, if it were me, well I too have lots of friends who sould muck in. Especially when one family needs cover for only 2 days and the other 3.
I personally would be fine with it, and in the past have been fine.
I after all have given them 5 weeks notice as told them yesterday.
No way would I have taken a longer holiday than planned if I had know the parents would struggle to find childcare. 2 of the parents are self employed, like my husband and I so a lot easier to look after children.
Basically, I care about the families I look after, and even if I am ill, and in some cases have felt pretty rough, I have still worked as I take my job seriously, and would hate to ring in the morning and say - by the way I can't care for your children today as I feel ill - an hour before they are due. I work my days off, work unsociable hours, have on occasions started work at 7 to fit in with families, and have worked late, extra hours at short notice to accomodate.
I think I have been very fair. Each case/family/cm is different, and I have by no means have left them in the lurch. If I could have told them 6 - 8 weeks ago I would.

"I'm irritated enough at having to arrange childcare the week between christmas and new year (fortunately DH can take annual leave) although I understand you guys need some family time"

That's very gracious of you

Why are you irritated? Presumably you've had plenty of notice. Do you encounter the same grudging attitude when you book holiday?

To answer the OP, if you have 4 weeks notice in your contract, then that's all you're obliged to give. You are being very nice in giving as much notice as you can. You certainly shouldn't feel guilty!

totally agree tanith, I take 2 weeks in the summer hols and 2 and half at christmas.

i try to give as much notice as poss band its always more than 4 weeks(contract says 4 weeks so feel this is fine)

i dont charge for hols and in point of fact none of my mums work full time, unlike myself who works a 50 hour week, my choice of course but i need time off with my family at christmas and in the summer.

the poster has acted fairly imo and yes if she can give more notice than her contract states then fine but if not then if a parent wasnt happy with this she shouldnt have agrreed the contract in the first place.

also its not a cms job to arranage cover for the children while she is on holiday,. I dont.

I don't see a problem with this as long as you give at least 4 weeks notice then it's not an issue.

My CM has the same leave policy as you but I asked her in September if she could give me advance notice of her Christmas plans when possible and she was able to give me a months extra notice of her leave dates over this period. If your availability at this time was really important to the parents then they would have asked you about it before now.

Don't feel guilty about this I'm sure it will be fine.