c/m's/nannies: taking holiday

[crace]

When do you usually take time off? I know there is never a good time - but is there a better time?

if you only have one midee you could ask them when they are taking theirs, but i dont think this could ever work out ell, less so if you have two or three miindees..im away for a fortnight in august, mums holidays from college end the week before we go...it cant be helped we are going to a family wedding, so i have said i can give her names and numbers to try and organise some cover if she would like?..its all you can do

I take the May Half term and the October half term, Mainly because its spaced nicely and DH is away all summer so don't take summer holiday, then the two weeks at Christmas and Easter Mindees parents are off anyway.

I give out holiday dates in january, and parents usually then try to take the same weeks.

I usually always take 2 weeks at Christmas, 4 days at Easter, a week in July and then another week either in May or September.
I have always been lucky up till now as most of my mindees are children of service personnel, so they ar eusually off at Christmas, Easter etc anyway

My DS's CM is off this week. It is actually easier for me when she goes in termtime because I can usually get favours for before/after school from other Mums - it is less of an ask than all day. But she does usually also take October half term.

I can see that parents with children under school age might have different views and obviously if the CM has children of her own (my CM has grown up children) that would make a difference.

I take four weeks off, give parents the dates in January. This year am taking off first week of may, last week of sept and two weeks over xmas. So half term time, half school holidays.

i have 22 days off a year and give parents the dates in Jan
i always take my 22 days in the school hols so i can spend time with the boys and dh

this year i am off 1 week at easter
2 weeks in Aug
1 week in oct
x days at christmas

oh btw as i have been cm for 5 years now i am upping my hols to 23 days per year
i have a lovely boss

yeah ive heard shes cool too

dmo - hysterical

Thanks everyone, looks like forward planning is the way to go here. I wish I had decided beforehand now but oh well.

My mindees parents can't take holiday all summer, and the father works for himself so I am sure he can work around it.

There never really is a good time is there, but looks like lots of notice, more than the obligatory 4 weeks is appropriate.

THANK YOU!

Crace, when I used a childminder she used to give huge notice of holiday (like 3 months) and then she would arrange another childminder to look after DD while she was away for the same rate I paid her, and she got all the registration information for me and would arrange for me to meet the other childminder if I wanted to before the day/week/however long. It was such a huge huge p[lus in the service she offered. If you are able to do the same, I'm sure the parents will love you for it.

I have four weeks hols where I pay my CM half price. I usually let her know what they are in January - they are May, August and December this year. I do not give her that sort of notice on odd days etc - usually just the week before. She also has four weeks at half price, she gives me somewhere between 1 and 2 months notice usually. But often her daughter who is a student would be available if I required her.