Do CMs often take leave during term time?

[PeachesMcLean]

Our new CM is having a week off in October for a family holiday.

Is that normal? Especially as she doesn't work school hols, just term time. Don't want to cause a fuss as she's new to us, and we didn't have much choice, and as luck has it, she seems really nice on every other level. But we're just wondering about the holiday situation. DH and I are going to have to pull in every favour at our respective works to accomodate it.

I take every October Half Term off, as well as May Half Term, but work Feb half Term and throughout the summer, have always taken these weeks so all my parents know this and work their holidays to it.

But if she only works term times does seems a bit strange.

No problem with that Shosh, I like to use my annual leave to spend time with DS so that would work fine! but this is school time I'm talking about. Seriously hoping it's a one off. Wonder if anyone else thinks it's a bit strange?

Ask if she can reccommend another minder to cover the week - she might know someone

I work all year and therefore do take my holidays during term time as it is cheaper for me to go away. However if I closed in school holidays I wouldn't be taking a week off during term time though I would probably take off the odd day here and there. Having said that all my families are given notice of holidays in January for the coming year and new families are told as soon as they contact me.

Do you have to pay her for the holiday? If not, as Katy has already suggested, maybe she could recommend another minder to cover her absense for the same rate and then you could go to work as usual.

If she doesn't work in the holidays, that is odd, I think, and it would be reasonable if she didn't charge during that period. My CM does go away during term time now that her own kids are older, but works through the summer.

It is hard, arranging cover when CMs are away. If she's good, she'll almost certainly have a network of other CMs. Good luck - I know what a PITA it is - but at least the bright side is that when you do have another as backup, that works very well IME. (DD2 is going to DD1's after school childminder when her CM is on holiday in Sept - yep, we have two as our long-standing one doesn't pick up from DD1's school and this actually has some positives!)

Sorry, but as self employed, surely the opportunity to take holidays whenever she chooses is her right?

I work all year round and choose to take my holidays when I want to, not when my parent's dictate.
My children are no longer at school, so I refuse to pay inflated prices. This year I am going away in October. I am taking the week before half term and the week of half term so as to disrupt parents as much as possible, but I am entitled to holiday when I choose.

This is just my opinion!

"I am taking the week before half term and the week of half term so as to disrupt parents as much as possible"

Says it all really...

Seriously, I think it depens on your contract and whether you are contracted to stick around ad be available during term time.

I work term time and school holiday time, so to make it fair to all parents (as some only come term time, some only school hols), I take a week off spring term time, a week off autumn term time, and two weeks off christmas school holidays, making up my four weeks annual leave. I give the parents the dates in the January or when they start, and I don't charge when I am off.

Did your cm mention holidays when you started or did contracts? I think you need to clear this confusion up so you know where you stand ie payment and dates.

There is no definte answer to your thread title, as childmminders all choose their own holidays. As long as this is clear when you start, and you can get alternative cover then great. I too would ask cm if she knows anyone or that week.

I'm a CM. I will take time off for half of Nov and Dec - I'm going to visit family back in SA and we have to go for a long time to make it worth the money.

Eleusis - Of course you knew I meant 'as LITTLE as possible!!'

Sally

Yes, hence the and also why I followed it with "Seriously,..."

tasja my SA frind does teh same, she has recently moved to Grmany, but here she worked within our group and we could usually take her children so it worked well.

Well thanks all. She mentioned it when we were half way through the contract and paperwork, so we didn't really have much option. Also she's the only one we could find. She said she'd ask around if anyone else could cover but didn't sound optimistic. I really don't want to get off on the wrong foot with her, as I said, she seems very nice in every other way. Am just hoping this doesn't turn into an annual occurrence.

Can i ask some really stupid questions. I am now intrigues by this whole translplnt thing which seems to me to be such an amazing thing that you can take a hear and put into someone else and it works. So, now I'm wondering how this works. Thnigs like, when someone dies, how long do they have to extract an organ before it is no longer good? Is it hours? Minutes? And how long do they have to get it to the next human for it to work. Can they store it for a week?

Modern technology/medicine really is truly amazing...

oh bloody wrong thread.. sorry