childminders who DON'T charge for your hols .... can I ask how much holiday you take?

[funnypeculiar]

Note: This is not, repeat NOT, a 'should cms charge for their hols' thread.

mine used to take 1 week in June, for the last 2 years she hasn't taken any (although I know last year it worked out that all of her mindees were away in the same week in the summer hols so she did have a week off and went away for a few days).

my hols work out at 1 week at christmas, two weeks for summer holiadays and the odd days here and there for bank hols easter etc so about 4-5 weeks all told.

FP - how much notice is she giving for these 'extra' days off?

looneytune -it varies - the latest one if for less than 4 weeks, I've had one where the notice was less than a week (I was a bit arsey on that one!) The extra week she's just booking is end July. 4 weeks notice is what's in the contract - I do know that bit

I think the difficult thing is that usual problem of separating out the professional & personal relationship. I like her, & would always do my best to work round the needs of her family (I am SE & work from home, so I can usually be reasonably flexible). Likewise, I would hope that she would always do her best to accomodate me if i needed extra days or a late pick up occasionally. I am sometimes nervous that my relaxed approach means she feels that it's never any trouble for me to take days off/rearrange. Which clearly ain't the case.

FP - this is why I asked as I had a feeling she was breaking the contract agreement with lack of notice. You should never feel you can't say anything about these things. I've become very friendly with my mindee parents, in fact one mum atm is doing me meals etc. as I'm heavily pregnant and she's just lovely like that BUT....I'd never expect to get away with anything that's for sure. Even if I was desperate for a day off for something, if it wasn't within the 4 weeks notice period, I'd ASK but tell her I totally understood if it's too late notice!

I'd check the other bits on the contract and then have a word about it all as it's messing your work up. Being SE has nothing to do with it!

Good luck

Thanks loonytune - you're right, I just need to be strong