Want to Leave My in House Daycare - but She's on Vacation (Again!)

If you can afford it, leave her at the school you've chosen, and pay two weeks severence for her at the home program. If you were at a center, that would be the rule that you would have signed in a contract - 2 weeks notice pay.

That's what I would do.

Good luck!
Dawn

If you had to find alternate childcare because she took "another" vacation, I think she should expect that you'd eventually leave. You need to have dependable childcare. We take my kids to a home daycare and they have a little bit of vacation time set aside. However, it is in their contract and I always know what days they will take. In 3 years, they have never, ever, taken a day off that was not in their contract.

If I were you, I'd probably give a week "severance" pay, but leave my child in the new daycare. I'd feel bad for leaving them without notice, even though she brought this upon herself. Most daycares require a week to two weeks of notice, even if she doesn't.

I wouldn't really be worried about making it fair for the daycare provider. She obviously wasn't/isn't thinking about you when she's taking these many vacations.

I would just tell her that it's time go; thanks; it's been great and go. If she were concerned about the monetary aspect, she would not have been taking so many vacations. And if it will hurt her financially, she should have thought about that before taking so much time off. She has to realize that you're not sending your daughter there so you can go home and watch TV. You have a job and you are expected to be there every day. If she can't/won't provide day care that you can count on, you have to move on. She is the one who caused you to even look for alternate care. She should have remembered the old saying "everyone is replaceable!"

Is the in home daycare lady a friend? If not, I personally would contact her today and explain to her that with the inconsistency in her schedule you have decided that a more consistent daycare situation for your daughter is what you need. Give her a one week notice (as you have no contract you are not obligated for any notice, but this way you will let her know), and then switch to the new daycare the following Monday. I completely understand not wanting to leave her hanging, but you also need to do what is best for your daughter and your family, and if the school is that, then make the switch.

Don't pull her out of the new school. Inform your daycare lady that her vacations have become excessive and you had to find alternative care. You found it and now you are leaving. GL

M

Your provider obviously isn't making 'child care' a priority, she is doing it when it's easy for her to do so, so I don't see where you need to cater to her.
Keep you daughter in the Montessori and either email or call the other provider and simply state that your daughter will be three and you have decided to go in another direction.
You don't owe this woman anything, IMO.

if it was me i wouldnt keep moving her back and forth like that..change is hard on little one's i would just send the lady a email telling her that u put ur child in a new place and that she loves it there. so she will not be coming back at this time and you are very thankful for her time..your child needs a stable place to go to everyday...im sorry you dont leave for a week at a time when running a child care people need somebody that can be there everyday not have to find somebody else to watch there kids why she closes for a week!!! good luck:))

I'm a childcare provider, and my advice in your situation is to inform your provider that due to her being so undependable you've decided to move your child on at this time.

I don't have a contract with my parents. I take 2 weeks of vacation each year and my clients are given those dates at least 2 months in advance.

I'm glad you've found a place that your daughter enjoys.

Don't feel guilty, move on. You have to go to a job and your boss doesn't care who is watching your child just so long as you are there. The present provider takes time off that is inconvenient to the people who use her.

You say she wants kids age 3 and older to leave so here is your chance. Send her a check for the week and call it even. This is a business relationship not a friendship.

I say cut your losses and move now while the child is enjoying it.

The other S.

I do think it's right to pay her a 2 weeks notice. You should have given this notice earlier. BUT, I also don't feel it's right to take so many vacations and would never let my parents have to be so inconvenienced on my account. Maybe you could compromise and give her a 1 weeks severence. Since you have no contract, she won't be surprised if you don't pay 2 weeks. She knew the risks when she went on vaction. Just how much can she be hurting for money? I've tried to take time off for 2 years in a row. I could not even afford a single weekend.

My vote...give her a week and don't go back at all.

I may have missed this, but is the 2 week lag based on the availability at the Montessori school or your desire to give 2 weeks notice to current provider?

If it is the latter, I'd use her vacation week as one of the weeks notice and give her the option of 1. wanting to care (and get paid) for the second week or 2. transferring immediately.

If the montessori school can't take your daughter for two weeks. I htink you have a great segue to say to current provider - 'since sara is 3 we have been looking at others and loved one. This is our formal 2 week notice."

Good luck. leaving a situation and person who has been so invested in your child is always hard. You will probably cry when you leave the last day - I was such a sap I did when I had to move my boys.

Look, I have never heard of a daycare person closing for one week each month. It is unprofessional and irresponsible.
You have no contract. Your priority is what is best for your daughter.
Her bad business is because of how she does things. This might be the reality check she needs. GO to the new school and give her notice via email and cell phone TODAY.

I have over 10 years in the child care business and I can tell you that I would expect my kids parents to leave in droves if I kept the schedule you are talking about. She is killing her own business, treating it like a source of vacation money.

Send her a note today with a check for a reasonable amount. In the note let her know that you loved every minute the little one was in her care and that you really appreciated her time and effort but that an opening came up in the temporary care program she was in and you have taken it. Make sure you mention this is your official note.

"Hi XX,

This is to let you know that we have enrolled XX in XX XX and she will not be returning.

I appreciate you and all the wonderful teaching you have done with XX and we will miss you every day.

Blah, blah, blah........"

I do not see the issue, if there is no contract, no obligation, no fees to be paid or penalties. If you would like to leave on good terms and wouuld like to maintain a relationship so you have an option on holidays where the school closes but you still have to work (Happens) then I would offer to pay her one week (even though you will not attend) and leave it at that.

Remember that this is a business arrangement, not necessarily a personal one. Without a contract, you can terminate her services at any time. Most licensed providers use a contract (which also limits their personal vacation time) with specific parameters about ending the contract. For us it was "2 weeks paid notice, unless the provider had a child on the wait list and the spot could be filled immediately".

When we switched our son from in-home to preschool (for very similar reasons), we gave two weeks notice and switched him. This is the "fair" thing to do. You could offer to do a 3/2 split for two weeks, but that would be up to you entirely.

If you can swing it, offer to pay her one week's salary and send your daughter to the preschool that week. It will mean "double tuition" for a week, but it may also leave that other door open if you have more children in mind!

I'm confused.. I see so much on here that people are unhappy with their nanny's or in-home providers and they have legitimate reasons to be unhappy.. So why do you feel bad, like you owe her something? She provides a service that YOU PAY FOR.. if you are not happy then why should you keep paying for something you don't want to, just because you feel bad? You're worried about being "fair" but how is it fair to you for her to take week long vacations once a month and leave you hanging on childcare?? She obviously isn't hurting for money if she can afford to take that many vacations. Don't worry about and her, worry about your daughter and how much better off she'll be in Montessori.

if it were me, I would contact the daycare lady and just be honest with her. I would tell her I put her in the other one for the week since she was on vacation and your daughter really loves it. since she is 3 and needs to move anyone, this would be a good place to put her. tell her you don't want to leave her no notice but you also don't want your daughter back and forth between 2 places. ask her what she thinks? if she says she needs 2 weeks notice, then offer her 2 days per week so she can go to both and see what she says. i'm sure she would take that over nothing. on the other hand, money may not be such an issue for her since she goes on vacation so much, right? so if you don't "feel obligated" to her, then just tell her you have found a place for your daughter and she won't be back. tough situation either way. Good luck!!!

I would just call (or meet with) the daycare provider and say that while she was on vacation you decided to begin the search for preschool and have found a great school in which your daughter is now enrolled. If you have the funds pay her for two weeks as a severance payment, if you can't afford that pay her for one week.

Keep your daughter in the new school. Let your daycare provider know that you have decided that it was time for a change and you have made the change. Thank her for the care she gave your daughter and move on.

If she asks why I would let her know that she had become undependable, that DD was turing 3 and needed more social interaction. If she gets upset and states that you didn't give notice, I would say, notice was her vacation.

Keep her in the established Montasori daycare, if they take a vacation, there will still be others present to take of the kids.

I would give your long time care giver one week's pay and let her know it's for a "paid vacation" and how much you have appreciated the care she has provided, but since your child is turning three, you want her to stay at Montasori.

Blessings....