Saturday, August 20, 2011

daycare and holidays arg!

I decided to leave Jackson where he is.  He's happy there, and yes it costs more but he's learned a lot and is doing really well.  It's also very convenient.  But now I'm having some second thoughts.  Mostly because of vacation and holidays.  The contract I have with the daycare says she will take 10 vacation days plus the stat holidays (she lists them) and up to 5 sick days.  So she has technically taken 6 sick days already, but Jackson was sick for 1 of them so I'm ok with that.  She has also already taken 10 vacation days as far as I am concerned.  There were 10 days, not stat holidays or sick days, that she was closed. 

And now she's put more on  her calendar!  One in November after US thanksgiving.  Ok fine, I'll play dumb and call in to work that the daycare is closed because she's sick, so I can use a different type of leave than vacation days, but is she expecting me to pay her for it?  Then she's got herself closed from December 21st until January 6th! That is 10 working days, not including the stats for Christmas and Boxing Day, and New Years.  I am so upset!  That means I'll have to use 20+ vacation days for this year, never mind that I'll be using 2 1/2 of them when she's open but I want to take a day off.  I only get 15 in a year!  I feel suddenly trapped by her scheduled. Yes I think she should be able to take vacation, and yes she's giving me lots of notice, but I have no backup. There is no one to split these holidays with, it's all me.  I'm stressing out now because I'm not sure I have enough holidays to cover all these.  It's making me ill as I write this and I can't even check until I go to work Monday. 

Plus one of the days I'm not sure if she's actually closed or not.  And the 23rd is a bring the kids to work day at work, so I can not take the day off and bring him in, get paid for it, not have to use holidays, but how does that look?  I'm off the two days before because daycare's closed, but sure I'll come in on the Friday.  I also have to save a day off for February when she's closed for a provincial holiday that I don't get because I work for the federal government... yeah go figure that one out.  And if she takes any other time before the end of March, I have to take unpaid leave.  Because I can afford to do that... I'm quite upset (in case you can't tell) and am wondering now if I should have taken that other spot... at least it's a centre and while they are probably closed over Christmas, that's 3 days, not 10.  Arg!!! 

I'm so drained by all this crap, I just don't know what to do any more.  I would like to not pay her for the extra days, since they are above her 10 vacation days, but does that make thing uncomfortable for us?  Do I care?  I guess I have to because she's watching my kid... and I don't want him to suffer for it.  So stupid.  I wonder if I can change my mind now about the other daycare... course I don't have time to give a months notice so I'd be screwed there any way, have to pay for two places at once.  I feel ill. 

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