Ah, it's Friday and I'm not working. How wonderful it was, for the first time in about five years, to just get up on Friday whenever I damn well felt like it. It's heavenly. I only wonder why on earth I didn't do it sooner.
I'm always preaching to providers to do whatever it is that makes them happy. Too often we strive to please everyone else. We meet everyone else's needs but rarely our own. Heck, we even strive to meet the needs of the parents whose children we care for even when their "emergency" should in no way be our emergency. We give up our anticipated days off to cover for their lack of planning. I see it often. And yes, even I have been guilty of such actions on occasion. But for me, guilt doesn't seem to last when I find that I worked all day Friday for a parent who "needed" care only to find they had been home since eleven that morning. Instead, I paid the price of losing my free time so they could have theirs. Well, never again.
A few months ago I decided that I needed a better life/work balance. Now, admittedly, to most people I already have a pretty fantastic balance of work to play. But for me, it wasn't enough. And honestly, I couldn't care less what the others think. I worry about me first. If I don't worry about me then who the heck will? The daycare parents? I don't think so. So, I decided that today, June 26th, 2009 would be the first week of Fabulous Friday. In April I let the one remaining "Friday Family" know that my services would no longer be available on the last day of the week. Did I risk losing them? Sure I did but it was a risk I was willing to make. Besides, if I wasn't worth accommodating after five years of working around their flexible schedule and extended hours then the loss wasn't really that great. Regardless, I have never, in all of my time providing daycare, worried about losing a family and not being able to find a replacement. It always seems to work out. Always.
So, today I am reaping the rewards of my courage to speak up and ask for what it is that I want and need. I'm so glad I did it, too. My kids are excited to know that our family - all of us - now have a customary three day weekend fifty-two weeks of the year. How thrilling to know that over the next ten years that I really have left with my kids before they fly the coop that we will have an extra 520 family days together. Wow! 520 days! That's the equivalent of an additional year and a half of consecutive days off together that I received for the simple task of asking for what I wanted. Sounds like a good deal to me.
I have to finish up this post. My kids are calling me. Apparently there is a robin in the back yard pecking at a strawberry. They want me to come sit on the deck, in the sunshine and watch the show with them.
"I'll be right there kids. I just need to fill up my coffee".
For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca
I'm jealous...good for you...I wish I had your strong attitude to do what you want, when you want, and how you want it!! I did change my hours to close at 4pm, though, instead of 5pm :) It makes a huge difference to have that extra time to just sit with my kids, watch tv, and then get dinner started. ENJOY!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Judy! Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteGoos for you Judy! This was a great post and needed today. One of the parents just dropped off her boy and was telling me how hard it was finding someone else for my week off at the end of July. and asking if I HAD to close blah blah blah. Well my boys are gone to summer camp that week, and hmmm 4 days absolutly NO KIDS ... yeah I'm not passing that up not for ANYONE. She's not happy that I wont remain open just for her boy cause ofcourse I can still do the renos I'm planning with him here blah blah blah. Well my final answer to her NO! She's not happy but oh well, don't like it find a permant fill in cause I'm not doing it!
ReplyDeleteNiki G
So Judy, I have to ask, do you have a significant other in the picture who ALSO has Friday off? How wonderful that your entire family has a three day weekend every week! I shall never be so lucky. My husband is just lucky to not have to work weekends lol. Congrats on changing your hours. I am also curious as to whether this family your changes affected still continued to stay in your care?
ReplyDeleteGood for you Judy!!! You deserve your Fabulous Fridays and hopefully some day my finances will allow me to do the same!
ReplyDeleteNiki G, I just had the same issue with a family over one day, ONE DAY! How dare I close on Canada Day when her workplace takes the Monday instead! When I went back to the contract which states July 1 as a stat day off (without pay, thanks for nothing) she played dumb (maybe she wasn't playing, hmmm) and just whined how she will have to find care for that day and with so little notice. Well good luck on that. I failed to remind her that had she given me 2 weeks notice that she would have that Monday off, I would not have been able to charge her. Too bad for her that nowhere in the contract does it say I have to remind her to read the contract once it is signed. There is just no excuse for stupid. (Did I actually write that? Oh, Judy, you are rubbing off on me....it's about time!!!)
ReplyDeleteJungleJenn - yes, my hubby is also self-employed and has Friday's off. And, my kids are homeschooled so we all have a three day weekend from now until (I hope) eternity!
ReplyDeleteJudy, you're my hero!
ReplyDelete:)
Adrien
Congrats, I started taking one day off/week last year. It ended up being a Wednesday, but I am switching to Fridays in September! I love, love, love my day off!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Good for you but I have to say eventually you might find yourself without a job. Not every employee can work 4 days a wk. I would imagine as kids in your care get older and move on replacing them with people who work only 4 days a week will get harder. Best of luck with it though.
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous above....
ReplyDelete"Good for you but I have to say eventually you might find yourself without a job."
I'm not a bit worried. First, I have found PT care to be in bigger demand in my area. More and more moms want a better work/life balance. And second, I recently had ONE spot open for Mon-Wed and had TWELVE inquiries that I narrowed down to FOUR interviews and eventually chose one family. Not worried in the least.
To Judy,
ReplyDeleteWhere I live now and other places across the country 4 working days is rare. You're area must be the exception.
I have Fridays off too!!! It's been that way for about a year, and my husband has them as well! It is so great to have the three days off, we really need it to recharge, especially on the busy weeks!
ReplyDeleteI will NEVER go back to working Fridays. Daycare providers unite.....close on Fridays!!!! haha