Day care closing for Muslim holiday

[Anonymous]

What do people tend to do for "emergency" type care? I say it in quotes because it's not until Nov. 17 so we have time. I only recently went back to work so I'm trying not to take the day off.

[Anonymous]

Does your employer (or your spouse's) participate in a back-up childcare service?
I rely on family, but I realize I'm lucky to have that option.

[Anonymous]

I should have mentioned we live in the Alexandria/Springfield/Kingstowne area.

[Anonymous]

Flex time with husband/partner. One goes in super early and comes home early. One goes in super late.
Babysitter.
Emergency nanny service (like White House Nannies, Town and Country, and I know there are others).
Work from home.
Relative if all else fails.

[Anonymous]

Move to another daycare that is on a holiday schedule more in sync with your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to another daycare that is on a holiday schedule more in sync with your own.

Seriously? I hope this is a joke?

[Anonymous]

Why does the fact that it's a Muslim holiday make any difference at all? You could have just posted that day care was closing for one day. Many day cares close the day after Thanksgiving, OP, or on Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, and other days when people are working.

The fact that it's a Muslim Holiday is totally irrelevant to your childcare needs.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:The fact that it's a Muslim Holiday is totally irrelevant to your childcare needs.

I'm usually pretty sensitive about slights toward Muslims, but I believe the original poster mentioned that it is a Muslim holiday to simply stress that it is not a holiday that her work would normally accomodate. Similarly, if her daycare were closed for diwali, she might say it was a Hindu holiday. The fact that the original poster sends her child to a daycare that is apparently operated by Muslims suggests that she is quite comfortable with Muslims, rather than that she has any animosity toward them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does the fact that it's a Muslim holiday make any difference at all? You could have just posted that day care was closing for one day. Many day cares close the day after Thanksgiving, OP, or on Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, and other days when people are working.

The fact that it's a Muslim Holiday is totally irrelevant to your childcare needs.

I don't get the sense the OP is complaining. It's totally natural to mention the reason the daycare is closing. If she had titled it 'Daycare closing for Presidents Day' I doubt anyone would have given it a second thought. It would be stranger to hide the reason.

Anyhow, our daughter goes to a Jewish preschool, and, although we are Jewish, I've never taken off work for Sukkot or Pesach before! My husband and I are alternating taking vacation days. I also found a local JCC that has a vacation drop-in program. (it's not that we only send her to Jewish programs, it's just that the JCC has the vacation drop-in during the Jewish holidays, happens to be half the cost of other daycare dropins around here, plus, since it is specifically for vacations, you can preregister). We've used my husbands emergency backup care benefit before and it's great for emergencies, however, we've been sent to some really subpar centers, (not unsafe, just not good quality) so we avoid using it when we have time to look for other options.

[Anonymous]

Our in-home daycare also closes for Muslim holidays, and we are also in the Kingstowne area. DH and I usually just split the day. I go in from 6-12 and he goes in from 12:30-6:30.

[Anonymous]

Can you pair up with another family there? They watch the kids this time; you do it the next time?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that it's a Muslim Holiday is totally irrelevant to your childcare needs.

I'm usually pretty sensitive about slights toward Muslims, but I believe the original poster mentioned that it is a Muslim holiday to simply stress that it is not a holiday that her work would normally accomodate. Similarly, if her daycare were closed for diwali, she might say it was a Hindu holiday. The fact that the original poster sends her child to a daycare that is apparently operated by Muslims suggests that she is quite comfortable with Muslims, rather than that she has any animosity toward them.

OP here. This sums it up quite nicely thank you very much.

[Anonymous]

Ask a SAHM friend?

[Anonymous]

<<Ask a SAHM friend?>>

Only if you pay her.

[Anonymous]

Oh - this is just the beginning of your back-up care needs. It gets worse as they get older. Although, I guess there are more alternatives for older kids (camps that open up to fill the gap).

If we really need to work full days, we ask my parents to drive here (live 2 hours away). But usually my DH and I just take turns, either by day or by working odd shifts at work. Some employers are really good at letting people work from home on those odd days (odd as in most people's work is open, but schools and daycares close). But unless there is an important meeting, I just think of it as a vacation day with my son.