School religious holidays during the week

[Hillbeans]

What do those of you who have daycare age/school age children do about work when you need to take off for religious holidays and school is closed? Do you ask a family member to babysit (if they're home) or do you take off as a vacation day?

I just realized my daycare is closed on Rosh Hashanah as well as Columbus day, and both days my work is open.

 

[Christine]

I usually ask my mom to babysit. She works for the Federal Government, so she gets the full complement of holidays (not religious though). I have to work two of the holidays that most get off (MLK and Columbus). As for the religious days, my kids do go to private Catholic school and there are about 2 days that are religious holidays. I usually just have to take off work for those.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

My DH, my sister and I all take turns taking off for the holidays. That way I am not always taking off from work and dealing with my boss getting impatient. By rotating the holidays, I usually only end up taking off for only 1 or 2 during the year, it helps me save up my personal and vacation days for the summer when I have a harder time finding babysitters.

 

[jrydberg]

My daycare rarely closes. Though last year they had to close due to Hurricane Isabel (knocked the water out) and my work remained open. I brought my daughter in to work with me.

 

[KarenC]

Our park district offers "school's out" programs on days that school is not in session. I don't need them anymore, but they were lifesavers for those types of holidays and teachers' institute days.

 

[CEDmom]

Wow, I guess we're lucky because DD's daycare (she's going there for kindergarten) is only closed a few days a year(Christmas, Thankgiving etc). I'd either take a day, work from home or see if one of the teachers wanted to babysit.