Has this ever happened to you? You skim through the calendar late Sunday afternoon and you suddenly remember, “Tomorrow is a holiday!?!” For most people in the working world, this is cause for celebration. Hurray! A long weekend! But, for the rest of us in the parenting or childcare world, if we do not have a Monday holiday “plan” in place, this Sunday afternoon realization may be cause for slight panic. So what steps can be taken to avoid this?
Discuss Monday holidays from the very beginning: Talk to you nanny or employer about what works best for them and come up with a plan together that ensures all needs are met. Keep in mind that if school is out for the day, your nanny may have to come up with childcare as well.
Put it in the writing: Be sure to include the Monday holiday agreed upon plan in the employment contract. If there is ever confusion at a later date there you may reference what was discussed.
Plan some fun: Make Monday holidays special for the kids and family by planning a fun activity or outing. Many museums and other organizations and businesses offer a discount or deals on Monday holidays. Explore your area and see what is available.
OR plan some R&R: If you or your family are always on the move, take the special Monday to lay low and take a break from the hustle and bustle. Plan some fun activities at home, maybe make a special breakfast and hang out in pajamas for a bit longer!
Last but not least, try to remain flexible: Even after with all due diligence and planning, remember that things may come up for either the nanny or family. Try to remain open and flexible. The normal schedule or usual workday may fall to the wayside on a Monday holiday, but remember, normalcy will return tomorrow, it’s only a day away!
How do you handle Monday holidays? What plan do you have in place? We want to know! Post to our comments section below or on our Facebook or Twitter pages: @TheNannyDoctor #MondayHoliday