Hey guess what? YOU are the boss!

I hope you have a contract. My contract states clearly the days I am closed and I learned not to call the 'stats', but rather I call them 'closed days'. I do take Family Day off as well as Easter Monday and Christmas Eve Day which are not actually stats. I have one daycare Mom who works for the federal government too and she has to work Family Day but she gets Remembrance Day off, but I'm open. She makes other arrangements. A lot of people have to work Easter Monday and Christmas Eve day too but they make other arrangements.

My point would be for you to give your daycare families lots of notice (hopefully in a contract) and you don't have to feel the least bit guilty. I also give the families a newsletter and I post one in my entrance hallway which has reminders of all the important dates.