I have two weeks paid vacation and one unpaid and parents pay for their vacations as well (although I try to make it work so we all take vacations at the same time if possible). I am also paid for stats. If a child is absent they still pay as they are still using that space. Thus, my income is steady throughout the year and I don't have to worry about a whole lot of calculations. None of my parents have complained. However, that is the norm in my area, so you may have to look into what the norm is in your area to know if parents will accept it. I would not take away your paid vacation! I do serve breakfast for those who need it, but this is clear from the beginning and is more because I am feeding my own kids around the time the daycare kids arive and I don't want to wake them up early to feed them. This is clearly in my contract and works well for me (but I do charge accordingly).