Parents who take advantage

[katherine mowat]

Pay,Pay ,Pay. I am sure that they would have a huge problem if they went into there job to find out that they were missing weeks of pay beacuse there boss decided to go on holidays. It always amazes me that people dont have respect for the people that are essentially raising their children.

[mom-in-alberta]

I can't really add much, exept to echo what each and every poster has said so far.
If I am holding your spot, you pay for it. I have only made exception to this once so far, and this was a mutual agreement that was beneficial for me also.
I try to ensure that parents understand that their fee doesn't pay me hourly or even daily (in the case of full-timers). It ensures that a SPOT is available for their child under the agreed upon terms and timeframes. I take holidays, you take holidays, doesn't affect the fees. You still maintain that SPACE in my facility. If you choose not to pay for that space, you will lose it, end of story. Luckily, none of the parents I have (right now!) are the type that say to themselves "Well, I paid for it!!"
Perhaps this mom just needs to be reminded that this is your business, your income, and you depend upon it as such. If you can take the approach mentioned above (ie; you still expect a paycheque when your boss goes on holidays!!) it might help. If not, inform her that unfortunately you will need to fill those spaces, as you cannot go without that income.