Teacher retention during holidays comes down to something most owners skip: a plan. A pizza party and a card in the break room feel kind, but they don’t tell your strongest team member that you see what this season is costing her. In this episode, Kelley shares how Confident Early Childhood Operators build specific appreciation, early burnout checks and a simple retention plan into November and December, so the people holding their programs together are still there in January.
💡 The 3 Key Strategies You’ll Discover
Make appreciation specific instead of generic. Build a quick profile for each team member (how she likes to be recognized, one small thing she loves, what’s hardest for her this season), then match one gesture to each person and put it on the calendar.
Spot burnout before it turns into a resignation letter. Add a 1 to 5 energy question to a touchpoint you already have, watch the trend, and when someone answers a 1 or a 2 twice in a row, have the conversation that week and offer a real adjustment.
Build a simple holiday retention plan. Ask every team member one question, “What’s the one thing that would make this December easier for you?”, then turn the answers into a one-page plan that lives on your leadership meeting agenda.
⏰ Key Moments & Timestamps
0:00 Why your best people still walk away in December
1:25 Why a pizza party isn’t a holiday retention plan
3:46 What appreciation really means, and what the data says about childcare turnover
5:27 Kelley’s story: appreciation that’s planned instead of assumed
6:45 Strategy #1: Make appreciation specific instead of generic
10:59 Strategy #2: Spot burnout before it turns into a resignation letter
14:51 Strategy #3: Build your holiday retention plan
19:29 Manifestation Minute
20:24 This week’s action steps and free resource
📋 Grab Your Free Resource
Download the free Team Appreciation (Holidays) Planning Worksheet. It holds each team member’s appreciation profile, a weekly energy check and your one-page holiday retention plan, all in one place. Subscribe below to download it for free.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Clarity Collective: Live group coaching with Kelley and a dedicated coach, with full access to the Preschool Business Blueprint (including Module 2, Empower Your Team) and Chaos Coordinator Collective access for two of your team members. 30-day money-back guarantee. Learn more →
10 Secrets to Hiring the Most Amazing Team Ever: A free guide for building the kind of team you never have to replace. Get the free guide →
Shine Membership: Monthly trainings and done-for-you templates for the owner who’d rather build it herself. Join today →
Private CEO Facebook Group: A free community of early childhood CEOs. Come tell us what your team needs this season. Join us →
🔗 Related Episodes & Resources:
Episode 204: Your Time+Freedom Holiday Plan: Actually Enjoy This Season
Episode 105: Cultivating Appreciation and Unwavering Loyalty in Your Early Childhood Business Team
💛 Connect With Kelley:
Final thoughts
Your team is carrying their own holidays home every night. When you plan for that on purpose, you stop finding out who was struggling from a resignation letter, and your program walks into January with the people who make it work.
If this episode helped, subscribe so you don’t miss next week, share it with an owner who’s worried about her team this season, and leave us a review. Listen to every episode at kelleypeake.com/podcast and watch on YouTube at youtube.com/@PeakeCreative.