Does Anyone Work Or Run A Larger Center?

[flossie]

We had around 40 kids all together. This year it is supposed to be at least another 10, probably 20, more kids. I am one person working the kitchen.

I used to bring breakfast to only one preschool room (and toddler... and baby room). This year I am to bring it out to the second room, which is a separate building. (So a wheeled cart is out of the question for delivering to them.)

Breakfast, a.m. snack and then to lunch is a tiny amount of time to get pretty much everything done in - at least for me. I'm often still washing cups or spoons from a previous feeding right up to the time the next eating should be beginning... I get it done, but I feel like a wreck trying to do it all. Now with the additional trek to the other building... Oye.

I'm looking for tips or tricks that others use to simplify or make this more stream-lined, I guess. Before I just give up and say I'm too old for this type of work anymore.::

[DaveA]

Do you have a dishwasher? It sounds like your program has grown to the point it needs one. Specifically a commercial one that has quick cycles. Be prepared for your director to have a stroke when you bring that to them. They’re not cheap especially if new plumbing has to be added in.

Aside from that without being actually there to see how your day goes all I can come up with is you need enough serving supplies to not have to do dishes after breakfast. Just do them all after lunch. Still a ton of dishes, but at least it buys you some breathing room in the morning.

[flossie]

Funny, ha ha... We literally just had the dishwasher pulled out last week. It was being rented and (supposedly) maintained by a company that required her to also purchase detergents/cleansers from them, too. If she didn't make the required purchases they charged her $100 each month automatically, on top of whatever they've been paying to rent it. Anyhow, several weeks ago it wouldn't drain out. She called them and after two weeks they still hadn't come to repair it. During that time I discovered that by handwashing, I was still getting done at the same time, since the machine wasn't very good at getting ranch off the plates (and we all know how much kiddos like ranch... nearly every day...) and cups would flip and need to be rewashed, etc. It also was adding a crap-ton of heat and humidity to our tiny kitchen that has no exhaust/ac sytem and would set off the smoke alarm on occasion. I can't recall what it's called but it also used the same water the entire day, wasn't they type to drain out, so if something flipped over it had dirty water sitting in it. After 3 weeks, though, it has been finally hauled out.

Thank you for the reply, also. I did have her order another baking pan and have a few more serving items written down to give to her tomorrow, too, along with a reminder that I have already asked for more spoons and cups. I was up at 4am working on a written out "plan of attack" for tomorrow. I've just been spending so much time outside of paid working hours trying to figure this all out...