Have You Ever Been Accused Of Not Feeding A Child Enough?!

[familyschoolcare]

I get asked does G**** eat snack for you. He is always hungry when we pick him up. Lately parent goes on to say how she feels bad B/C G**** often falls asleep on the way home (drive is more than an hour) and then does not wake up to eat dinner. I usually just respond with I offer food but do not force children to eat, he eats what he eats. I like the of course he is it is almost dinner line and will use it next time as it seams to come up at least once a week now.

[Heidi]

I've actually had the opposite problem. Kids comming hungry. My schedule is posted, and my kids arrive between 7-7:30. The 14 mo twins just stopped getting a bottle at home (and mom forgot to tell me). I was wondering why they've been crankin before breakfast!

I serve a breakfast at 8:30-9:00, lunch starts at noon, and afternoon snack is after nap, usually around 3:30. I am on the food program, but I claim (and serve) AM SNACK, LUNCH, and DINNER. By adding the components, I get reimbursed significantly more than if I did Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack. Our food program consultants actually recommended doing this when the reimbursement rates got tiered 10 or so years ago.

I think parents have less "witching hour" issues because my kids get a little protein with their last meal here. One of my families has 4 children under 5. It's got to be a challenge to get dinner on the table some days!

[Cat Herder]

and afternoon snack is after nap, usually around 3:30. I am on the food program, but I claim (and serve) AM SNACK, LUNCH, and DINNER. By adding the components, I get reimbursed significantly more than if I did Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack. Our food program consultants actually recommended doing this when the reimbursement rates got tiered 10 or so years ago.

Here we are told we cannot claim it as Dinner unless it is after 5pm. :confused:

Maybe it is only allowed if you are in a State that has the "At Risk Afterschool Meals" Program (14 States?).

[nannyde]

Here we are told we cannot claim it as Dinner unless it is after 5pm. :confused:

Here too.

Five p.m. is the earliest.

[Heidi]

hmm...odd...It is in my schedule for 3:30, & they originally told me to do that. I hope I didn't get wrong information, or they didn't change the policy. It has been known to happen. Guess who gets blamed when THAT happens?

For those of you who are not allowed to do this. Is it in your manual? I am asking because I'd like to check mine.

BTW, I use minute menus...

[Blackcat31]

I was told I can technically serve dinner at any time I want provided it is offered after lunch AND contains all the required components. Right now my dinner time is listed as 4:00-6:00. I am not even required to be anymore specific than that.

[Cat Herder]

hmm...odd...It is in my schedule for 3:30, & they originally told me to do that. I hope I didn't get wrong information, or they didn't change the policy. It has been known to happen. Guess who gets blamed when THAT happens?

For those of you who are not allowed to do this. Is it in your manual? I am asking because I'd like to check mine.

BTW, I use minute menus...

I'd ask Tom in the daycare and taxes secton. He knows that stuff like the back of his hand.

My fear is an audit could leave you owing money if it is not ok....YKWIM?

Blackcat, I did not see your post... Good to know.

[nannyde]

One of my families has 4 children under 5. It's got to be a challenge to get dinner on the table some days!

I don't look at it like that. I think this generation of parents have SO many modern appliances that having a full meal ready to go the minute the walk in the door is absolutely doable.

Use a crock pot... make the meal up in advance... make stews and bowl in one meals.... do the chopping the evening before.... have the cups poured and ready to serve and the table set before you leave in the morning. Make meals on the weekend and freeze them.

My grandma was the mother of ten kids and she worked a farm and cared for all of her kids with a wood stove, an ice chest, and didn't have electricity until my Dad (the youngest) was SEVEN. She managed it with work from morning until late at night for decades.

These guys have it really really really good. If they have a fridge, a freezer, a stove, a crock pot, and a microwave there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER for them not to have their children's meals made and ready to go.

[Cat Herder]

These guys have it really really really good. If they have a fridge, a freezer, a stove, a crock pot, and a microwave there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER for them not to have their children's meals made and ready to go.

Sing it Sister!!!

[Unregistered]

Trimming their grocery bill

I had a daycare dad text me a few weeks ago asking if his girls eat good for lunch. I said yes, as they are usually the first ones done and asking for seconds. They tend to be picky, so I give a small amount at first, and after I know they like it I give them the rest to equal the recommended amount. He said they are always complaining on the way home that they are hungry. We eat at 11-11:30, and they get picked up at 2. Snack is usually served at 2:30-3, so they miss that when they are here.

A couple days later he texted just to ask how they were. I said they were finishing up lunch and he said to "feed them well. they are bottomless pits."

That is Soooo tacky! What I'm seeing with the lack of parenting and the economy, they really want their child to eat on someone else's dime. I don't serve breakfast but keep seeing parents who habitually forget, or bring me a big box of cereal (no milk). Other providers I know have the same problem. They want their child to eat two meals, snacks ect. and then they only have to give them dinner, sad but true.

Really if they were so concerned, they could have lunch and snacks in their diaper bags. Its about getting the most for their buck and we've all had those parents.

[caligirl]

There's a 74 percent difference between his height and weight percentiles. That's clinically VERY significant.

He should be a couple of INCHES taller to accomodate that weight and he's just a new one year old.

We HAVE to start addressing obesity in infants.

LOL, well I guess I didn't read it that clearly, or it didn't sink in.......I don't know why, it's not like I'm distracted or anything::

[Christian Mother]

I've never had a parent question eating habits over here. I think mainly bc on my daily report it states exactly what they ate, when, and if it was all or some or none. If they ate all and asked for 2nds I also mention that. I got blessed with really good eaters who will try new things and aren't too picky. For the children that ask for 2nds I'll give it out making sure 1st that they've already finished the all their food. I like to shop at Sprout's for snacks and veggie's although there is a neat Farmer's market I shop at too when prices are excellent.

[mismatchedsocks]

I have had parents ask me when their child ate last, or ask if i served a meal. Usually this is days the kids dont like whatever meal it is and CHOOSE not to eat it. Parents get a menu, so i usually refer them to that and say well johnny ate only half of lunch today.


I serve breakfast 730-8. Snack at 930-10 Lunch at 1130-12 then at 3ish we eat a snack which I claim as dinner. It has all the components as a dinner would need but earlier. I dont mind doing this as most of my daycare kids leave close to 5, and usually grab fast food on way home. This way they have veggies/fruit/meat/bread for a couple meals a day.

Some "dinner" meals that I serve at 3 are grilled cheese, grapes, carrots and milk. Ham sandwich, peaches, corn and milk. Meatballs and noodles, peas and banana. My kids are mostly ages 1 and 2 so the serving size is enough to fill them up, but they can still eat their "dinner" later with family.

[Hunni Bee]

I had a mom call and say "K said you all don't feed him."...and she was dead serious about it. :confused: How would we not feed him??? Our kids eat 3 squares a day, because through the food program we're on, we get a full course dinner at snack. Today it was chili con carne with crackers, vegetable slaw, grapes and milk. What on Earth are we doing with all that food if we don't feed the kids??

Plus if she knows her own son, she knows he eats like a grown man and he'd be crying on the floor if we didn't feed him. What we DON'T do is allow him to eat junk snack he's given at Head Start once he's in our care...he has to put in his backpack til home.

OF COURSE kids act like they're starved once their parents pick them up. How else will they get Mom to stop at Mickey D's on the way home? And plus they know different food (junk) is available at home that they haven't gotten all day at daycare.

[countrymom]

I just want to point out something to everyone, I will guarentee know one thought of this. I have this 2 yr old who we call the vacuum. I mean this girl eats her food so fast and eats everything, everyday it seems like she is starving when she is here. So I started investing. I come to find out that the childrens dinner was soup, or nuggets or grilled cheese (things I serve for lunch) their breakfast was some fruit or cookies. Well then it clicked, this child is starving so the next day she is so hungry (not in my house, I feed till your full) I have another child who eats so much junk at home that they can't figure out why he is so high strung for them, he doesn't go to sleep till almost midnight and he's 3, but every day I feed him a good breakfast, and a healthy snacks and a good lunch and never have issues with him, he even takes a good nap.