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1. They are expecting their child to eat too much
2. Of course he is hunger at 5:30/6:00 when you pick up it has been 2+ hours since he eat and it is almost Dinner
3. Since I pick the child up from school at 2:30, I cannot tell how much he has eaten that day.
4. I will not make a child eat and if you have problem with that then you can fin another day care.
So a little background this child is 4 years old is in a pre-k or preschool program at a local public school, I pick him up at 2:30. Snack is at 3:20 ( I have no intention of changing snack time) this child comes to me on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays his parents are divorced. All indications are that this is a health boy.
So today I called dad to remind him that Friday is Veterans Day and as such I am closed and to find out when Dad wanted to talk about a resent policy change he has not signed yet because he had some questions. (I did not see dad yesterday and will not see him today).
While on the phone, Dad asked how his child was doing. I assumed that he was asking because he has not seen his son for more than a week now because he is out of town on a business trip. I told Dad that DCB did not come on Monday or Tuesday of last week because I got a call from Mom saying I did not need to pick him up. However, on Friday last week and yesterday (Monday) he seamed to be his normal happy self. Then dad asked how has he been eating, I told dad that DCB does eat snack sometimes it is form his lunch box instead of or in addition to what I offer for snack.
Dad say he was asking because he sees how little he eats in during the day and he is always hunger when they pick him up at 5:30/6:00 and the have to stop and get him something to eat before they can get to the table for dinner. I suggested having a health snack available for the child if he is indeed that hungry (do not know why he can not just eat what is in his lunch) something like apples or carrots something that if he did spoil his dinner over it would not be that big of a deal because is was a vegetable or a fruit.
Skipping over that suggestion Dad asked if I could make sure the child eats enough in a day. I told him no I do not make children eat. I will encourage a child to eat that is not eating anything but I cannot and will not force a child to eat.
Dad said he was concerned DCb is not getting enough food during the day and therefore because of the important time of day he is in my care it is important that he have a good meal. I told dad no I offer a snack not a meal there is a difference. Dad then says I mean if DCB has not eaten his lunch then he needs to eat it at your house. I reminded dad that I do not make children eat.
I asked dad if the doctors are concerned with DCB’s weight or growing at all confused, he said no. I said that is an indication that perhaps DCB is getting enough to eat during the day. Dad said I see how much he is eating of his lunch and DCB is always hungry when we pick him up so no he is not eating enough and we do not need to wait for the doctors to get involved to fix it. At this point, I offered to start tracking how much the child is eating at my house and sending written notices of this home.
Dad then asks, with no response to the above suggestion, do you check his lunch box at all during the day. I said yes (what I felt like saying was not very nice so I kept it to myself) at snack time DCB’s lunch box is pulled out and he is offered food from it and food from what I am offering for snack usually a homemade muffin made with whole wheat and/or enriched flour and fresh fruit. I went on to explain that while I do limit the muffins to a single severing I do not limit the amount of fruit the children eat so while it is a snack in DCB could eat as much as he wanted.
Dad then says so you do know how much DCB is eating during the day. I told Dad no all I know for sure is what is left in his lunch box. Dad say well you know if there is a lot of food left that he has not eaten anything or little that day. I told Dad no I do not know if he snuck food from a friend at lunch, or if he had fourths a morning snack, or if five times the amount of food a child his ages should consume in a day was in his lunch box at the beginning of the day, or if his class had a pizza party and the parent that packs his lunch Forgot. All I know for sure is what is what is in his lunch box. Dad says the container is his box is his main food and so you can basically tell how much he has eaten. I restated no I cannot tell how much he has eaten I can tell how much food is in his lunch box when I pick him up from school.
At this point I asked Dad have you talked to mom does DCB eat the same amounts of food for lunch on the days he is not with me. Dad says DCB goes to his aunts on those days and does not have problem eating their. Taking a deep breath I said oh all right but I meant at school during lunchtime. Dad said I do not know what DCB is doing at school during lunchtime. I told Dad you might want to talk to the school about how much DCB is eating at lunch. (BTW, this is not the first time I have suggested this to this parent) I mean really why talk to me about how food is left in the lunch box and not the teacher that over see the eating of lunch.
The conversation ended with Dad saying that when he gets back in town he will set up a time for us to set down and talk about all this.
Today I am going to look at the container Dad referred to and see how much food it holds and go from there. Why do parents think every child needs to eat like a football player not every child needs to eat that much to be health.
2. Of course he is hunger at 5:30/6:00 when you pick up it has been 2+ hours since he eat and it is almost Dinner
3. Since I pick the child up from school at 2:30, I cannot tell how much he has eaten that day.
4. I will not make a child eat and if you have problem with that then you can fin another day care.
So a little background this child is 4 years old is in a pre-k or preschool program at a local public school, I pick him up at 2:30. Snack is at 3:20 ( I have no intention of changing snack time) this child comes to me on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays his parents are divorced. All indications are that this is a health boy.
So today I called dad to remind him that Friday is Veterans Day and as such I am closed and to find out when Dad wanted to talk about a resent policy change he has not signed yet because he had some questions. (I did not see dad yesterday and will not see him today).
While on the phone, Dad asked how his child was doing. I assumed that he was asking because he has not seen his son for more than a week now because he is out of town on a business trip. I told Dad that DCB did not come on Monday or Tuesday of last week because I got a call from Mom saying I did not need to pick him up. However, on Friday last week and yesterday (Monday) he seamed to be his normal happy self. Then dad asked how has he been eating, I told dad that DCB does eat snack sometimes it is form his lunch box instead of or in addition to what I offer for snack.
Dad say he was asking because he sees how little he eats in during the day and he is always hunger when they pick him up at 5:30/6:00 and the have to stop and get him something to eat before they can get to the table for dinner. I suggested having a health snack available for the child if he is indeed that hungry (do not know why he can not just eat what is in his lunch) something like apples or carrots something that if he did spoil his dinner over it would not be that big of a deal because is was a vegetable or a fruit.
Skipping over that suggestion Dad asked if I could make sure the child eats enough in a day. I told him no I do not make children eat. I will encourage a child to eat that is not eating anything but I cannot and will not force a child to eat.
Dad said he was concerned DCb is not getting enough food during the day and therefore because of the important time of day he is in my care it is important that he have a good meal. I told dad no I offer a snack not a meal there is a difference. Dad then says I mean if DCB has not eaten his lunch then he needs to eat it at your house. I reminded dad that I do not make children eat.
I asked dad if the doctors are concerned with DCB’s weight or growing at all confused, he said no. I said that is an indication that perhaps DCB is getting enough to eat during the day. Dad said I see how much he is eating of his lunch and DCB is always hungry when we pick him up so no he is not eating enough and we do not need to wait for the doctors to get involved to fix it. At this point, I offered to start tracking how much the child is eating at my house and sending written notices of this home.
Dad then asks, with no response to the above suggestion, do you check his lunch box at all during the day. I said yes (what I felt like saying was not very nice so I kept it to myself) at snack time DCB’s lunch box is pulled out and he is offered food from it and food from what I am offering for snack usually a homemade muffin made with whole wheat and/or enriched flour and fresh fruit. I went on to explain that while I do limit the muffins to a single severing I do not limit the amount of fruit the children eat so while it is a snack in DCB could eat as much as he wanted.
Dad then says so you do know how much DCB is eating during the day. I told Dad no all I know for sure is what is left in his lunch box. Dad say well you know if there is a lot of food left that he has not eaten anything or little that day. I told Dad no I do not know if he snuck food from a friend at lunch, or if he had fourths a morning snack, or if five times the amount of food a child his ages should consume in a day was in his lunch box at the beginning of the day, or if his class had a pizza party and the parent that packs his lunch Forgot. All I know for sure is what is what is in his lunch box. Dad says the container is his box is his main food and so you can basically tell how much he has eaten. I restated no I cannot tell how much he has eaten I can tell how much food is in his lunch box when I pick him up from school.
At this point I asked Dad have you talked to mom does DCB eat the same amounts of food for lunch on the days he is not with me. Dad says DCB goes to his aunts on those days and does not have problem eating their. Taking a deep breath I said oh all right but I meant at school during lunchtime. Dad said I do not know what DCB is doing at school during lunchtime. I told Dad you might want to talk to the school about how much DCB is eating at lunch. (BTW, this is not the first time I have suggested this to this parent) I mean really why talk to me about how food is left in the lunch box and not the teacher that over see the eating of lunch.
The conversation ended with Dad saying that when he gets back in town he will set up a time for us to set down and talk about all this.
Today I am going to look at the container Dad referred to and see how much food it holds and go from there. Why do parents think every child needs to eat like a football player not every child needs to eat that much to be health.
!! If he wants to discuss further I would ask that mom be apart of this conversation. I wouldn't want to discuss something with other the other parent there.
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