Late Drop Off and Breakfast

[caring4kidsinSD]

What would you do?

I have a dad who drops off just after breakfast time @845. he doesn't feed his kids before drop off. I had told them repeatedly and in written notes they need to be dropped off before 8:40 if they want breakfast due to preschool starting at 9am(Kids needs time to eat, I need time to clear the table, get dishes put away, dishwasher started, sweep the floor, and get kids to the right area of the house before preschool starts at 9am). Traffic is not an issue - they live across the street. I do preschool in a back room and the rest of the kids are downstairs with my helper so I can't let the kids eat in the kitchen by themselves. The littlest one screams when he doesn't get breakfast. But I have no place to feed him downstairs( and if the rest of the kids see him eating downstairs, they are going to want to start eating downstairs too and i don't want food crumbs down there - it's bad enough I have t hem all over my upstairs area is places that shouldn't have food crumbs). I feel bad for the child but what can I do when I'd told them over and over they need to be here before a certain time or they have to feed them theirselves?

[mismatchedsocks]

I would just let kids in, say good morning. Not mention breakfast, because snack will be soon enough. I would however talk to parents alone saying, the kids get upset when they arrive late, because they are not fed at home, and we breakfast ends here by the time you get here. Can you feed them before they come? If it doesnt work, there is nothing you can do about dad, if he doesnt get it.

[momma2girls]

I actually stopped serving breakfast, but I am not registered at all. I know some of you's have to serve breakfast.
I couldn't get to breakfast til about 9:00 every am. I had my own daughters to get ready for school. I also had 2 to get ready for preschool. THen have all 4 families come thru the door, and greet at that same time.
Then amongst all this, my own little girl would awake, need fed and changed.
There was definately not time in the am, for anything.
I serve am snack between 9:30-9:45. I serve dinner between 11:15-11:45 for everyone here.
Good luck!!
Maybe you can tell him, if the child isn't here by a certain time, she will not be receiving any breakfast, just an am snack. Be strong and stick to your times, no matter what!!

[Cat Herder]

I'd ask Dad if they had breakfast.

If he said no I'd send him out to feed them breakfast before returning.

It only has to happen once.

[momma2girls]

This is good Catheter!!

[bunnyslippers]

I'd ask Dad if they had breakfast.

If he said no I'd send him out to feed them breakfast before returning.

It only has to happen once.

Absolutely! Great advice! It is his responsibility to feed his children, not yours. Don't stray from your schedule, and make sure he knows his children have missed breakfast. I would also say something at pick-up along the lines of "They had a rough morning, most likely because they were hungry from missing breakfast. Kids need to eat in the morning." So frustrating!

[E Daycare]

I had a parent do this to me Wednesday. Come in carrying their child as I was holding an infant and clearly just cleaned up all breakfast as I just started the dishwasher. She knows from day one that breakfast is 8-8:30. It's her late day so I don't save anything for her kid as he usually comes in 8:45-9am and is usually fed. She rushes in, states her eldest is in the car and she needs to go and he hasn't been fed and tries to dump him in my arms even tho I'm holding another client.

I know it's a home and they like the home environment but they also know its run as a daycar. Snack is at 10 so he had to wait even tho I know I wouldn't want my own child to be hungry but when everything is all put away and it's infant feeding time what am I supposed to do?

I'd hope by this time a child would be fed. Especially if they mosey on over from across the street. When she asked if he ate breakfast I told her "nope, he cried when you left and sat himself in the corner and shortly later it was snack time" and he had a 0 written on his daily sheet for what he ate for breakfast.

Plus if I have to make something different for him because he came in late than the other kids hover and whine for that stuff too. I have 5 daycare kids and at 9 a the last thing I want to do is make ANOTHER breakfast.

[Zoe]

I have a dcg who comes at 8:30, the exact time I end breakfast. I have to get my DD to kindy at 8:45 so we're getting ready to go by the time she gets here and she never has breakfast when she's with her mom. Her parents are divorced so on alternating weeks she's with her dad and she gets breakfast then.

So I know she at least half the time is fed properly. I don't say anything because honestly, by the time we get back from taking DD to school, it's morning snack time. She never complains. If it were obvious that she was hungry, I'd say something because I hate to have a child suffer.

I should also add that I write down what she is served to eat during the day so I know the mom is aware that I don't feed her breakfast.