Completely Lost It At Meal Time Today! So Fed Up With Picky Eaters!!

[Blackcat31]

You will not get "kicked off" the food program for this, IMO. You only need to have enough food to OFFER the required portions. You are not required to SERVE the entire portion of each food at once. At least, that is what our food program has been telling us for 20+ years.

I was told the same thing by my food program coordinator.

We only have to have the correct servings available but do not actually have to put it all on their plate at once.

[familyschoolcare]

I was told the same thing by my food program coordinator.

We only have to have the correct servings available but do not actually have to put it all on their plate at once.

I was told I do not have to even put on the plate. So for example at snack yestereday we had Homemade pumpkn muffins and organges. I get the plate

of organges out ot the ref. and ask DCB1 (my very picky eater) do you whant some ornges he say no (he always says no) then I continue the process for

the rest of the children serving the that whant some. I repeat with the muffins. The children all now that at this point they may get out their lunch

and eat what ever is left (provided it is not too much junk, this works for me). Then at the end of snack the fruit goes back in the freg. and my family

eats it latter, I then put any left over muffins in the freezer and we have them for snack a another day. I always have "leftover" muffins B/C of my

picky eater will not eat any of my food and I min any. I have said DCB would you like some grapes he says no goes and gets his lunch and eats his grapes.


If you do it this way then alot less food will end up in the garbage can and you will have leftovers to warm up for dinner.


PS. I food prgram rep has been here when I have done this and no problems as long as he see the food on the plate making avaiable to the child.

[youretooloud]

My food program always told us "It's your job to serve it, it's their job to eat it".

I know who will and won't eat. I put very little on their plates, so it doesn't frustrate me when I throw it away. I don't fill the plate.

Over the summer, I had a VERY overweight grade school child. SHe would REFUSE to eat anything if it had fruit or vegetable on the plate. She'd cry and shove the plate away and say "I'm NOT eating this!". I explained that she could eat the part she liked, and leave the rest, because I was required to serve the whole lunch. Then, I told her to stop saying ANYTHING in front of the other kids about the food...and that I would not NOT give her something else, because then the other kids would start to act like she does, and I'd be dealing with this for the next five years. So, I let her starve all summer long. By July, she was at least pleasant and stopped shoving the plate away and openly sulking about it. But, she never ate a single lunch at my house for over two months.

If I made Blueberry muffins, she'd refuse to eat that too, because it had "fruit" in it.

[Cat Herder]

My State has MANDATORY minimums to be offered.

I offer it, they choose whether or not to eat. It makes no difference to me. The food was already paid for by their parents (tuition).....not me. I think it is about perspective.

If they eat the first serving, they get seconds, and so on... Family Style. If not, we carry on.

I don't stress over it at all.... IMHO, that is why I generally don't have picky eaters. If I made it obvious it bothered me, I think I'd see alot more meal time issues.

I know all my clients complain about the issues they have at home; one saying she won't let them down until they eat a few bites of EVERYTHING.... I feel strongly this is WHY they have the battles. Honestly, their kids eat great here.

I don't serve "kid foods" either....

[countrymom]

It does stink that they don't eat it and that we can't give them back up food. Im on the food program too.

I think what is worse, is that when they don't eat the mood that it puts them in just kills me. They are so grumpy and moody because they chose not to eat. Then 10-20 min after meal time....Miss. C. Im hungry. I want something to eat, drink, snack....UM NOPE you just had your chance and you chose not to. It does sound horribly mean, but I would be sitting all day and feeding children if I played into that game.....PLUS on the food program, all meals hacve to be 2 hours apart and served at the same time for you to get your repayment....

What I did do was find out what they will eat and I keep track of it. I rotate out my meal schedules every 3 weeks. YUP we eat the same things every 3 week rotation. I know what to buy, how much and it has saved me a lot of money.

Also, I don't battle children if they don't want to eat. You have to sit and at least try one bite of your choice. You have to sit at the table and wait for everyone to be done. About 15*-20 min...... everyone gets excused at the same time and will display good table manners if they are done or not.

After that time frame is over, if you ate or not, food goes in the trash.

thats my house. I don't care if you don't want to eat, but you still have to sit and watch the others eat. Its amazing how many will eat when they see the others eat, esp. when I serve a dessert and the others are eating the dessert. I just can't get over how many kids have never seen fresh homemade pizza before. I had a boy tell me that pizza only comes from the delivery guy. Dear op, don't worry, we all deal with this nonsense.

[Crazy8]

this is why I am glad not to be on the food program and not have to deal with any issues with food. Lunch time is a breeze here, everyone eats what was sent from home, if they don't finish it no big deal but they always like what they are eating. And in 10 years I have never had a kid have an issue with someone else eating something different, they just know they bring their own lunch and that's it. No headaches for me.

[wdmmom]

this is why I am glad not to be on the food program and not have to deal with any issues with food. Lunch time is a breeze here, everyone eats what was sent from home, if they don't finish it no big deal but they always like what they are eating. And in 10 years I have never had a kid have an issue with someone else eating something different, they just know they bring their own lunch and that's it. No headaches for me.

I'm not on the food program either but I'd never in a million years consider having everyone bring their own food. I can't even imagine the chaos that would cause.

"Johnny has a cheese stick, I want a cheese stick. Why can't I have a cheese stick?" Oh

I got so used to throwing so much food away that I stopped too. I still serve "restaurant style" but I usually only put 1/2 of the required serving size on the plate. I allow 2nds if they've tried everything on their plate. Alls I ask is that they try it.

And, one thing that's gotten me through meals is to remember, "YOU'LL NEVER PLEASE EVERYONE."

[juliebug]

i do family style and boy does it save food! i have some extremely picky children and just don't eat until they go home some days. oh well i offered food they refused all is good.

[Mrs. CC]

this is why I no longer do the Food Program. I do not care that the food has a subsidy, I refuse to waste food.

I will sit with them until they finish. I will play food games with them. I will help them scoop their food and eat it.

I WILL NOT throw away full plates of food!

[countrymom]

whats family style.

[Blackcat31]

this is why I no longer do the Food Program. I do not care that the food has a subsidy, I refuse to waste food.

I will sit with them until they finish. I will play food games with them. I will help them scoop their food and eat it.

I WILL NOT throw away full plates of food!

Curious as to why you feel being on the food program promotes waste?

I am on the food program and have been for a LOOOOONG time and I rarely throw anything away.

Playing games, supporting the kids while they eat, scooping and assisting are not things the food program frowns on :confused:

[Mrs. CC]

Curious as to why you feel being on the food program promotes waste?

I am on the food program and have been for a LOOOOONG time and I rarely throw anything away.

Playing games, supporting the kids while they eat, scooping and assisting are not things the food program frowns on




OK I couldn;t remember how to quote I am very sorry

In our Food Program you are not allowed to let a child sit eating after the others are done. if they refuse to eat then you must throw their food away.

Also, here I am not allowed to serve left overs - even if the food is good for another meal.

Now I can serve smaller portions (and allow for 2nds or 3rds), dismiss other kids and sit one on one with the ones having eating issues and serve left overs. All without inspections and without waste!

I had a huge stress lifted the day I made the call to quit the program.

Also, those who serve Family Style, are you on the food program? Our Food Program doesn't allow us to serve this way. Each portion must be measured out to each individual child on their own plates/bowls

[Blackcat31]

OK I couldn;t remember how to quote I am very sorry

In our Food Program you are not allowed to let a child sit eating after the others are done. if they refuse to eat then you must throw their food away.

Also, here I am not allowed to serve left overs - even if the food is good for another meal.

Now I can serve smaller portions (and allow for 2nds or 3rds), dismiss other kids and sit one on one with the ones having eating issues and serve left overs. All without inspections and without waste!

I had a huge stress lifted the day I made the call to quit the program.

Also, those who serve Family Style, are you on the food program? Our Food Program doesn't allow us to serve this way. Each portion must be measured out to each individual child on their own plates/bowls

Oh, okay...that explains alot then...

Here, the food program says I only need have the correct portions AVAILABLE (not necessarily on their plates) so that cuts down on waste right there. Also, I can have kids eat at all sorts of different paces and they are not required to all be doing it at the same time (just within the time frame of when I said lunch/snack would be).

I can also serve each and every kid a separate meal as long as each meal meets the required meal components. I can do left overs (Not food from others'plates) and oftendo on Fridays. But again, as long as the food meets the meal requirements.

The food program confuses me in that each state, area, community, sponser...whatever....seems to do things differently even though the food program is a Federally funded one.

[Cat Herder]

whats family style.

For me:

I set the table and have kids sit in front of an empty plate. I serve everyone from big dishes, kept on the stove between servings, just like the family dinner table.

I tweaked it a bit to help the kids eat their veggies.... When they are at their most hungry is when I offer veggies.

I serve the veggies then s---l---o---w---l---y, make my way back around with meats. Next up fruits, breads then milk.

Seconds go in the same exact order until everyone stops eating and asks to clear their plate.

It works for me.

[Country Kids]

For me:

I set the table and have kids sit in front of an empty plate. I serve everyone from big dishes, just like the family dinner table.

I tweaked it a bit to help the kids eat their veggies.... When they are at their most hungry is when I offer veggies.

I serve the veggies then s---l---o---w---l---y, make my way back around with meats. Next up fruits, breads then milk.

Seconds go in the same exact order until everyone stops eating and asks to clear their plate.

It works for me.

This is what I've been wanting to but a few questions I have!

What do you do with the ones that won't eat the veggies? I have one that starts the minute I say lunch time carrying on because of veggies-they are even this way about fruit=

Do you serve the next thing or do you have them eat what is on their plate?