When Do You Cook Your Meals?

[jokalima]

Do you cook during the morning hours when the kids are already in DC or you get up early in the am to cook lunch before they get to DC?

If you cook during the morning how do you manage your morning time wise? How do you divide your time? Are parents OK with you cooking while kids are here?

[Countrygal]

My parents usually comment about how good the house smells and that they wish they could stay! ::::::

I cook just like I used to for my own family. One thing I do do with the dcks is let them watch an educational movie or play with quiet toys while I am cooking. Seems to keep everything a little easier to handle.

[sharlan]

I cook prior to each meal. I don't like food cooked earlier and reheated.

[Lianne]

If I need or want to cook in the morning, then I do. If the kids are here then they can play. I run a home daycare, a daycare in my HOME. One of the things that happens in a home is cooking. Another thing that happens in a home is playing. I cook, kids play.

A pet peeve of mine is when I'm asked if parents are okay when I do XYZ. Quite frankly, I don't care what a parent thinks about what I do. This is my business and I run it how it best suits the children as a group but more importantly, how it suits me. If parents have issues with how I run things then I'm not the right provider for them. If they want a place where the children get 100% undivided adult attention then they need a daycare center (bwahaha, good luck with that)

[spud912]

I cook before breakfast while they free-play in the morning and keep it to around 30 minutes or less. Breakfast is sometimes cooked the night before.

For lunch, I usually start the prep work while the kids are still eating breakfast. I finish preparing lunch the 20 minutes before it's served while the kids watch a 20 minute educational show (the 20 minutes between coming in from outside and lunch time). The show helps calm them down from the excitement outside and keeps the playroom tidy.

I start preparing dinner at around 3 pm (~15-30 minutes before they wake up from nap). I prepare/cook dinner on and off until 5 pm with many many interruptions. Sometimes I serve what was made for dinner the next day for lunch. This allows the children to have a larger variety of food, some of which takes awhile to cook or would detract too much from our ability to do morning activities. It also gives me a good reason to serve the kids high quality food that many day cares don't serve. For example, how many day cares serve homemade smoked BBQ ribs?

As far as if parents are ok with it? I think my parents appreciate the good homemade food and are glad that I'm not serving hot dogs and Kraft Mac n Cheese. They know there is just one of me and I think my parents are realistic and understanding. Plus, they sometimes have the pleasure to take some of my goodies to work (like homemade blueberry muffins, fresh out of the oven).

[jokalima]

Thanks for the answers. I askes because I want ideas to see if something works out better for me than what i am doing right now. I wake up a little bit earlier and start cooking before they get here, main reason is that I would not have time to do things with them plus take them outside if I do it during the morning hours. But the thing is that not all mornings I feel like waking up to cook, is a real chore and sometimes I really hate it.
If I ask what parents think is because at least for me it is important what they think or how they feel about the way I run my Day Care, that does not mean I am going to let them run it for me, but i think it helps me better my self as a provider to know the likes and dislikes of parents.

[Countrygal]

Thanks for the answers. I askes because I want ideas to see if something works out better for me than what i am doing right now. I wake up a little bit earlier and start cooking before they get here, main reason is that I would not have time to do things with them plus take them outside if I do it during the morning hours. But the thing is that not all mornings I feel like waking up to cook, is a real chore and sometimes I really hate it.
If I ask what parents think is because at least for me it is important what they think or how they feel about the way I run my Day Care, that does not mean I am going to let them run it for me, but i think it helps me better my self as a provider to know the likes and dislikes of parents.

I am the type that I definitely like to take into consideration the parents' feelings and likes/dislikes. However, when it comes to our routine, they are not here and really can't know what works best for all of us. When it comes to which curriculum I use, how much we play outside, how long naps are - I consult the parents on all of these issues! But not on our basic schedule or routine.

[Kiki]

I am the type that I definitely like to take into consideration the parents' feelings and likes/dislikes. However, when it comes to our routine, they are not here and really can't know what works best for all of us. When it comes to which curriculum I use, how much we play outside, how long naps are - I consult the parents on all of these issues! But not on our basic schedule or routine.

Me too.

As far as I how I prepare meals? I prepare them before they are served, I can't stand the taste of re-heated food either. (Unless it's something like lasagna.)
Breakfast at my house isn't until 9:00, and most kids are being dropped off between 8:00-8:45; so it works out pretty well for me. They play in the toy room that is right next to the kitchen while I cook breakfast.

Lunch is at 12:00 which is right after our outdoor play time, the kids will usually sit at the table and color, or place with the race cars while I cook.

Dinner at my house isn't served until 6:30-7:00, so I'm normally not cooking that until after all of my kids have gone home. If it's a big meal that I know takes longer, I'll start my prep work earlier while the kids have their end of day free play.

Honestly, I think the parents expect you to cook, and know you do while their children are in your home. If they don't, I don't really see how else they think it would work for meals.

[DaisyMamma]

If I need or want to cook in the morning, then I do. If the kids are here then they can play. I run a home daycare, a daycare in my HOME. One of the things that happens in a home is cooking. Another thing that happens in a home is playing. I cook, kids play.

A pet peeve of mine is when I'm asked if parents are okay when I do XYZ. Quite frankly, I don't care what a parent thinks about what I do. This is my business and I run it how it best suits the children as a group but more importantly, how it suits me. If parents have issues with how I run things then I'm not the right provider for them. If they want a place where the children get 100% undivided adult attention then they need a daycare center (bwahaha, good luck with that)

I could have posted this myself. I run my daycare like my home, as if all the kids are mine. If i need to do a personal errand I do it. If I need to go to the bathroom I go! If I need to cook lunch I cook it. If I have a challenging child that doesn't play nicely chances are they won't last long here, but I will attempt to put a video on or have that one kid sit at the counter and be my helper. If your whole group is challenging and cant handle you neededing ten minutes to cook then I can see how you would need to cook earlier or during nap, etc.

Right now I cook as needed. In a couple weeks I will have 3 more kids so I be precooking some things, for example, if we have pancakes on Monday I will also make enough for another day. But I really don't plan it all out. I don't even know what we are having for lunch today.

[jokalima]

Wow, you ladies love to cook...

One of the things for me is that I don't like cooking that much and the taste of reheated food does not bother me at all, so I cook in the am early, cook enough so my family can eat same thing for dinner, that part works good for me because I don't have to cook again during the day.

[SilverSabre25]

The vast majority of my cooking is done in the evening or on the weekends. What is for my family's dinner one night often becomes daycare lunch the next day or later that week.

[jokalima]

See. I am reading that a lot but when the lady from the food program came she told me I could not cook the day before for the kids, it had to be cooked the same day it was going to be served:confused: Is this true?

[countrymom]

I could have posted this myself. I run my daycare like my home, as if all the kids are mine. If i need to do a personal errand I do it. If I need to go to the bathroom I go! If I need to cook lunch I cook it. If I have a challenging child that doesn't play nicely chances are they won't last long here, but I will attempt to put a video on or have that one kid sit at the counter and be my helper. If your whole group is challenging and cant handle you neededing ten minutes to cook then I can see how you would need to cook earlier or during nap, etc.

Right now I cook as needed. In a couple weeks I will have 3 more kids so I be precooking some things, for example, if we have pancakes on Monday I will also make enough for another day. But I really don't plan it all out. I don't even know what we are having for lunch today.

omgosh, I could have posted the same thing. It varies from day to day. Like if my kiddies want to play longer outside and its past our lunch, well then we have sandwiches or something quick. None of my parents have ever asked what we eat here when we eat. Heck all the parents want to eat dinner here.

[Blackcat31]

I prepare a.m./p.m snack for the DCK's at snack time and prepare lunch at lunch time. I am pretty efficient and nothing I cook requires more than 30 minutes prep time.

I do not offer breakfast for DCK's and as far as meals at home, I am spoiled as my DH does ALL the cooking/grilling. lovethis I just clean up.

[SilverSabre25]

See. I am reading that a lot but when the lady from the food program came she told me I could not cook the day before for the kids, it had to be cooked the same day it was going to be served:confused: Is this true?

It varies by program, and I'm so very sorry for you if that's true for you! I think it's a ridiculous rule, myself, and thankful once again that I'm not required to participate in a food program in my state.

You could get around it, I suppose, by just preparing the food the day before. Like if you're making lasanga for your family, make extra and put it in a separate dish, then bake the next day.