Operation Meal Time Termination

[daycare]

OK ladies, I am sure we all can agree that meal time is one of the worst times of the day for most of us.....kids just hate to eat....At least this is what I think.

Well, a few months back, I was having some serious eating issues with some of my kids. Thankfully that is all said and done and is now behind us.....OR so I thought.

I had a new child enroll almost 2 months ago. The child is PT and meal time is just one hot mess with this child. The child is 2.5, cannot feed self, does not sit for meals, comes in the morning with CANDY and Instant screaming out of control...It is upsetting to all of the other kids and me too.

I honestly don't think that I can take any more of the scream crying at lunch time. I have had minimal talks with the parents about it, but plan to have a talk with them about it today..

NOw my thoughts on operation meal time termination....

I want to add to my PHB (this is where you get to tell me if I am crazy or not) All children must be able to sit and feed themselves with minimal guidance.

I only cater to ages 20 months to 5 years of age..... So I think that I am in the safe zone with this request???? Or no??

What do you guys think about this policy I want to add? AM I being way too over the top?

[Country Kids]

No way are you out of line. By that age they should be feed themselves!

When adding it make sure its capitialized, bolded, underlined and highlighted in red!

I think this is the new way for kids-they don't eat!

I've been looking at some different breakfast and lunch receipes. I want to so badly make them but why, just to throw them away-.

[daycare]

No way are you out of line. By that age they should be feed themselves!

When adding it make sure its capitialized, bolded, underlined and highlighted in red!

I think this is the new way for kids-they don't eat!

I've been looking at some different breakfast and lunch receipes. I want to so badly make them but why, just to throw them away-.

the not eating does not bother me, its the screaming, not feeding self, getting out of the seat and so on that drives me and all of the other kids CRAZY........ I want meal times to be stress free and fun. I used to read cool stories while the kids eat, but we can't do that anymore.....Kind of hard to read over screaming and crying.....

[Country Kids]

Oh, that is why some of mine don't eat. They are wanting down, wanting to bug other people, wanting to tell me 15 thousand times they are done (after one bite), they don't want this or that.

Lets just eat and have fun everyone!

[daycare]

Oh, that is why some of mine don't eat. They are wanting down, wanting to bug other people, wanting to tell me 15 thousand times they are done (after one bite), they don't want this or that.

Lets just eat and have fun everyone!

I sing I a made up song called Im going crazy during each and every meal time....its the only thing that keeps me from popping my head off....

[Willow]

I wouldn't go that far, but I do have a section in my handbook about what I expect from parents and kids regarding meal time behavior, acceptance of a variety of foods, not bringing junk food in the morning or evening etc.

As a result, all of my kids are fantastic eaters! They love meals and even helping prepare!

It's something I definitely go over at interview time. Before I go through the handbook and my food program information I ask the parents about kiddos eating habits first. I don't want them merely telling me what they think I'm fishing to hear. If the child is of speaking age I'll ask them to confirm....to parents - do they like fruits and veggies? If they say absolutely but their 4 year old can't shoot me the name of a single one I get suspicious. To parents - what's a typical days worth of meals and snacks look like for kiddo? oatmeal and fruit for breakfast,bagel for snack, baked chicken, peas, mango and milk for lunch etc. Then to kiddo - what's your favorite food dad makes you for breakfast - kid - POPTARTS! What about lunch? kid - FUNDOGS! Snack? LAFFYTAFFY! I call bull in my mind then. I actually keep a bowl of fake fruit on the table at interview time for that very reason. It's a nice ice breaker to get the kiddo talking and gives me loads of insight. To kiddo - aren't these things funny, they're plastic just like my play kitchen food! If we could actually eat them though which one would you pick? (If they pick say the banana I'll also bug them about if they know what it is and then if they know what color it is and maybe even if they know where it grows).

But yeah, any red flags I try to squash when we hit that section. I use paper menus and have a nice laminated sheet with creditable choices on it that I show parents I pull from. I show them past menus so they have an idea of what foods are going to be served regularly. I go through how we all sit for each meal for a minimum of half hour, whether or not someone is done before the others is moot, we wait for everyone to finish. That's what we do as a family, that's what we do as a daycare family, a lot of families that didn't do that before they started coming to me start and say their kiddos attitude towards sitting down at the table changed night and day. It helps relax them when they know the pressure is off, it isn't an option to get down or go play so they stop asking. Bugging someone isn't an option because I'm sitting right there with them and can intervene immediately. Manners are encouraged as is discussion but too much or too loud means there can't be much eating going on so we all make an effort to tone it down together.

Parents know full well eating healthy is emphasized here from the get go and is expected to be reinforced at home. That consistency on all fronts definitely makes things easier for everyone involved.

If a parents and I are worlds apart I know that's going to make everyone's day more difficult. I ask for cooperation to make some positive changes and if they're unwilling I won't take the kiddo on (I've never once actually had to do that, all get pretty amped up about having the extra reinforcement here).

[wahmof3]

I wouldn't go that far, but I do have a section in my handbook about what I expect from parents and kids regarding meal time behavior, acceptance of a variety of foods, not bringing junk food in the morning or evening etc.

As a result, all of my kids are fantastic eaters! They love meals and even helping prepare!

It's something I definitely go over at interview time. Before I go through the handbook and my food program information I ask the parents about kiddos eating habits first. I don't want them merely telling me what they think I'm fishing to hear. If the child is of speaking age I'll ask them to confirm....to parents - do they like fruits and veggies? If they say absolutely but their 4 year old can't shoot me the name of a single one I get suspicious. To parents - what's a typical days worth of meals and snacks look like for kiddo? oatmeal and fruit for breakfast,bagel for snack, baked chicken, peas, mango and milk for lunch etc. Then to kiddo - what's your favorite food dad makes you for breakfast - kid - POPTARTS! What about lunch? kid - FUNDOGS! Snack? LAFFYTAFFY! I call bull in my mind then. I actually keep a bowl of fake fruit on the table at interview time for that very reason. It's a nice ice breaker to get the kiddo talking and gives me loads of insight. To kiddo - aren't these things funny, they're plastic just like my play kitchen food! If we could actually eat them though which one would you pick? (If they pick say the banana I'll also bug them about if they know what it is and then if they know what color it is and maybe even if they know where it grows).

But yeah, any red flags I try to squash when we hit that section. I use paper menus and have a nice laminated sheet with creditable choices on it that I show parents I pull from. I show them past menus so they have an idea of what foods are going to be served regularly. I go through how we all sit for each meal for a minimum of half hour, whether or not someone is done before the others is moot, we wait for everyone to finish. That's what we do as a family, that's what we do as a daycare family, a lot of families that didn't do that before they started coming to me start and say their kiddos attitude towards sitting down at the table changed night and day. It helps relax them when they know the pressure is off, it isn't an option to get down or go play so they stop asking. Bugging someone isn't an option because I'm sitting right there with them and can intervene immediately. Manners are encouraged as is discussion but too much or too loud means there can't be much eating going on so we all make an effort to tone it down together.

Parents know full well eating healthy is emphasized here from the get go and is expected to be reinforced at home. That consistency on all fronts definitely makes things easier for everyone involved.

If a parents and I are worlds apart I know that's going to make everyone's day more difficult. I ask for cooperation to make some positive changes and if they're unwilling I won't take the kiddo on (I've never once actually had to do that, all get pretty amped up about having the extra reinforcement here).

This is AWESOME