Separating Food???

[Unregistered]

My kids eat what the daycare kids eat for breakfest, lunch, and afternoon snack all my food is off brand mainly ALDI's brand and BJ's brand food I can't afford name brand for my own family It's also cheaper to have my own kids stick to the daycare menu also plus they like what's on it anyways and I honestly dont think its fair to the daycare kids I dont allow the parents to bring them any special food so I'm not gonna let my own kids have special foods during daycare hours.

[momma2girls]

For whatever reason, my DC kids that I've had all always shown up after 8am sometimes even 9am so I never have to serve breakfast (I schedule it at 7:30). Even though I could also claim dinner (if I was still on the food program) I schedule that at 6:30 (same time that my family eats dinner) but I close at 6pm so unless the parents are late they don't get dinner either.

I know all of my families show up within 15 min. of each other, sometimes all at 7:30am- there is no way, I can feed babies, burp, change, get 2 children ready for school and out the door. Now I may be having 2 other children as well, to get ready for school, and out the door around 8:15. There is only one of us to go around!!!!!!!! I only get to claim am and pm snack, and lunch.

[Janet]

snacks and meals

I don't make my daughter eat with the dcks or even eat the same thing that they eat. But I also don't prepare a separate meal for her either. She's a big girl so she can do it herself. She's 14 now so I trust that she can figure out what she wants. I frown on her eating "fun" snacks in front of the dcks and I make her eat in her bedroom or downstairs if she has something that the dcks aren't having. As far as the timing of meals and snacks go, I have the schedule in my contract, so if someone shows up after breakfast is over, then unfortunately, they'll have to wait for snack time. Here's my schedule:

Breakfast 7:30-8:00
AM snack 10:00-10:15
Lunch 12:00-12:30
PM snack (whenever naptime is over, usually 4:00-4:15)
Dinner (I almost never serve dinner) 5:30-6:00
Evening snack 8:00-8:15

[Daycare Mommy]

Between the food allergies, lactose intolerance, and special diets, I gave up the fantasy of a single menu feeding everyone during daycare hours looong ago. :: We typically have 3 different dishes served at lunch. One for the general population (generally anyone who can eats this, some days all of us do), one or more for the allergic/lactose intolerant/vegetarian kids (parent supplied), and what I'm eating (usually our leftovers from dinner the previous night or something else since I'm on a diet, and sure if my kids want what I'm having and it's appropriate and I have enough then I share with them.)

But all meals served are healthy balanced meals, so it's not as if we're talking serving filet mignon to our own children and then stale bread and a hunk of cheese to the dckids. Today is a good example:
Dish #1 Dckids & my ds ate Sausage Pizza
Dish #2 lactose intolerant kid brought soup
Dish #3 vegetarian kid brought veggie/pasta/with what looks to be a chicken-like meat substitute chopped up in there
Dish #4 dd and I ate Rice mixed w/leftover chicken.
Sides for all were strawberries, broccoli, & whole wheat crackers. So just because we are all eating differently doesn't mean someone is getting gypped here. Nothing cruel or unfair about it imho.

And as far as the generics vs. name brand, generic pears and bread are still pears and bread. I'd say go for it. I'll bet this parent would say the same if it was a choice between generics or raising the rates.

And when kids leave here they're typically headed off to Kindergarten where they're going to have to deal with the other kids' different lunches in school anyway. Not a big deal to introduce the concept a bit earlier.

[QualiTcare]

MY kids are not in daycare.

My kids NEVER eat with the daycare kids. MY kids eat with ME and hubby at OUR lunch time.

I don't think it's cruel AT ALL.

Daycare is daycare. The dckids are not MY kids.

it doesn't matter. when friends come over, their kids aren't part of my family. i'm still not gonna give my kid a snickers bar and the visitors a "chocolate log" since they aren't MY kids.

do you not remember being a kid? i really don't think you do.

kids notice these things and they think it's not fair because it isn't.

[sahm2three]

Heck ya! Although, if in the evenings one of my kids wants something from the daycare side, I will let them (unless I am getting low on it and will need it before I can get to the store again). I totally agree with you!

[JenNJ]

I do not allow my kids to eat special foods in front of the daycare kids. It's not an issue with my 1 year old, obviously, but my 4 year old sometimes wants "special treats." I make him take it to his room so the other kids do not see. I don't see a thing wrong with that. It's his house and he doesn't have to follow a meal plan in his own home. My mother in law often sends him home from visits with homemade baked goods. I don't think he should have to share that with other kids if he doesn't want to - they were a gift from his Grandma.

Kids eat different things all the time. My dc kids don't all bring the same breakfast each day and not one child has issues with that. If one asks if he can have a donut (like my one dc kid always brings), I just say, "No, that is So-and-so's breakfast. Your Daddy packed you a yogurt and fruit."

We eat genertics as a family and I serve them to my daycare kids as well. Again, nothing wrong with that. But I don't serve my dc kids anything I wouldn't serve my own kids. I make most meals from scratch and the premade I do buy is high quality. I serve 2 snacks and lunch.

[nannyde]

it doesn't matter. when friends come over, their kids aren't part of my family. i'm still not gonna give my kid a snickers bar and the visitors a "chocolate log" since they aren't MY kids.

do you not remember being a kid? i really don't think you do.

kids notice these things and they think it's not fair because it isn't.

No

She's saying her kids don't eat with the day care kids. How in the world would the day care kids notice what her kids are eating if they are never with her kids when they eat anything?

My day care kids don't have ANY idea EVER what my son or I are eating. We eat together as a family. We eat in a completely separate room at a different time. If you asked any of my kids to name anything that my son has eaten they couldn't tell you if their life depended on it. They have NO clue what he eats, when he eats, how much he eats, what he likes or doesn't like.

My son knows not to discuss meals with the kids. He has always eaten separately so they don't have anything food wise in common. I don't allow him to ask me for food around the kids. I don't allow him to eat anything in front of the kids or with the kids.

What my son eats in his home has nothing to do with my business and more than what the kids eat at their home has to do with him.

The OP should feed her kids whatever she wants whenever she wants. Having a child care in your home doesn't have anything more to do with your own kids than what you want it to have to do with your own kids.

Just be curteous as you would in any other life situation. If you are going to eat in front of a guest in your home you should offer that guest what you are eating or drinking. If you don't want to provide the guest with what you are having then wait until you aren't around the guest to enjoy your food and drink. Simple

We eat all healthy home made food here. The kids aren't big treat eaters ... they are meat eaters. They wouldn't give a flip about anyone having anything sweet or having goodies. I make fruit breads for our snacks. That's the sweetest thing they get. We don't make a deal about sugar and processed junk food. They all get a big belly full of delicious nutritious food and that's enough. Enough for the kids and for us.

I know Judy does pretty much the same with her kids and day care kids. When you devote a lot of your resources to home made and healthy food the "issue" of food between the kids becomes a non issue.

[misol]

Just be curteous as you would in any other life situation. If you are going to eat in front of a guest in your home you should offer that guest what you are eating or drinking. If you don't want to provide the guest with what you are having then wait until you aren't around the guest to enjoy your food and drink. Simple.

Yes. This is what it boils down to.

[judytrickett]

No

She's saying her kids don't eat with the day care kids. How in the world would the day care kids notice what her kids are eating if they are never with her kids when they eat anything?

My day care kids don't have ANY idea EVER what my son or I are eating. We eat together as a family. We eat in a completely separate room at a different time. If you asked any of my kids to name anything that my son has eaten they couldn't tell you if their life depended on it. They have NO clue what he eats, when he eats, how much he eats, what he likes or doesn't like.

My son knows not to discuss meals with the kids. He has always eaten separately so they don't have anything food wise in common. I don't allow him to ask me for food around the kids. I don't allow him to eat anything in front of the kids or with the kids.

What my son eats in his home has nothing to do with my business and more than what the kids eat at their home has to do with him.

The OP should feed her kids whatever she wants whenever she wants. Having a child care in your home doesn't have anything more to do with your own kids than what you want it to have to do with your own kids.

Just be curteous as you would in any other life situation. If you are going to eat in front of a guest in your home you should offer that guest what you are eating or drinking. If you don't want to provide the guest with what you are having then wait until you aren't around the guest to enjoy your food and drink. Simple

We eat all healthy home made food here. The kids aren't big treat eaters ... they are meat eaters. They wouldn't give a flip about anyone having anything sweet or having goodies. I make fruit breads for our snacks. That's the sweetest thing they get. We don't make a deal about sugar and processed junk food. They all get a big belly full of delicious nutritious food and that's enough. Enough for the kids and for us.

I know Judy does pretty much the same with her kids and day care kids. When you devote a lot of your resources to home made and healthy food the "issue" of food between the kids becomes a non issue.

EXACTLY. Well, it helps that nannyde already knew how I do it here. And she is correct...my kids do not eat WITH the dckids - EVER!

Of course I think it would be rude to eat a chocolate bar or anything else for that matter in front of someone and not offer them that. Good gravy, I DO have common courtesy and manners as part of my wonderful character.

But, NO, my kids do not eat WITH or IN FRONT of the dckids. WHY? Because my kids are NOT dckids.

If I wanted my kids to follow someone else's rules and live by their expectations and standards then I would put my own kids in daycare. But I don't.

Enough said.