Not Enough Breakfast At Home

[KiddieCahoots]

The day my son told the school he didn't get dinner the night before, I had to explain that he DID get dinner, but, because he didn't like what we were eating

What are you feeding them? If it's more on the side of kid desirable food, then maybe their holding out to eat your food. Maybe try switching out what your feeding them now for substitutes like spinach or healthier foods, and see what happens?

[NightOwl]

I have a child who was dropped off at 8) and parent said all he had was a vitamin. He waited until our usual 9:15 snack. I would send a notice home with all the parents reminding of your meal-snack times.Let them know that the children are coming in hungry. I would also tell the children they need to wait until snack time and stick to it.You may have to give an earlier snack until they get used to it. I also offer suggestions to parents about breakfast and even go as far as printing out a form listing meals .

That vitamin, without food, could upset his tummy! Mom should give him something, anything to go with it.

[NightOwl]

What are you feeding them? If it's more on the side of kid desirable food, then maybe their holding out to eat your food. Maybe try switching out what your feeding them now for substitutes like spinach or healthier foods, and see what happens?

Excellent idea! If the children aren't really hungry, then I bet they'd be magically full when you offer them celery with cream cheese or something similar.

[itlw8]

11:15 to 4 is a long time to go so they are probably starving 3 hours is what is normally recommended and that is almost 5 hours.

Most people do not eat protein for breakfast and when they do it is high fat high sodium like bacon or ham, unless they make eggs. It would be best if they did but they do not.

The time is confusing to me because you said you have been serving 3 meals and 2 snacks yet you say they can not make it from 8 to 11:15 to eat... well if they arrive at 8 and did eat at home that would have been 7 they had to eat if they were awake long enough to eat enough that is still 4 hour + hours until lunch so yes they are starving.

What time do they get up from nap? I would serve the littles then so maybe 3 and then put the school age snacks aside so it is ready when they all get there at 4. and yes I think you either need to serve breakfast or a morning snack about 9

[kitykids3]

So are you only feeding them every 4 hours (original plan, at 8, 12 and 4)? Four hours is too long for little tummies to go without eating. Food Program says no more than 3 hours at a time. I give them breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 11:30 and snack at 2:30 and my kiddos for the most part do fine. THey do get seconds on everything except meat. I rarely have a kiddo chomping at the bit and do they really want EVERYTHING you serve, such as the healthier stuff like salad, green veggies, etc? Orjust more of particular things. If you are feeding them at 8 and they come starving, suggest to parents they may need more, or something, to eat before coming.

[playground1]

We have a permanent bowl of fresh cut up vegetables (carrots, cucumbers and red peppers) that the kids can have whenever they want, they just have to sit at the table. Also, I find a lot of kids don't drink enough water and thirst can sometimes be confused with hunger so providing water might be helpful.

[Play Care]

Ok I'm a parent. My kids will ask everyone for a snack the second they step foot into their house. When quizzed on what they had for breakfast, they say "cereal". They "forget" to say Cereal with some applesauce and milk! Heck, sometimes, they "conveniently " "can't remember" what they've had to eat at all, pausing and saying "uhhhhhhh"

To which the ****er provider wants to give them a snack. IN the case of my kids, it's a scam!!! LOL They would be eating ALL day if you let them and they are ALWAYS hungry! To the point their school questioned if they were getting enough at home and offered us some assistance. The day my son told the school he didn't get dinner the night before, I had to explain that he DID get dinner, but, because he didn't like what we were eating, he took bites and said he was "full" (Full, my arse). That was Chicken patty sandwich night, fries, green beans and milk.

Um, the reason the provider might be "****ered" is because the majority of times kids are NOT getting fed. I can't tell you how many times I've had a parent come in after breakfast is served telling me "we didn't have a chance to eat, can they have something here?" Or they don't say anything but run out the door as they are dropping off so we can't even ask

As a parent, when my own children pull that business, I am proactive and tell the teacher what the deal is so they don't have to try to guess on top of the hundred other things they need to do/get done.

[Unregistered]

Ok I'm a parent. My kids will ask everyone for a snack the second they step foot into their house. When quizzed on what they had for breakfast, they say "cereal". They "forget" to say Cereal with some applesauce and milk! Heck, sometimes, they "conveniently " "can't remember" what they've had to eat at all, pausing and saying "uhhhhhhh"

To which the ****er provider wants to give them a snack. IN the case of my kids, it's a scam!!! LOL They would be eating ALL day if you let them and they are ALWAYS hungry! To the point their school questioned if they were getting enough at home and offered us some assistance. The day my son told the school he didn't get dinner the night before, I had to explain that he DID get dinner, but, because he didn't like what we were eating, he took bites and said he was "full" (Full, my arse). That was Chicken patty sandwich night, fries, green beans and milk.

I like you! I love that you've got your kids figured out! My DD was a scam artist as well!

[Mom of 4]

Um, the reason the provider might be "****ered" is because the majority of times kids are NOT getting fed. I can't tell you how many times I've had a parent come in after breakfast is served telling me "we didn't have a chance to eat, can they have something here?" Or they don't say anything but run out the door as they are dropping off so we can't even ask

As a parent, when my own children pull that business, I am proactive and tell the teacher what the deal is so they don't have to try to guess on top of the hundred other things they need to do/get done.

LOL I mean with MINE. I always feel bad for their teachers because of course, the teachers have hearts...and my kids KNOW it.

If a parent is not getting their chidl food, then that is a serious issue.

When I did my daycare, a parent tried that twice. Same lady too! First time, she had a waffle with peanut butter she wanted me to feed the kid. I made her turn around and feed her own kid in the car (Cant' even have nuts here) The second time, I told her that breakfast was over (we served at 6:30-7:30) she was late dropping off (9AM!) and she would have to feed the child something to hold over til snack (10:45). Lunch was at 1pm. She got it after I turned her away.

[Laurel]

I think protein is really important. I'm probably the wrong person to answer this. I serve brk, lunch, and pm snack. I give a good sized breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 11:00, and pm snack at 3:30. Sometimes I will give them dry cheerios in the middle of the morning as a diversion. I would post a notice to address this issue or raise your rates to cover costs.

I do this also but not the Cheerios part.

To me, I'd rather know that whining, crying or bad behavior (from those who can't talk) is NOT from being hungry. At least that is one thing you can eliminate as a source of stress in your day. I was getting tired of children coming in with some kind of breakfast bar in their hand half eaten or parents coming in saying "I just couldn't get him to eat this morning." So I just feed them.

Laurel

[MarinaVanessa]

Oh my, I'm probably the only one here but I serve
7am Breakfast
9am AM Snack
11am Lunch
3pm PM snack
5pm Supper (what I served for lunch again)

The only reason why I have such a huge gap between lunch and PM snack is because after lunch I take a preschooler to school and we do story and nap when we get back. I wake the kids at 2pm and do diapers and the others go potty. Then at 2:20 I go back and pick the preschooler back up then we have PM snack when we get back.

I feel like my daycare kidos can't go more than 2 hours without eating at least a small snack.

I also know all about kids saying they're hungry when they're not. My DD did the same thing. She ate at home, at daycare, at preschool, at daycare again and at home and always told the last person that she was hungry and didn't eat at the last place. There were 3 or 4 days that she threw up from being so full of food because we were all feeding her. Just have a talk with the parents and say you just want to make sure the child is eating.

[SillyGrl]

My oldest is very tiny, he's always been one of the smallest kids in his grade level. When he was in first grade, I got an angry call from the school nurse a couple of months into the school year telling me I needed to make sure he got breakfast every morning, or send him to school early enough to eat the breakfast they served there. Turns out, he found out that the nurse kept things like those cuties oranges and graham crackers for the students who came to her without breakfast. He had been going to her every morning for months!!

I think in the OP's case, maybe a letter letting all parents know that several of the kids have been complaining of being hungry as soon as they arrive at daycare and that snack isn't served until xx:xx. Or, just let the parents know at pick up that their kid was complaining of hunger that morning.