How Are Kiddos Served Meals In Your Program?

[Country Kids]

Been having a problem (HUGE) with children just not eating. Even my hubby is tired of the waste of food there is and not being able to find anything these kids will eat.

My mentor has suggested serving family style and me sitting with the kids. I have a hard time eating with the kids, find family style a germ fest and not seeing how this will help. I can see the kids pretty much only taking the fruit because that is about all I can get them to eat anyway.

So just wondering how you serve meals.

Wait I wanted to put down a poll and it didn't let me. Can I still do one?

[Country Kids]

The categories I wanted were:

Family Style

Restaurant Style

Cafeteria Style

[hope]

Restaurant style. I have an island that the big kids sit at and the younger ones and I eat at the kitchen table. I make a plate for each child with a small portion and if they would like more than I serve more. I do sit with them but I barely eat with them. I am usually too busy talking or wiping a babies face. Some days I do family style if we are making our own salads or tacos or something like that. Only I spoon out each item and I try to keep a cover on the food bc someone is bound to sneeze!
I too struggle with throwing food out. If I know a particular kid will not eat their broccoli I offer a small piece, not many.

[Thriftylady]

Don't have any kids right now but when I did before I did restaurant style. I gave seconds if wanted/needed and gave small portions. If there was leftover I pulled it out with our dinner often.

[Unregistered]

I do restaurant style, but I offer food that they like and will eat. I try to balance it, but the meals are not 100% by the food guide. All my parents understand and when the kids tell me that they had jam sandwiches again for dinner lastnight, I feel a little less guilty serving chicken breast, apples and KD. Lol

[jenboo]

Restaurant style. I feed an infant while they are eating, I can't sit with them.
Eat or go hungry. No catering here.

[spinnymarie]

Restaurant style too. Also feeding babies at the same time. I also set a timer, to let them know how much time they have left before they can get up. Seconds if they finish all food on their plate. Pretty decent eaters, though, and they will fill up on their serving of milk of they don't want to eat, and we will eat again in three hours, so I don't fret about unfinished food.

[jenboo]

Been having a problem (HUGE) with children just not eating. Even my hubby is tired of the waste of food there is and not being able to find anything these kids will eat.

My mentor has suggested serving family style and me sitting with the kids. I have a hard time eating with the kids, find family style a germ fest and not seeing how this will help. I can see the kids pretty much only taking the fruit because that is about all I can get them to eat anyway.

So just wondering how you serve meals.

Wait I wanted to put down a poll and it didn't let me. Can I still do one?

Think of it this way... You serve them a specific amount of food. If they eat it, that amount of food is gone (in their stomach) if they don't eat it, that same amount of food is gone (in the trash). Either way, the same amount of food is gone. As long as you don't serve them a different meal if they throw their food away, you are losing the same amount of food just to different places.

[midaycare]

Restaurant style.

[NoMoreJuice!]

I always do restaurant style...too busy running around taking care of slobbers, spills, etc. The kids don't seem to mind because they love eating with their friends, and I can't really imagine finding time to eat with them anyway.

[DaveA]

Restaurant style. I'm sitting at table with them feeding an infant during mealtime.

[Heidi]

A combo of family/restaurant style. I have all toddlers, though.

My almost-2 (who's really advanced) sets the table with the place mats (we made them to show where the plate, fork, and cup go), plates, cups-filled with milk (in each person's color in their spots, mind you..she knows where they go, and I didn't "teach" her).

They all sit down, food goes on the table in bowls, my lunch goes on my spot.

They get their bibs on, with help.

I serve them the food (they are really too little to manage it yet). If it's sandwiches, I say "take one" (quartered), and they put it on their plate.

Hands on laps until everyone has food and I'm sitting.

"Bon Apetit"...

We all eat. Sometimes, I grab the baby and feed him while I'm eating. Kind of a trick, but I've learned to hold his bottle and feed him one handed, eating with the other hand. Mostly, I eat salads so it's not that hard.

Seconds "when your plate is empty".

If I can, I let them scoop seconds, depending on if I'm done eating, or the baby is there, etc.

[LoraJenkins]

Restaurant style/family style here. I make up individual plates after the kids are all strapped into their seats and have their bibs on (they are all 3 and under). I make my plate, then bring all of the plates to the table and we eat together. It is just easier for me since I have some infants that I have to spoon feed also.

[daycarediva]

I just made a switch in Sept. It's like a buffet/cafeteria. The kids can pick/chose what they want to eat, and I relegate the portions (eg. You may have one of that, 1 scoop, whatever) I put out a few condiments as well. They walk down the counter, choose their foods and then walk their plates to the table. We stand behind our chairs until everyone has gone through the 'lunch line' and then they sit and eat.

I sit with them, but I don't eat with them usually.

[Scribbles]

We eat family style.

The kids eat better and rarely waste food.