Home Brought Food...Any Limits?

[WBee]

Good afternoon. Do any providers limit what types of food can be brought in from home? I have a 20 month old who can self feed and I've been transitioning from a highchair to table with other children however dcm brings food items which I sometimes cannot let her self feed with. Ex. Quinoa mixed with other items, gogurt (in a tube), etc. I have to keep dcg in a highchair with these as I have a designated kids table and cannot feed her easily there. Just wondering. Thx!

[Blackcat31]

Good afternoon. Do any providers limit what types of food can be brought in from home? I have a 20 month old who can self feed and I've been transitioning from a highchair to table with other children however dcm brings food items which I sometimes cannot let her self feed with. Ex. Quinoa mixed with other items, gogurt (in a tube), etc. I have to keep dcg in a highchair with these as I have a designated kids table and cannot feed her easily there. Just wondering. Thx!

I don't allow any food from home to be brought into care. I provide all meals and snacks for all children.

At 20 months all my kiddos self feed. Including things like apple sauce and yogurt. I don't serve tubes or pouches of anything.

Are you on a food program or do all your family's provide food from home? If so, I would just communicate with DCM that she needs to send foods DCK can manage on her own until she becomes more skilled in self-feeding.

[WBee]

I don't allow any food from home to be brought into care. I provide all meals and snacks for all children.

At 20 months all my kiddos self feed. Including things like apple sauce and yogurt. I don't serve tubes or pouches of anything.

Are you on a food program or do all your family's provide food from home? If so, I would just communicate with DCM that she needs to send foods DCK can manage on her own until she becomes more skilled in self-feeding.

No food program. Parents bring lunches. I supply snack. Thank you!

[daycarediva]

yup. At that age here she would be sitting at the kids size table with silverware and an open top cup. I would squeeze the tube yogurts into a bowl, give her a spoon. Same with quinoa. Is that just because of the mess? I hate cleaning up quinoa and rice.

[LysesKids]

yup. At that age here she would be sitting at the kids size table with silverware and an open top cup. I would squeeze the tube yogurts into a bowl, give her a spoon. Same with quinoa. Is that just because of the mess? I hate cleaning up quinoa and rice.

::
Especially when mixed with beans & corn... my older kids can self feed yogurt by 15-16 months & we use 3oz glasses at the table. You should have seen how messy the spaghetti was yesterday.

[hwichlaz]

She should be able to self feed those things at 20 months...though I'd squirt the yogurt into a cup.

[WBee]

Home foods...thank you!

Thank you all. She can use a spoon but just ends up dumping the quinoa all over herself. Its too dry( not mixed with anything moist) and just sticks to her mouth....and everything else. Not a good self feeding food at all.

[LysesKids]

Thank you all. She can use a spoon but just ends up dumping the quinoa all over herself. Its too dry( not mixed with anything moist) and just sticks to her mouth....and everything else. Not a good self feeding food at all.

I have 18 month olds than can self feed rice & quinoa... it doesn't need to be wet enough, the child needs practice because it hasn't been taught to her

[laundrymom]

This is a great idea. "Mom, Sally really has trouble w the quinoa self feeding. Perhaps a different item until she masters the concept better? She's not getting as much in as on and she's still hungry after meals. "

I don't allow any food from home to be brought into care. I provide all meals and snacks for all children.

At 20 months all my kiddos self feed. Including things like apple sauce and yogurt. I don't serve tubes or pouches of anything.

Are you on a food program or do all your family's provide food from home? If so, I would just communicate with DCM that she needs to send foods DCK can manage on her own until she becomes more skilled in self-feeding.

[CityGarden]

I serve snack and filtered water only (never juice or milk). Parents provide lunches from home.

We are a peanut free environment and I also have language in my contract stating parents may be asked to omit other foods due to allergies should the need arise. I do send a couple links for sample lunch ideas and toddler size bento boxes which lead to better options.

Some changes I would make going forward:

- Parents currently provide a water bottle to be kept here, I wish I had them bring it back and fourth each day or that I just started off w/o the water bottles all together. (Initially I wanted water bottles to take the park with us each day)

- I would not allow the thick rice crackers - they are dreadfully messy and clog my vacuum, but I am not sure that justifies eliminating them. (I just don't plate them until the child has eaten everything else and still seems hungry so it often is returned home untouched)

I do check lunches for chocking hazards - sometimes parents do not know any better and I feel it is better to be safe than sorry.