Snack Time Problems

[Unregistered]

We have morning snack at 8:30. As in everyone is in their seat, eating snack at this time.
I have a family who doesn't show up until 8:35-8:50 on some days. She supposed to be to work by 8:00. This morning she showed up at 8:45. Everyone else was already done with their snack. I still feed her 2 kids snack, but I must admit it is inconvenient. I have to keep all the other kids away from her kids so they can eat without someone else touching their food. Their food is usually cold by the time they get here. I will still continue to feed them since I know she doesn't feed them breakfast (or at least not a healthy one.) There have been several mornings where she tells me they ate Doritos or cookies on the way here, one time her 2 year old had a Cadbury Cream Egg for breakfast. She knows snack is at 8:30.
Just curious if anyone else still feeds them snack even when they missed snack time?

[storybookending]

I don’t. Lunch isn’t that far away. If you want to continue feeding them regardless move your snack time to 9AM. Otherwise you could have a drop off cut off time and not accept children after 8:30.

[Cat Herder]

I do feed them as that is within my breakfast hours (8-9) but if my cutoff ended at 830, I'd turn her away at the door. My cut-off is 9 am.

You may need to make your policy more concise.

[Blackcat31]

I don't. My schedule is something all parents are aware of.
If they arrive late and will miss a meal or snack, the parent is responsible for feeding their child if the child can't wait until the next scheduled meal/snack.

If it's close to the time we just ate, I'd ask the parent if the child ate and if they did not I would tell the parent to take the child and feed them before arriving for drop off.

I understand being late but I can't stand when a parent simply assumes that since they are children we will feel bad and feed them outside of the regular meal times because of that.

[Snowmom]

I don't either. It's written in my handbook that meals are only served when in attendance of posted times.

I avoid this altogether though- because I have a cut off time on arrivals and don't serve breakfast until after that. Everyone must have eaten a morning snack before arriving. If they haven't, they go home or go without.

[hwichlaz]

Children must arrive within 15 min of a meal time to be served. Food Program rules.

[Unregistered]

We serve breakfast from 6:00 AM until 8:00 AM and then morning snack at 9:00 AM

[littlefriends]

I don't. My schedule is something all parents are aware of.
If they arrive late and will miss a meal or snack, the parent is responsible for feeding their child if the child can't wait until the next scheduled meal/snack.

If it's close to the time we just ate, I'd ask the parent if the child ate and if they did not I would tell the parent to take the child and feed them before arriving for drop off.

I understand being late but I can't stand when a parent simply assumes that since they are children we will feel bad and feed them outside of the regular meal times because of that.

Exactly this! I don’t have time to be serving/cleaning up food all day. Mine still try but I always just happily reply “snack/lunch is coming up shortly, he/she’ll be fine until then!”

[Meeko]

I've had parents show up after our scheduled mealtime. They assumed I would feed their child anyway. I just smile and say "Next meal is at such-and-such time!" They don't do it twice.

I have it in my handbook that breakfast is served until 8:30am. At 8:31....the child will not get breakfast.

But I guess some parents just have to push boundaries.

[Josiegirl]

Ugh, feeding their kids complete crap before coming to dc. Why would most kids eat good healthy breakfast food anyways if given the choice???
I think I would reiterate to dcm child needs to be here by the time breakfast is served, no ifs, ands or buts. If dcm can't make it by 8:30(8:35 at the absolute latest), dck needs to be fed before drop off. Sounds like dcm is a bit of a control presumptuous person who knows you'll cave.

[LK5kids]

This question was posted on a FB child care page and I couldn't believe how many providers stated they would feed the child as they wouldn't make a child go hungry.

I wanted to post that I'm not a restaurant or a short order cook. It's the parents responsibly to get their child to child care on time or feed them first . It wouldn't be me letting a child go hungry. I feel it's on the parent.

[Josiegirl]

This question was posted on a FB child care page and I couldn't believe how many providers stated they would feed the child as they wouldn't make a child go hungry.

I wanted to post that I'm not a restaurant or a short order cook. It's the parents responsibly to get their child to child care on time or feed them first . It wouldn't be me letting a child go hungry. I feel it's on the parent.

You're right. It IS the parents' responsibility but it isn't the child's fault their parents are lazy, selfish, more worried about looking perfect for work than feeding their child, etc., etc. I'm really on the fence about it. If a child arrived well after breakfast then I'd hold off and have lunch a bit earlier. But if they're coming in at 8:35/8:45 or so and kids had just sat down to eat, I'm pretty lenient and will allow them to join in. Probably by the time I'm done cleaning everything else up, they'd be done with their breakfast too.

[Blackcat31]

Providers have options... they don't have to accept a hungry child into care.

That's where most providers err IMHO.

They think just because a parent failed to send their child with a full belly or with shoes etc that the provider has a right to not feed them or take them outside without shoes etc....

In my eyes, that makes the provider twice as wrong as the parent.

Stop accepting kids into care that are hungry or not prepared for the day if you have policies that say otherwise.

[daycarediva]

Providers have options... they don't have to accept a hungry child into care.

That's where most providers err IMHO.

They think just because a parent failed to send their child with a full belly or with shoes etc that the provider has a right to not feed them or take them outside without shoes etc....

In my eyes, that makes the provider twice as wrong as the parent.

Stop accepting kids into care that are hungry or not prepared for the day if you have policies that say otherwise.

[Ariana]

I have a chikd who eats yogurt popsicles for breakfast so I get it, but it is not my problem!

It really depends on what you are comfortable with and what your schedule allows for. It sounds super inconvenient to feed this kid outside of the set snack time so stop doing it! I assume that at 8:30-9am kids have already eaten breakfast. My snack is at 9:30am and kids still eat a full snack eventhough they ate a full breakfast. Only my 7am kid gets breakfast here. You could push your snack time up by 15-20minutes. Up to you!