Was I Wrong

[PeanutsGalore]

When a child moves to the table here, even at 2, if they get down, their plate disappears. It only happens a couple times before they figure out they need to stay seated. "Oh, so sorry, you got down, I thought you were finished. It will be snack time soon."

Granted, with the very young, I'll scoot them back to the table a couple times initially, but then nope, not again. Plate gone.

OMG, I love this!

[snbauser]

When a child moves to the table here, even at 2, if they get down, their plate disappears. It only happens a couple times before they figure out they need to stay seated. "Oh, so sorry, you got down, I thought you were finished. It will be snack time soon."

Granted, with the very young, I'll scoot them back to the table a couple times initially, but then nope, not again. Plate gone.

We do the same. I don't take babies so we don't have high chairs but we have the same rule. You leave the table, you are done.

[daycare]

We do the same. I don't take babies so we don't have high chairs but we have the same rule. You leave the table, you are done.

I have actually never had a child leave the table except my own son. He wants to sit in the bar stools becuase that is where he sees big brother and sis eat. I some times allow for it, but not often.

I might have to start the "take the plate program too".....

[Hunni Bee]

I usually dont have problems with anyone leaving the table while eating. Anyway, our licensing standards expressly FORBID it. Tell DCD that.

But I have a couple who like to play with their food - mix everything together, take a sip of milk and then spit it back in the cup. I have no tolerance for playing with food or wasting on purpose. If you don't like or don't want it, fine, but throw it away. We play with toys and friends, not food.

If they play with it, away it goes.

I have to be careful, though, I had a little boy just be gross at the table with his food. I warned him, he kept doing it, so I took his plate to another small table to eat by himself. He was still eye and earshot of his friends, but just a different table. He threw a fit and refused to sit there. When lunch was over, he hadn't finished, but I threw his plate away. He told my director that I didn't feed him , and she kind of believed him. I could tell in her tone. Then she made me fix him a new plate, in front of him, because "she didnt want him to tell his parents that we're not feeding him". Totally trashed my authority.

Im seriously thinking in a few years when I get a little older, about opening my own. I'm done with the center thing.

[Kaddidle Care]

I hope you can avoid DCD as much as possible on this but if they come early and catch him in the high chair again I would play the safety card on that one.

A child wandering around with food is more apt to choke, not to mention when they are all sitting together, you can keep an eye on them all.

Sorry Dad, welcome to the world of taking care of multiple children. It's not YOUR world.

[Jewels]

Thats what I love the table booster seats for, they have straps, so they can sit at the big table once they turn 15 months, and eventually I stop strapping them, but the minute they want to stand, they start getting strapped in the booster again, I also do the, you leave the table your plate dissapears.

[Meeko]

Get down from the table = plate disappears. THEIR choice.

The food program only says we must offer the children a meal. They don't have to eat it.

My kids stay seated because they know I am serious about the plate being trashed if they leave.

Some have tried to see if I am serious......but only once!!!

[jojosmommy]

Get down from the table = plate disappears. THEIR choice.

The food program only says we must offer the children a meal. They don't have to eat it.

My kids stay seated because they know I am serious about the plate being trashed if they leave.

Some have tried to see if I am serious......but only once!!!

AGREED! I have one 3 yr old dck that is still buckled in a booster seat b/c he can not sit without being buckled. I don't ask his parents if this is ok. Either you sit and eat or you don't eat but either way you sit polietly with your friends until meal time is over.

I have thrown away a plate or two in my day but once they test the rule and see the consequences they don't try it again. Well, until a new batch of kids is around to try it.

[Unregistered]

I have the same rule...no food away from the table...the kids chant it to anyone who tries to leave the table with food or before they are done..."You're down.. you're done!"

I'd use the highchair too if warranted...not the dcd's business...it's your house, your rules...kids are very adaptable...they know that at YOUR house they sit in that chair..in THEIR house they sit wherever the parents say...

[Unregistered]

I usually dont have problems with anyone leaving the table while eating. Anyway, our licensing standards expressly FORBID it. Tell DCD that.

But I have a couple who like to play with their food - mix everything together, take a sip of milk and then spit it back in the cup. I have no tolerance for playing with food or wasting on purpose. If you don't like or don't want it, fine, but throw it away. We play with toys and friends, not food.

If they play with it, away it goes.

I have to be careful, though, I had a little boy just be gross at the table with his food. I warned him, he kept doing it, so I took his plate to another small table to eat by himself. He was still eye and earshot of his friends, but just a different table. He threw a fit and refused to sit there. When lunch was over, he hadn't finished, but I threw his plate away. He told my director that I didn't feed him , and she kind of believed him. I could tell in her tone. Then she made me fix him a new plate, in front of him, because "she didnt want him to tell his parents that we're not feeding him". Totally trashed my authority.

Im seriously thinking in a few years when I get a little older, about opening my own. I'm done with the center thing.

Directors are too afraid of a kid being unhappy. If they whine, give them what they want. The louder they whine, the faster you should move to do their bidding. If they want to play the entire meal time and then come to the table after everyone else is already finished, you better allow it because you can't with hold food. And the poor child might get hungry in the 1 1/2 hr they have to wait before the next meal or snack.... I say let it happen once and you won't have to worry about with holding food ever again (because they'll eat when they're supossed to!). And if a child demands you to do something and they don't get what they wanted, they just might learn some manners and respect in the process and ask nicely the next time. But that'd just be too mean, and the poor little tykes might even throw a fit! Or "gasp!" tell their parents.
The directors really don't realize how much they trash a teacher's authority when they interfere with their common sense discipline or even question it. And especially in front of the child! Just like in marriages, even if the spouse doesn't agree with the other one's punishment for little Billy, that should be discussed out of ear shot of the children.

[sharlan]

Your house, your rules. You are the one who has to clean up the mess if you allow food away from the table. (I speak from experience because I started allowing it.)

It sounds like you've had issues with this father before. I would simply tell him that the child has two choices, #1 sit in the high chair and eat his food, or #2 sit at the table like a big boy and eat his food. There is no walking around the house with food for any child. All children have the same rules.

I have found that children are either perfect angels at home, never do anything wrong, yet are horrendous at my house. OR, they're horrible monsters at home with Mom and Dad, but are perfect at my house.

[MommyMuffin]

I dont think its a matter of if you were wrong or not. I completely agree with the rule. If the children in my dc take food away from the table the food goes bye bye. We try again in a few minutes.

I think it has to do with a dcp telling you how to run your business. I would not stand for it. I hate to jump the gun but if a dcp talked to me like that and walked into my kitchen to place their child in a seat I would not stand for it.