Breakfast...Vent

[mrs.meg]

Well, I told my dc parents that I would no longer serve breakfast for the summer. One family was okay, the other was a little upset and said that she doesn't understand why I can't just give them some cereal. I have not raised my rates in 4 years and I am in the process of quitting in 3 months. I am tired of very picky eaters. All the dc kids want to eat is pop-tarts, honey buns and donuts for breakfast. I cannot afford to buy this type of food and I with my kids, donuts & sweet snacks are a treat, not something we have daily or even weekly. I told them I would be serving a HEALTHY snack at 9 am, probably consisting of some fruit and crackers or something like that.

I have one little boy that is obsessed with fruit snacks and eats them on his way here and on his way home. They seem to think this is really fruit and to me, that is like eating candy. I just do not understand why people can't serve their children breakfast. My kids eat every day at 6:30 am and have to wait until lunch to eat at school. They are healthy, I have never expected anyone else to serve them breakfast. I guess they want their money's worth but at $15/day I have news for them that I am not making hardly any money!

[Zoe]

Wow. 15 a day! I don't blame you for not serving breakfast! It's YOUR decision for YOUR business, so stick to your guns!

[nannyde]

Fruit snacks are candy.

What you are seeing is a wave going on across the US.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30382&highlight=candy

Candy in the morning is actually becoming very common.

It's a natural progression of giving the ultimate in happiness. Kids are so used to having pop-tarts, HIGHLY sugared cereal, donuts, high fat high sugar waffles and french toast sticks... that they really aren't a "treat" or a good bribe that will be enough to get the kid not to cry in the morning.

Giving straight candy is becoming a norm because it litterally is the highest possible amount of straight sugar other than just giving them a bowl of straight sugar. Candy isn't as messy as straight sugar so candy is perferred.

The good news is there's no where else to go. This generation has reached the ultimate in the absoulute worst possible thing to give your kids for breakfast.

We are having the onset of type two diabetes getting younger and younger. Once the average onset is preschoolers THEN people will change it... but not until then. That's not too far off. Another generation and it will be commonplace

[morgan24]

Wait until the decay on their teeth sets in from all the fruit snacks. I would stick with your decision on not serving breakfast. I think if your feeding a snack at 9:00 that would be okay. The dcps who are mad are because now they actually have to parent their own kids by feeding them.

[dEHmom]

I would go one step further. Advise them, because of your RIDICULOUSLY low rate/day, you cannot afford breakfast any longer.

2 options:

1) daycare parents alternate providing healthy meals for each week.

2) raise the rate/day to include the cost of the breakfast.

I guarantee the parents will choose the option of no breakfast to begin with, or after they figure out the cost of breakfast weekly.

[mrs.meg]

I agree with you all, it is crazy! I have problems with sugar myself and I know how addictive it is. I try to stay away from it because when I eat it, that is all I want.

Also, the price of groceries has gone up so high that I either needed to raise my rates or cut out a meal. I cook breakfast a lot for my kids because they like having eggs and "real" food. I once served biscuits to all the kids and the dcg that I watched acted like it was bugs or something. She says they don't eat biscuits at her house. Her dad says she eats them all the time, but my guess is it is from McDonald's or DQ. I can't compete with that, I put ground flax and WW flour, so everything here is "brown" I had to start buying white bread because they do not eat brown! So, it seems that everything they eat is either processed/refined sugar. They do not even like it when I bake cookies or brownies because they don't come out of a wrapper!!!

[dEHmom]

honestly, parents will have to complain whether they do it to you, or to themselves or other people.

giving them the option helps them feel like they had a say in it.

I'd just let them know, either they get a rate increase, or they don't get breakfast. simple, you know they will choose no breakfast because they don't want to dish out the money. they like feeling like YOU are paying for it. I don't even charge 15/day for a half day! if you factor in the food programs $/meals/snacks, you're only being paid about $10/day after food for each kid.

[MN Mom]

I agree with you all, it is crazy! I have problems with sugar myself and I know how addictive it is. I try to stay away from it because when I eat it, that is all I want.

Also, the price of groceries has gone up so high that I either needed to raise my rates or cut out a meal. I cook breakfast a lot for my kids because they like having eggs and "real" food. I once served biscuits to all the kids and the dcg that I watched acted like it was bugs or something. She says they don't eat biscuits at her house. Her dad says she eats them all the time, but my guess is it is from McDonald's or DQ. I can't compete with that, I put ground flax and WW flour, so everything here is "brown" I had to start buying white bread because they do not eat brown! So, it seems that everything they eat is either processed/refined sugar. They do not even like it when I bake cookies or brownies because they don't come out of a wrapper!!!

Instead of white bread, you can go with old fashioned potato bread. It is chalk full of vitamins that white doesn't have (unless it's fortified white). My oldest DD hates wheat bread, and this was my compromise to her. It's still not as healthy as whole wheat, but it's a much better alternative than white.

[dEHmom]

i'm guessing i've just gotten lucky...because although i have picky eaters, they all gobble up the healthy foods and mostly turn their nose up at the not so healthy stuff. *knock on wood*

[nannyde]

I agree with you all, it is crazy! I have problems with sugar myself and I know how addictive it is. I try to stay away from it because when I eat it, that is all I want.

Also, the price of groceries has gone up so high that I either needed to raise my rates or cut out a meal. I cook breakfast a lot for my kids because they like having eggs and "real" food. I once served biscuits to all the kids and the dcg that I watched acted like it was bugs or something. She says they don't eat biscuits at her house. Her dad says she eats them all the time, but my guess is it is from McDonald's or DQ. I can't compete with that, I put ground flax and WW flour, so everything here is "brown" I had to start buying white bread because they do not eat brown! So, it seems that everything they eat is either processed/refined sugar. They do not even like it when I bake cookies or brownies because they don't come out of a wrapper!!!

I did quite a few years with no breakfast and I LOVED it.

I had to clarify what that meant tho...

No breakfast for me meant: I don't DO any breakfast. I don't cook it, serve it, supervise it, or clean it up. The children must be COMPLETELY done with breakfast and breakfast drink BEFORE knocking on my door. This means that they can't bring any food or drink item into the house and they must be cleaned up completely BEFORE knocking on my door.

I also had to eventually NOT do morning snack. I had too many problems with parents wanting their kid to have breakfast as morning snack. When I had kids who had morning snack and wanted WAY more than the snack portions I would tell parents that they are wanting a huge morning snack. They wanted me to let them have it. A big morning snack of crackers and juice affected their hunger for lunch.

I had too many situations where they would come in and say "he'll probably be really hungry for morning snack because he WOULDN'T EAT breakfast".

When I cut out morning snack and JUST did early as possible lunch and afternoon snack THEN the parents started feeding them breakfast. I wasn't on the food program so I did lunch from 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

It was a process to get them to actually do it.... all of it. Morning snack was their get out of jail free card because they KNEW I wouldn't with hold food from the kids. Once they KNEW that the kid wouldn't have ANYTHING until 10:45 a.m. they started doing breakfast.

[Unregistered]

I could not imagine not doing breakfast. My kids come at 7:30 and we eat lunch at 11:30. My parents would not come to my house if their kids could not eat. My own kid doesnt even eat until the dck get here. Plus, I get paid to feed it to them. Food program $ pays me to offer healthy food and breakfast is 1/3 of that daily piece.

[countrymom]

Fruit snacks are candy.

What you are seeing is a wave going on across the US.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30382&highlight=candy

Candy in the morning is actually becoming very common.

It's a natural progression of giving the ultimate in happiness. Kids are so used to having pop-tarts, HIGHLY sugared cereal, donuts, high fat high sugar waffles and french toast sticks... that they really aren't a "treat" or a good bribe that will be enough to get the kid not to cry in the morning.

Giving straight candy is becoming a norm because it litterally is the highest possible amount of straight sugar other than just giving them a bowl of straight sugar. Candy isn't as messy as straight sugar so candy is perferred.

The good news is there's no where else to go. This generation has reached the ultimate in the absoulute worst possible thing to give your kids for breakfast.

We are having the onset of type two diabetes getting younger and younger. Once the average onset is preschoolers THEN people will change it... but not until then. That's not too far off. Another generation and it will be commonplace

don't forget gum. And blue hubba bubba to boot. Seriously if your kid has a mouth full of silver fillings why on earth would you give them gum.
Another thing is parents are becoming "LAZY" yup, they want thier toddlers to start to fend for themselves and make their own food. Also its easier to shove a fruit snack in a childs hand rather than peel an apple.

[countrymom]

I agree with you all, it is crazy! I have problems with sugar myself and I know how addictive it is. I try to stay away from it because when I eat it, that is all I want.

Also, the price of groceries has gone up so high that I either needed to raise my rates or cut out a meal. I cook breakfast a lot for my kids because they like having eggs and "real" food. I once served biscuits to all the kids and the dcg that I watched acted like it was bugs or something. She says they don't eat biscuits at her house. Her dad says she eats them all the time, but my guess is it is from McDonald's or DQ. I can't compete with that, I put ground flax and WW flour, so everything here is "brown" I had to start buying white bread because they do not eat brown! So, it seems that everything they eat is either processed/refined sugar. They do not even like it when I bake cookies or brownies because they don't come out of a wrapper!!!

I had a boy who was 5 at the time, so I was making pizza from scratch. So as I was making the dough he asks me what I'm doing, and I tell him I'm making the dough for the pizza. He tells me thats not how to make pizza, you need to call and order it and its done for you. Boy did I have a good laugh.
I have to agree with kids not eating homemade stuff, my own children love the fact that i bake stuff all the time (yesterday I made double brownies and they were hidden in the microwave so dh wouldn't eat them) but my daycare kids like to pick at things. Unless it comes from the freezer or from a can kids now a days have no idea what good healthy food is.

[nannyde]

I could not imagine not doing breakfast. My kids come at 7:30 and we eat lunch at 11:30. My parents would not come to my house if their kids could not eat. My own kid doesnt even eat until the dck get here. Plus, I get paid to feed it to them. Food program $ pays me to offer healthy food and breakfast is 1/3 of that daily piece.

Actually the idea of breakfast at school and day care is really pretty new. It started in the early seventies for poor schools and then was federally funded in all school showing need in the mid seventies.

It wasn't THAT long ago that parents got up.. made a big hearty healthy breakfast for their child and had a FAMILY meal BEFORE they went to school.

I was raised as a teen in mid to late seventies and I got up EVERY morning and made breakfast for my siblings. A full complete big breakfast to get us through until lunch.


We rotated:

Oatmeal/toast/fruit and milk
Pancakes, sausage, fruit and milk
French Toast, bacon, fruit and milk
Eggs/ hashbrowns, toast and milk
Rice, fruit, toast, and milk

I did it as a preteen and teenager so the idea of adult parents doing it with their small children is not that far of a leap.

We had six kids in our family. I did breakfast AND completely finished the dishes before I walked out the door every single day. My step sister and I took turns cooking and turns washing/drying dishes. We did that EVERY day for seven years.

When I was in Jr High the school day started at 7:30 and it was a 2.2 mile walk. I had to get up... cook... serve... and clean breakfast for five kids... then collect... clean... and put away all the dishes. Then I walked 2.2 miles to school in Rapid City South Dakota where it snows feet of snow at a time.

I never had a ride... not one single day.

If I could pull that off as a pre-teen... teenager for a five school aged child/teen group then I think the parents could manage making breakfast for their one or two kids.

It's a rediculous notion to think that kids can't eat breakfast at home. You just get up early and DO THE WORK.

[Live and Learn]

....she doesn't understand why I can't just give them some cereal.

Why can't she just give them some cereal then?

Stand your ground......no breakfast!

I can't believe that you have served breakfast, snack and lunch on $15 per day. Wow!