Breakfast Time Limit??

[Meeko]

I cannot believe the variations you all have for breakfast time! . 7-830! my goodness.

Generally I would allow about 20 minutes for any meal or snack time. If you haven't eaten it by then then too bad. Because some of the kids are so much younger and still learning to eat, I am more lenient on this but usually kids are done within 20-30 minutes and by 30 minutes they are dying to be out and playing.

I serve breakfast at 730am everyday. If you arrive at 745 you are too late. I make enough breakfast for whoever is HERE and ready to eat at 730. What doesn't get served at that time I eat Of course if there was circumstances out of the parents control, I would never starve a child, but they would get a light snack to hold them over.

All parents are aware of this and drop off no later than 715am and if they aren't going to make it, the kids are fed before they leave home. I have one dcb who eats breakfast at home (at 6am) and has a top up here before nap.

I have a different nap schedule than most on here as well, so that might be why I'm so strict on the breakfast time. My dcbabies go for nap at 830am-1030am (if they get up earlier that's fine with me).

If kids were coming in at 9 with a granola bar, I'd be ticked.
Although I agree with the rest that your center did not handle that appropriately. Could you eat a granola bar or 2 for breakfast??? I cannot imagine even a baby finding a granola bar for breakfast as sufficient fuel for the morning. Even with a snack halfway through.

I am going to do things the same way as you. Right now I serve from 7:30-8:30 and breakfast is an ongoing pain in the behind. Constantly stepping away from the stove to answer the door etc etc. only to come back and find a food fight has ensued at the table because I was gone....and then there's the parents who like to arrive at 8:31 with hungry kids and a sob story.

My assistant does not start work until I have 9 children in care, so breakfast can be a pain by myself.

I think I am going to tell parents that breakfast is now going to be the same as lunch and snacks, served at a certain time ....with no hour long window. I will feed whoever is here at 8AM. Why did I not do this earlier?! My contract says that children must be here and seated by 11:30 AM for lunch, or they must be fed before they get here. I will be doing the same with breakfast.

Man I love this forum! I just figured out the obvious...duh!!

[dEHmom]

dehmom....I serve that way because my children all arrive at different times. They arrive, wash their hands and sit down to eat. It really isn't a hassle at all to serve them as they arrive....it seems it would be more of a hassle for me if they arrived in shifts, played and made a mess in the playroom while I prep breakfast, have to cleanup and then all sit down together. That's how lunchtime works....and I say breakfast time is much easier for me

I think for me it works right now, but should the drop off times start to change I can understand how your guys way works better .

Right now my dcb's arrive at 630-645 for 1 and 715 or 830 for the other. So the days the dcb2 comes at 830 he's well fed and ready for nap anyway. otherwise we all eat when they get here and my kids wake up.

[Unregistered]

Crazy breakfast routines

OP, I feel for you because the daycare should not have let you and your child get used to a routine for so long if they intended to not let him eat breakfast upon arrival. Not cool. That being said, I understand why daycares don't just let kids eat upon arrival in general. I know that drop off times vary so children could get hungry at different times for breakfast, but that's why the scheduled breakfast time is so important in the first place. That gives the parents of the children a time that they know breakfast will be served at daycare and if they are going to be dropping off after breakfast is over, then the parent can be responsible for feeding before daycare. That would solve the problem. I know that mornings can be very hectic and rushed, but keep in mind that daycare providers whether they are at a home daycare or a center, are busy as well and if we have to stop what we are doing to feed a late arrival breakfast, then how is that fair to all of the other kids? Also, the other kids may be envious of what a late arriving child brings for breakfast and that's not cool either.

Wouldn't it just be easier to get your child up a few minutes earlier to eat breakfast? Just my thoughts.

[Unregistered]

Sorry, but the daycares in our area don't allow food from home unless it's doctor ordered and then must be accompanied by a note but even then, most food can be accomodated by the daycare anyway. I've never been allowed to drop my kid off with food for breakfast, even though many other parents in my daycare do so regularly and there have been many times I have really needed to bring food with but can't because of the rules because he regularly goofs around at breakfast time and doesn't eat timely. Getting 20-30 minutes to eat is very standard and schools only give 30-40 minutes total, which includes bathroom time, walking to cafeteria, standing in line and getting food and eating it. In our daycare, kids who are established slower eaters get more time to eat but they're also the ones who don't complain about not getting to play right after meal time too. I think it's important for daycares to establish a time limit with kids so they get used to the routine because the preschools in our area model their time frames after the local school system for Kindergarten readiness.

[nannyde]

I think we need to get back to the idea that kids need to eat breakfast at home. It's amazing to me that we have completely lost sight of the idea that kids should eat with their family in the morning before they go out into the world.

I think the idea of this got started with schools offering breakfast to poor kids because research showed that kids who ate a good breakfast did better in school than kids who didn't.

So the idea of eating away from home was a way to help the poor kids have a more even playing field in school. Then it worked its way into middle class and now everyone thinks somebody else should take care of it.

I think it's going to become common for centers to stop doing it. There's no money in breakfast...... specially if they are having to supervise it and clean it over hours upon hours in the morning. The food program reinbursements are not reflective of the LABOR of it and if they add a protein requirement onto the standards there isn't going to be enough money to even cover the food.

We need to start rethinking breakfast in public. This post is a clear reflection of the current mindset that makes you question the unintended consequences of offering a service to the masses because of research on the poor.

[cheerfuldom]

Agree! Plus I personally think that 9 is way too late for breakfast. Why not take the time to feed your own child at home? if its so small of a task that the provider could do it, why don't you do it OP? I know, I know, we are all busy working moms (the majority of the providers on this board are moms as well as a good number of daycare employees) and we all make it happen so it can be done. In addition, it will give you the time to provide something more substantial than a granola bar and have those few moments to connect before going your separate ways for the day. You ask "when after paying so much for my sons tuition at this preschool did they get the right to even the point to say when my son had to eat his breakfast by a certain time" and the answer is that they are running a business, they are in charge and that is what gives them the right. You seem just as upset by the other rules (you mentioned they had been changing a few things lately) as this rule but the fact is that the rules are made for a group. There are going to be rules in any daycare that are not very convenient for your personally but thats a part of the deal with a center or preschool (and certainly for grade school). If you are really uncomfortable with the new changes you can always find a new preschool but you will have some rules there you don't like either. Its just part of the sacrifice you make when you send your child to group care instead of staying home yourself or hiring individualized care like a nanny.

[Kaddidle Care]

"Well it is nine o'clock and the kids should have their breakfast before nine bc then the other kids see your son eating and think it's time to eat again." I thought to myself are you kidding me? With my busy life and the same thing has been going on this long, on top of that my son may take less than 10 minutes to eat his meal!

Since I work in a Center very much like the one you go to, let me give you my take on this:

Some children will eat breakfast at our Center but most have already eaten by the time they get there. They are usually the ones that arrive at opening (7:30 AM). We have a set eating schedule for the little ones that doesn't include serving breakfast. Snack at 10:30, Lunch at 12:30, another snack at 3:00 after naptime. Our PreK and PreSchool classes START at 9:00 AM and end at 12:00 PM.

It's kind of hard to ready crafts and games at the tables when there are children sitting there eating and usually making a mess. Yes, even granola bars can make a mess with some children. After eating the tables must be cleared and cleaned.

I agree with no more food after 9:00. If you are bringing him that late and he only takes 10 minutes to eat, then get up 15 minutes early and feed him at home.

Oh and Mom, something better than a granola bar - I know we've all given them in a pinch but not a habit of it please. Check out this website: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healt...reakfast.html#

[Unregistered]

Respectfully disagree

I think we need to get back to the idea that kids need to eat breakfast at home. It's amazing to me that we have completely lost sight of the idea that kids should eat with their family in the morning before they go out into the world.

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I would disagree nannyde. For most of the parents I see it's because they have to have their children in care early and want to let their children sleep long enough. Transportation time, wake up and dressing time means that people like me would have to wake our children up by 6 am to get them to have breakfast at home. Which easily means working parents need to be up by 5am. Considering many don't quit the housework until 10 pm, that's not a lot of mommy time for most parents.

My kids really need their sleep. If bedtime is too late, or if nap time is skipped we have disasterous endings. So for many people like me, eating a good breakfast at daycare is a must. I provide for my kids (though I'm totally not a granola bar fan, I think they're just sugar) above and beyond what the daycare provides. For example if the daycare has cereal, I'll send in strawberries and bananas to top it off.

I think mommy guilt makes many of us want to let our kids sleep in as long as they can.

I know I like my kids to sleep at daycare, which bumps bedtime back a few hours for my 4 year old which makes mornings really tiring for children. Waking my kids up at 6 am to have a family sit down breakfast wouldn't help anyone out in our home. Mornings would become a frustrating screaming match between my kids and I for sure as we desperately try to get out the door in time to make it for drop off and my own work start time.

I do really think an enforced end to breakfast is necessary though. Random late drop offs, that the rest of the class has to revolve around disrupts everyones schedules. I'm perfectly happy to accept late drop offs as long as parents call in advance to let us know, but many don't, and the late arrivals get later and later in the summer especially. This the whole classroom misses out for a few stragglers.

I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.

[Michael]

I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.

Please do register. That way you can post freely. You can choose any name and avatar you like.

[nannyde]

History of school breakfast: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/breakfas...rogHistory.htm

[Angelwings36]

Wow so if a child is in daycare full time monday through friday...

That means out of 25 possible times to eat (assuming a child has breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack and supper daily) they are only eating 5 times during the work week with their family and 20 times in a group daycare setting?

That just doesn't seem right to me sorry.

I was raised to believe that meal time was suppose to be family time. My parents were also very busy when I (and my 3 little brothers) were growing up with mom and dad both working full time jobs. It was during meal times that we had the opportunity to catch up with each other, talk about the things that were happening in our lives and unite as a family unit.

I do not offer breakfast now, will not offer breakfast in the future and frown upon parents who CHOOSE to not make time in their life to have quality meal time with their family.

[Blackcat31]

respectfully disagree with you

I would disagree nannyde. For most of the parents I see it's because they have to have their children in care early and want to let their children sleep long enough. Transportation time, wake up and dressing time means that people like me would have to wake our children up by 6 am to get them to have breakfast at home. Which easily means working parents need to be up by 5am. Considering many don't quit the housework until 10 pm, that's not a lot of mommy time for most parents.

My kids really need their sleep. If bedtime is too late, or if nap time is skipped we have disasterous endings. So for many people like me, eating a good breakfast at daycare is a must. I provide for my kids (though I'm totally not a granola bar fan, I think they're just sugar) above and beyond what the daycare provides. For example if the daycare has cereal, I'll send in strawberries and bananas to top it off.

I think mommy guilt makes many of us want to let our kids sleep in as long as they can.
I know I like my kids to sleep at daycare, which bumps bedtime back a few hours for my 4 year old which makes mornings really tiring for children. Waking my kids up at 6 am to have a family sit down breakfast wouldn't help anyone out in our home. Mornings would become a frustrating screaming match between my kids and I for sure as we desperately try to get out the door in time to make it for drop off and my own work start time.

I do really think an enforced end to breakfast is necessary though. Random late drop offs, that the rest of the class has to revolve around disrupts everyones schedules. I'm perfectly happy to accept late drop offs as long as parents call in advance to let us know, but many don't, and the late arrivals get later and later in the summer especially. This the whole classroom misses out for a few stragglers.

I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.

I respectfully disagree. I think for some it is mommy guilt but for others it is simply not wanting to have to take the time to feed and care for the kids in the a.m. and letting daycare do it.

Before I opened my childcare business, I worked full time and worked 30+ miles from home. I had to get up by 5 a.m. My children (both under 4 at the time) got up when I did so I could dress them, fix their hair and feed them breakfast. They probably wen tot bed a bit earlier than most kids because they had to get up earlier but realistically, it was no different than regular hours most parents had. Our were simply shifted.

I spent a lot of face time with my children because they were only at child care when BOTH myself and DH were working. When either of us were off, our childen were with us. They at a sit down family style breakfast and evening dinner at home 7 days a week and had snacks and lunch only at childcare.

Our morning routines were no different than any other working parent and both my children gradually learned how to help by dressing themselves and feeding themselves etc as they aged but they ALWAYS ate home. They both arrived at childcare by 7 a.m. and were fully dressed, fed and ready to participate in the day. They were picked up between 4-5 depending on which parent was off first and came home ready to have dinner as a family, play a bit, bathe, have story time and head to bed by 8. It really isn't that hard to do.

This schedule allowed for up to 30 hours of face time with my children Monday through Friday, which is great compared to some of the current daycare kids I have enrolled in my program. Most of which aren't fed breakfast at home, aren't picked up right after work and rarely arrive before 8:30 a.m.

[Crazy8]

just going to chime in with my 2 cents.... I do not provide meals, my dck's bring breakfast from home, but breakfast time is at 8am. If they arrive during bfast they can still pull up a seat at the table and eat but if they arrive later they can save their breakfast for our snack time (about 9:30-9:45am). My parents know to feed their children at home if they are arriving after bfast time.

I think the problem here is in how it was handled. If you have been doing it this way for 1.5 years then they should have mentioned it sooner or mentioned that it needs to stop. Just curious though... in that 1.5 years did your arrival time get later?? I've had parents who beginning of the school year are getting here at 7:30, then a month down the road it turns into 7:45. By the time we are midway thru the school year they are lucky if they are throwing the child in the door at 8am and getting to work in the nick of time. It happens. Just wondering if maybe the issue is because you are arriving later than you used to??

[Country Kids]

When I worked there was a time that I actually had to be at work by 6:00 A.M.. This meant I was up at 4:00, had my daughter up by 4;30,fed her breakfast and then we were out the door by 5:15. She was totally ready to go for the day and she was 2 1/2 and we did this for a year. We also had her eat breakfast at childcare because by that time it would have been more of a snack, then she had snack and lunch. I would pick her up by 3:00 and we spent the rest of the day together. She probably also went to bed by 7:00 or so but she had 4-5 hours face time with us after work. So no matter what shift you work I think you need to do your best to make sure you are spending as much time with your child whether you have to get them up an hour earlier than you want or have no activities planned in the evening so you can have a routine and be spending it with your child.

[nannyde]

I think the problem here is in how it was handled.

In my experience the actual "no" IS usually the problem... not the way it was said or when it was said.

If the center came back and said that they handled it incorrectly and they should have given notice BUT from two weeks from now on... no more bringing food in... the parent would still be upset because in the end... they want to bring the food and have it supervised and cleaned up by the staff.

When parents do this they are doing it because it is what they want... not because they CAN do it... but because they WANT to do it. This Mom wouldn't have done the breakfast there if she didn't want it to be like that.

When conflict like this happens the ONLY "in" the parent has is the way it was delivered. That's the only thing left to talk about after the NO. The best way to stop this conflict with the parents is stop offering ANY breakfast service at all including not allowing ANY food to be brought into the center to be consumed by the kids in the morning. NO food.. NO drinks.

If they did that the conflict would STOP. The parents would settle into their own routine (usually feeding the kid in the car seat on the way to day care with snack foods and sweet drinks) and everyone would be happy.

It's the grayness of this that has caused the problem.