Lunch Time

[DaycareMom]

What does lunch time look like for you?
Do you have booster seats, child table ...?
Do you set a timer?
Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well?
How do you handle wiggle worms?
Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping)

I have a picnic style table
I use a timer when necessary
I expect them to at least TRY the food
Wiggle worms are given 2 warnings, 3rd time, they are dismissed from the table
I usually do the clean up

[thetoddlerwhisper]

i have a child size table that seats 6. and a highchair for my asd dcb. asd dcb is the only one who eats special. everyone else eats whats served or they dont eat. most of the time plates are cleared. 1 warning for playing with food then its gone. lunch usually takes around 15min usually without a problem. i clean up

[Blackcat31]

What does lunch time look like for you?
Do you have booster seats, child table ...?

I have a stop signed shaped table that seats 8. Two of those 8 sit in booster seats. I also have a square table that sits 2-4 kids. I place the oldest kids I have there.

Do you set a timer? Yes. Part of my job is to prepare the kids for school and in school they get very little time to eat. I set my timer for 45 minutes and begin, "encouraging" speediness at around the 30 minute mark.

Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well?

Eat don't eat. I do not care but no seconds on anything if you don't eat all your food. I have too many kids that would fill up on only one thing so I only allow seconds for clean plate kids.
I don't serve alternate foods if someone doesn't like what we're having. I serve. The kids eat. Or don't. Either way, I don't care. Meal time is the LEAST stressful time of my day.

How do you handle wiggle worms?

Role modeling by older kids and firm reminders. Continue wiggling when you've been reminded, you will be excused from the table. NO MATTER what age.

Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping)

They bus their own plates, cups and silverware but do not toss, scrape or remove anything. They just bring their stuff to the bin and I take care of it from there.

I have a picnic style table
I use a timer when necessary
I expect them to at least TRY the food
Wiggle worms are given 2 warnings, 3rd time, they are dismissed from the table
I usually do the clean up

I answered in bold.

[KSDC]

Do you have booster seats, child table ...?
We eat at my regular dining room table. Booster seats up to around age 3 (depending on how tall the child is)

Do you set a timer?
No timer, but I do start encouraging them to be done after 30 mintes.

Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well?

Everyone is expected to have at least one bite of everything. I really hate the "clean plate = happy plate" mentality that I was raised with. I still have a hard time not eating everything, even if I am full. ::
I do have the rule that if they ask for seconds, they have to eat what they asked for.

How do you handle wiggle worms?

Gentle reminders. If it is a bigger kid and they continue to wiggle out of their chair, they can earn the privilege of sitting in a booster seat again.

Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping)

Sweeping and wiping, no. But they do clear their spot. Taking cups, plates and silverwaed to the kitchen table.

[jenboo]

What does lunch time look like for you?
Do you have booster seats, child table ...?
2 Child sized tables. One seats 4 and is for 2 yrs old (give or take) and up. The other one seat 2 and is only a few inches off the ground so it is for the younger ones. I have booster seats that i can strap to the taller table if I have any littles ones that cant sit on their own yet.

Do you set a timer?
No timer. We are usually done within 15-20 minutes

Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well?
They either eat what I serve or go hungry. If they want seconds, they have to eat everything else on their plate first.

How do you handle wiggle worms?
The older ones get a couple warnings then are excused. The little ones who are learning to sit at a table for the first time are redirected back to sitting correctly

Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping)
As soon as they can physically manage it they asked to be excused, scrape their left overs into the trash and place their dishes on the counter. Most start doing this around 18 months

Lunch is very calm for us

[melilley]

I have 5 kids all are 2 and under with the exception of one who is 3.

I have a child's picnic table, a booster seat/high chair combo, and 1 high chair.
The 2's and 3 year olds sit at the picnic table and the 2-1 year olds sit in the highchairs. Sometimes one of the 1 year olds sit at the table depending on who is here or on the day(one of the one yo. has a food intolerance so he mainly only sits in the booster/hc).

I don't tell them what to eat. I do ask that they at least try the food, but if they don't, they don't. I will give seconds, but after that, they have to eat other foods on their plates first.

If they eat, they eat. If they don't, they don't.

I don't have a timer. Somehow they all usually get done around the same time. I do have a picky eater, but he will voluntary sit until others are done.

The 2 and up children either give me their plates or the actually go to the garbage and clear them (I have lost many a forks/spoons). Sometimes they help me sweep or wipe tables, but I prefer to do it. Or I will do it then let them "clean" after.

I love lunch time! It's really calm here too.

[melonieb]

I have a dining table that sits 4, a toddler table that sits 2 right now, one booster seat, and two high chairs. I am working on getting myself a bigger table that seats 8 so I can put the toddler table back in my preschool room.

[Leanna]

We sit at a rectangular child sized table. The kids 18 months and up sit in child sized chairs and under 18 mos. sit in booster seats with trays attached in "adult" chairs that I pull over to the table.

I arrange them strategically so wiggle worms are next to me for extra reminders.

No timer. Lunch is from 11:30-12:00...if they are not done by 12 they can finish up as everyone else moves on, but usually everyone is done withing a half hour.

Yes, they each clear their own plate and put it in the sink. They take turns wiping the table with a wet cloth and sweeping the floor with a mini-broom.

They each get all of the foods on their plates and eat what they want...but no seconds unless they eat their first helpings.

[LaLa1923]

i have a child size table that seats 6. and a highchair for my asd dcb. asd dcb is the only one who eats special. everyone else eats whats served or they dont eat. most of the time plates are cleared. 1 warning for playing with food then its gone. lunch usually takes around 15min usually without a problem. i clean up

asd??

[Msdunny]

Do you have booster seats, child table ...? I have a child sized table, and one in a highchair. She is slowly transitioning to the table so I can take on a younger dcg.

Do you set a timer? No, no timer. My kiddos usually finish up in about 15-20 minutes with no encouragement.

Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well? They can eat, or not eat, whatever is on their plates. I will give seconds if all food is eaten.

How do you handle wiggle worms? Mine know - if you get up from the table, you are done and I will take your plate. So no real wigglers here.

Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping) My dcks bring me their plates and cups and get a 'rag' (each child has a certain color wash cloth that we call their rag). With their rag, they first wash off their faces and hands, and then go wipe down their place at the table. Honestly, I have them do this to buy time while I am helping others finish up. I go back afterwards and clean everything again.

[Meeko]

I have a large farm house table with four benches. I get all 16 kids around the same table. Youngest ones have boosters.

I serve the food. Their choice whether they eat it all or not one bite.

No seconds of anything unless they clean their plate first.

Never seconds without a "please" I am a stickler for good table manners.

Playing around means they are telling me they are done and their plate is taken away. But all children must stay at the table until everyone is done and they are excused.

My personal experience is that children will play around at meal time just to be told to leave....which is exactly what they want. All the children must wait for each other. It's what I was taught as a child. It was considered terrible manners to leave the table before others were finished.

I don't expect it of my daycare kids, but my own parents expected my brother and I to both say "May I please be excused from the table" when we were done eating as a family. All my friends did the same with their parents too. Maybe it's a British thing ......manners are essential.

[Blackcat31]

asd??

Autism Spectrum Disorder

[JoseyJo]

What does lunch time look like for you?

Do you have booster seats, child table ...? child table, booster seats on child sized seats where needed

Do you set a timer?yes, 20 min breakfast/snack, 30 min lunch- this is the "no seconds" timer, they still can finish up after the timer just no additional food given

Are they expected to eat at least something (if so, how much?) or do you just serve and if they don't eat - oh well? nope, totally up to them, they can not eat and stay at table if they are well behaved, or can ask to be excused to go read (look at books) or lay down on mat if after lunch

How do you handle wiggle worms? 1-2 warnings by asking "are you done? (if yes, then you need to ask to be excused/ if no then you need to sit nicely or I am going to assume you are done and excuse you) then if they still are still causing problems for others then I excuse them

Are they expected to clean up after themselves? (ie floor sweeping, table wiping) they are not required to unless they made a huge and un-age appropriate mess, but a lot of mine like to help (some just to get out of quiet reading : and are allowed do if they do their best to help w/ no messing around

We also allow talking, singing, etc at the table as long as it isn't excessive. One of my favorite memories growing up was everyone having conversations at dinner so I love it when the DCKs and I can do that too!

[Unregistered]

I have a child-sized table and chairs that seats 8. I have one high chair.

Never have used a timer. Never have needed one.

No, they can eat what they want. I have two that eat veggies first. I will give seconds of veggies. I use a steamer and almost always use frozen over canned. If the child is good eater I will give seconds (small) if their plate is not clean.

Kids stay at the table until the majority are finished.

Kids clear their own spot.

[LeslieG]

They wash hand and then go sit at a child sized table. Sometimes I'm still finishing putting their lunch plates together, so they have to sit and wait for a moment. If they are not sitting, they do not get their plate given to them.

During lunch, I have to remind the little ones to turn around and face the table, because they can get squirmy. I don't expect them to eat everything, however with the little ones (1 - 2.5 year olds) I do require them to eat a good amount so they are not hungry. The older ones know that if they don't eat, they will be hungry, so I let them choose.

When they are done, they clean up their spot by emptying any food into the garbage and placing their dishes in the counter/in the sink. I then wipe up their hands/face and they're off.

*I don't set a timer just because I have mostly little ones and sometimes they need longer time to eat. Also, I have really good eaters right now.

*A trick I do with the little ones is to serve them their veggies and more nutritious things first, so they fill up on those foods first.