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I have a bunch of kids that come in my door every am looking for 'snack' right away! they have supposedly already had breakfast. I have been feeding the equivelent of three meals and 2 snacks a day now for weeks...how do I address the need for a more filling breakfast at home?( a waffle alone is not wholesome) Do I just raise rates to cover the added meals?These kids are not getting protein in the am and can not make it from 8 am till lunch.When I give simple am sancks they still can't make it to lunch without something(which I've moved earlier to 11:15/30).And in the afternoon so I am not serving pm snacks for an hour we wait for the last school kid that comes in at 4...so again they are chomping at the bit for food. What is with these kids? On the other hand I have one preshooler here from 7:30 am till 5 most days that eats not one bite of anything most days.
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I do not serve breakfast. I serve a LARGE snack at 9:00 (it's really breakfast but I don't say that to parents) and have it written in my policies that ALL children must come to care fed and able to wait until 9:00 when the next meal/snack is served.
If I had a child coming in and repeatedly asking for food before that time, I would simply tell the parent what's happening and ask them to feed their child a more wholesome and filling breakfast. -
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Good lord, why do we always blame the parents! The other morning my kiddo had a whole avacodo, a pb&j sandwich, a granola bar, and a glass of milk, and asked for cereal the minute she walked in the daycare door- and she's a tiny 3 year old who can still fit in 18mo pants. It's crazy.Comment
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Why? Because many parents are in too big of a rush in the mornings to provide a decent breakfast. Many think a granola bar and a juice box will hold them over until lunch. I have one that often comes in with a yogurt drink box with Mom saying that was breakfast.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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I agree that I'd definitely ask the parent to feed the kid more before coming!
On a side note, I regularly tell my kids (DC and my own) that being hungry is OK. It means that you are ready to eat, and we will be eating soon (whatever meal is coming next).
I think kids get used to grazing at home. I know my own do, especially on the weekends. So they rarely get more than slightly hungry before eating again, and they need to know/understand/be reminded that hunger is totally normal and perfectly fine!Comment
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How is any of this BLAMING parents?Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
I went back and re-read the posts previous to yours and no where did anyone say the parents were doing something wrong or point fingers at the parent.
The OP asked how to communicate her policies/routines to the parents...
Parents and providers need to work together.
A lot of times parents don't know or understand how things work at daycare and vice versa so effective communication is important.Comment
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I have a child who was dropped off at 8
) and parent said all he had was a vitamin. He waited until our usual 9:15 snack. I would send a notice home with all the parents reminding of your meal-snack times.Let them know that the children are coming in hungry. I would also tell the children they need to wait until snack time and stick to it.You may have to give an earlier snack until they get used to it. I also offer suggestions to parents about breakfast and even go as far as printing out a form listing meals .
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i would remind all parents that you dont serve breakfast and snack isnt till X time. Tell each parent in person "Jr is very hungry by the time snack comes around and spends so much time asking for food instead of playing or joining in the activities. I thought I would let you know so you could make sure to get him a filling breakfast each morning"
Realize that A LOT of kids ask for food out of boredom. If you dont serve breakfast, just tell the child no, you have to wait. over and over and over till they stop asking. keep reminding parents that Jr is hungry over and over and over till they start feeding them better.
That said, some kids just eat all day and burn it all off and are constantly hungry no matter what you do, but that is more rare.Comment
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I think it could be seen as parent blaming because no one suggested that maybe the kids are not really in need of another breakfast. It is possible that they received a good breakfast, but know how to work the system.Originally posted by Blackcat31 View Post
The OP and one other response suggested telling the parents to give them a more filling breakfast, which they may already be doing.
KellyHomeschooling Mama to:
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Originally posted by SquirrellyMama View Post
Children learn to work the system at a young age, too! I have a couple 2 yr olds that are ALWAYS pointing at the cabinet where the snacks are, but I do not necessarily think they are hungry.
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I think protein is really important. I'm probably the wrong person to answer this. I serve brk, lunch, and pm snack. I give a good sized breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 11:00, and pm snack at 3:30. Sometimes I will give them dry cheerios in the middle of the morning as a diversion. I would post a notice to address this issue or raise your rates to cover costs.Comment
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This is what I do too. I have one girl here at 7:15 and I know she probably hasn't eaten since waking at 6:30 and thrown in the car or just snacks on graham crackers in the car. I am on the food program so I have no problem feeding kids meals here. It's just when kids come after 8:30 and can't be part of breakfast and need a "meal" between 9 and 11:30am and not a snack. I don't usually do a big AM snack since I'm only getting 77 cents for it, so I would rather just do meals and snacks if needed.Originally posted by renodeb View PostComment
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Ok I'm a parent. My kids will ask everyone for a snack the second they step foot into their house. When quizzed on what they had for breakfast, they say "cereal". They "forget" to say Cereal with some applesauce and milk! Heck, sometimes, they "conveniently " "can't remember" what they've had to eat at all, pausing and saying "uhhhhhhh"Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
To which the sucker provider wants to give them a snack. IN the case of my kids, it's a scam!!! LOL They would be eating ALL day if you let them and they are ALWAYS hungry! To the point their school questioned if they were getting enough at home and offered us some assistance. The day my son told the school he didn't get dinner the night before, I had to explain that he DID get dinner, but, because he didn't like what we were eating, he took bites and said he was "full" (Full, my arse). That was Chicken patty sandwich night, fries, green beans and milk.
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I agree with the others that say that they very well may not be hungry.
Do you serve am snack every day?
I think if you're serving an adequate snack at 8, lunch at 11:30, and then pm snack at 4 you're fine. My kids don't eat breakfast at home before they come and we eat a light breakfast at 8. Our breakfasts are really just a larger snack with milk (a grain, a fruit, and milk).
Since your kids are barely making it between lunch and pm snack I think they're either playing you or are just big eaters.Comment
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