Do You Serve Breakfast?

[PolkaTots]

Now that most of my crew arrive between 8-8:30, I am considering eliminating breakfast and requiring that meal to be served at home prior to coming, and adding morning snack instead. I used to do 7:30 breakfast, 11am lunch, 3pm snack...but thinking of switching to a 10am snack, 12 lunch, 3pm snack. I was thinking of beginning this when school starts, since I have my own 3 school agers I have to make sure get out the door dressed and fed in the morning while I am doing daycare. For those of you don't serve breakfast, do your parents complain?

[daycare]

I have breakfast at 830
snack which is only a fruit and milk or water at 1045

lunch at 1200
Snack at 330

[jenboo]

Breakfast at 815
Lunch 1200
Pm snack 330.
I just eliminated am snack. Everyone eats better at lunch now and my day is so much easier without that extra snack.

[Blackcat31]

yes and no.

I call it snack but according to the food program it's breakfast.

[daycare]

Breakfast at 815
Lunch 1200
Pm snack 330.
I just eliminated am snack. Everyone eats better at lunch now and my day is so much easier without that extra snack.

I tired that but because not all of my kids arrive for breakfast some of the little ones just could not make it from 845 to 1200 for lunch.

But before when I did serve a full snack, no one would eat lunch

[preschoolteacher]

I just dropped AM snack, and I'm so glad I did. The kids eat their lunch SO much better now.

Breakfast at 8 AM.
Lunch at 11:30 PM
Snack at 3:30 PM

They asked for snack in the morning the first few days, but then they stopped asking and now eat much bigger breakfasts and lunches. Healthier food, too!

[SignMeUp]

yes and no.

I call it snack but according to the food program it's breakfast.

Exactly what I do.
This way parents who can't manage to feed their kids - kids get a decent meal.
Kids who don't eat first thing in the a.m. - kids get a decent meal.

The only problem is when the FP checks up with parents - they think "snack" but it's actually breakfast. I try to reinforce this with families when we do annual re-enrollment forms. Plus it's written in my policy book.

[Blackcat31]

Exactly what I do.
This way parents who can't manage to feed their kids - kids get a decent meal.
Kids who don't eat first thing in the a.m. - kids get a decent meal.

The only problem is when the FP checks up with parents - they think "snack" but it's actually breakfast. I try to reinforce this with families when we do annual re-enrollment forms. Plus it's written in my policy book.

My FP rep is the one that told me to do it that way.

If a parent asked, I would probably explain it to them but I don't serve it until 8:45-9:00 so if their kid gets dropped off earlier and are morning eaters, the parent is required to make sure their kid gets something to tide them over because NOTHING is served here before 8:45.

[SignMeUp]

My FP rep is the one that told me to do it that way.

If a parent asked, I would probably explain it to them but I don't serve it until 8:45-9:00 so if their kid gets dropped off earlier and are morning eaters, the parent is required to make sure their kid gets something to tide them over because NOTHING is served here before 8:45.

That's nice I had the idea myself and in the beginning figured I would get called out on it. Turns out lots of people do it ::

I don't serve breakfast till after 9 am. Same deal - if they come early they should eat first. But they won't starve. And I'm lenient with infants and toddlers, as long as I'm not being taken advantage of.

[Annalee]

My kids eat breakfast at 7:45 to 8:15...( all kids must arrive by 8:00)....lunch at 10:15-10:45.......snack at 2:15......

[midaycare]

Looks like I'm odd man out. I serve breakfast early, at 7:30. If a child arrives after that, they are expected to be fed or can wait until am snack at 9:30. I serve lunch at 12:30 and pm snack and 4ish. Depends his long nap lasted. Some of my kids are here for 11 hours, so they need all that food.

[e.j.]

yes and no.

I call it snack but according to the food program it's breakfast.

Same here and it was also my food rep who suggested I do it that way since I was including all of the food components of a breakfast anyway. When I think of the money I lost over the years claiming it as a snack instead of a breakfast...I just wish she had suggested it sooner.

[jenboo]

I tired that but because not all of my kids arrive for breakfast some of the little ones just could not make it from 845 to 1200 for lunch.

But before when I did serve a full snack, no one would eat lunch

I get lucky and everyone is here for breakfast each day

[Heidi]

I do 8:45/9 Breakfast (meets all components for breakfast, but I claim snack)
11:45/12 is lunch
after nap...dinner (snack, but meets all components for dinner and claimed as dinner).

Since I'm Tier 1, that's about $5.50 a day per kiddo. I know not all FP's allow that, though. Our's encourages it, and I notice kids go home a lot less whiney because they have that protein to hold them over until dinner.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I serve breakfast at 9, lunch at 12, and snack at 3.