Parents Won't Feed Their Child Enough

[dlbtgb]

feed too little

We had the exact same issue. He was 8 months and into a size 12-18 mo clothing so he was a BIG boy. She had him on a VERY rigid schedule and would flip out if it was 10 min early even! She had breast milk only and not enough. She wanted us to even cut his afternoon 5 oz bottle in half as he was throwing it up. She thought he was getting too much food. Several things happened at once and I'm not sure what made her start to feed him real food on demand. 1. I told her we had to have a drs permission to feed him less as he was already eating less than others his age let alone his size, 2. She went to her MIL's for dinner and asked if she could have a snack. MIL said no way...not even 10 min early! and 3, she went to the Dr. I think he told her that she had to feed this baby. He went from a constant screamer to a very pleasant child--he's not overweight but just a big tall boy.

[CraftyMom]

I didn't want to sneak and feed him cereal because the cereal will make his poop harder and I didn't want the parents to get worried about that.

He used to have reflux until they found this formula that he doesn't spit up. Now, he eats just fine and keeps everything down. It's just that the food they give him doesn't have any consistency, so he doesn't feel full. He's not gassy. He's hungry. As soon as I give him another bottle or feed him another container of food, he's happy. But just for a short while. So, they either need to give me more of this liquidy food or give me cereal and the next stage of food so he has something more substantial in his belly to make him feel full.

His mom said she'll bring cereal tomorrow. I'm closed tomorrow. So I will have to see what she does Friday. I think I'll buy some tonight just in case she forgets. Hopefully he will be better if I can get some cereal into him.

She said she has been feeding him stage 3 meats and stage 2 fruits/veges at home. She's just sending me the stage 2 foods to 'finish them up'. So, she should know that stage 2 isn't going to fill him up. She also said that she feeds him some people food like chicken, pancakes, etc. So I'm sitting here wondering if she knows he wants people food, why would she have him eating only liquid-type foods here?

Basically, she said she is feeding him more filling and substantial food at home, but sending me the liquid stuff that she knows is not filling enough for him!! But then fussing at me when I use all the food they send. So I'm like "uggh really!?!?" :confused: So when she said that, I realized that she's just trying not to waste the money she spent on the food that he really no longer needs. But, if that's the case, she should give him some of the more substantial food and use the stage 2 as a snack or part of the meal including the stage 3 foods.

I am definitely not allowing parents to provide the formula or food for the babies again!

Ugh! If they communicated that to you when you spoke to them it would have made it more understandable!

I was also thinking, perhaps it isn't that they don't give him cereal? Perhaps they give it to him at home and just don't send it to daycare? Didn't they start with cereal? Or did they go straight to fruits and veggies?

I have a 6 month old that eats his cereal at home in the morning, so they don't send any here.

[Annalee]

I have my clients bring a can of powder formula....I do not allow pre-made bottles and I supply the cereal/baby food per USDA guidelines....Works much better....

[permanentvacation]

They used to give him cereal, but the formula he's on now is supposed to have cereal in it, they said. So they refused to let me give him cereal. All they tell me he has in the morning before coming here is his bottle and just expect me to give him his fruit.

But now I understand why he's so hungry. She's going to give me cereal. Now that I know he's been eating stage 3 foods at home, I will also buy some stage 3's for here and give him maybe 1/2 of the stage 3 along with his stage 2 until we 'finish up the stage 2's'.

I just can't get over the fact that she knew he's been eating stage 3 and people food and only gave me stage 2 which she knows isn't enough for him! I'm just like really, so she is knowingly putting him and me through him having to be hungry and crying!?!? And then fussing at me for telling you he's hungry when she knows she's not giving me the type of food he needs!?!?! WOW! Just WOW!

[permanentvacation]

I told the parents on the interview that I would provide the formula and food. They said they would rather provide it. If they provide it, then I require a can of formula to stay here in case I need extra. They did provide it until he changed formulas. Then, I think just so they didn't waste money in case this formula didn't work, they didn't bring me a new can of formula.

I think, well, hope, everything is figured out now.

[daycarediva]

It sounds like he isn't eating breakfast at home. Are you SURE they're giving him the bottle when they say?


Does the formula look thin? Are they cutting it?

What table foods does he eat? One of my own kids was a CHUNK and at 8m was eating pretty much everything in finger food form. He hated pureed food, and was on all sippy cups of BM. He ate WAY more than the same aged baby I watched at the time. He would reach OVER his tray to grab at food on her tray.

I would give him a bottle at breakfast, his fruit, cereal and some finger food/tray items.

For an AM snack, I would give him a sippy cup of water, with some finger foods.

For lunch, I would give him a bottle, his vegetables, cereal and some finger foods.

[renodeb]

How old is this child? That is a hard situation. I would definitely have an issue. It's funny, my dc parents are always worried that there babies are gonna run out. To be honest, if this keeps up it may be grounds for dismissal! My dc kids all eat more in dc.

[permanentvacation]

I am so livid right now! I keep walking around talking out loud saying, 'I can't believe that they feed him stage 3 and people food at home yet send me runny, non-filling stage 2 and then fuss at me when I use all the food and tell them that he needs more food! They KNOW he needed more food!"

I'm just so mad right now! That poor baby has been crying out of hunger and I have had to listen to him cry for a couple of weeks now, the whole time with me arguing with his parents demanding more food for the child just to find out in the end that they KNEW they were not providing the correct food for him!!! UGGGHHH!!!

Now I am really thinking about terminating him. But, I only have two kids. I have no business terminating anyone! I did just place an ad to work on replacing him though. I can't believe they did this to him and me. Just to save a few bucks on the baby food they already bought before he moved up to stage 3. Trust me, they have plenty of money. I don't think it would bankrupt them to not 'use up' the stage 2 they bought.

[permanentvacation]

He's 7 1/2 months old. I believe they are giving him a bottle in the morning. But I don't know if they are cutting it or not.

Apparently he eats almost every type of people food. She mentioned chicken, mac and cheese and pancakes and said he eats pretty much anything. But she only sends me liquidy stage 2 foods!

[Annalee]

I am so livid right now! I keep walking around talking out loud saying, 'I can't believe that they feed him stage 3 and people food at home yet send me runny, non-filling stage 2 and then fuss at me when I use all the food and tell them that he needs more food! They KNOW he needed more food!"

I'm just so mad right now! That poor baby has been crying out of hunger and I have had to listen to him cry for a couple of weeks now, the whole time with me arguing with his parents demanding more food for the child just to find out in the end that they KNEW they were not providing the correct food for him!!! UGGGHHH!!!

Now I am really thinking about terminating him. But, I only have two kids. I have no business terminating anyone! I did just place an ad to work on replacing him though. I can't believe they did this to him and me. Just to save a few bucks on the baby food they already bought before he moved up to stage 3. Trust me, they have plenty of money. I don't think it would bankrupt them to not 'use up' the stage 2 they bought.

The only way you are going to fix it is to term them or DEMAND what you need or REFUSE CARE till you get it!

[daycarediva]

If that's the case and he eats everything I would absolutely just feed him what the other kids are eating, diced up and then the bottles they send until I could term.

[permanentvacation]

I don't want to feed him anything I'm not legally allowed to feed him at his age just in case he chokes on something. But I will get him some stage 3 foods and cereal and work on replacing him.

[craftymissbeth]

I don't want to feed him anything I'm not legally allowed to feed him at his age just in case he chokes on something. But I will get him some stage 3 foods and cereal and work on replacing him.

:confused:

You can legally feed him almost anything the older kids are eating (I know we can't feed infants hot dogs, though, for example).

[permanentvacation]

I just called my food program monitor, and you're right. I can give him table food other then he's required to have formula and the baby cereal. Of course, the dangerous table foods I can't give him. So, maybe I will just add some table food to his stage 2 food until I replace him.

I have never had this happen in 25 years! I have never had a parent purposely give me less food than they know their baby needs. I just don't understand it from this family either. Both parents have VERY good jobs, they are professionals and have plenty of money. I'm completely shocked and confused that these parents are doing this.

[Leigh]

90% of the fruits and veggies I purchase for daycare are stage 2. I just put cereal in them and they work just fine for infants of all ages (as soon as they get used to the runny stuff, I gradually add more and more cereal until it is thick). Stage 2 foods are no less nutritious for him, they just have more water and are smaller jars. At that age, I'd be giving 1 fruit AND 1 veggie at lunchtime, and one or the other for breakfast. They don't always eat all of the 2 jars of stage 2, but they always eat more than just one (that is with cereal mixed in, too). I just find it easier to use all stage 2 because kids of all ages can eat it, and I don't get stuck with a bunch of foods that I don't need when kids graduate to "real" foods. I buy a LOT of baby food at once (like 100 jars at a time).