Serving Breakfast

[KingstonMom]

A year ago, all of my kids used to come after 8am, so they had already eaten breakfast. Then one started coming for 7am as mom had gotten a new job. My kid was hardly out of bed at that time, let alone eaten breakfast, so when she asked if I would feed her, i didnt see a huge problem with it. both my kid and the dcg were the same age and great friends. So now i feed 2 kids breakfast.

Then in November I started taking a little boy who is also the same age (2 yrs) and mom asked me if I wouldnt mind feeding him breakfast as well. I said yes. (Keep in mind it is NOT in my contract, this is just something I do as a 'favour' to parents).

I have just started taking a new little boy this week. He also comes at 7am, mom says he is up early, but is not hungry until around the time he gets to my place, so of course i feed him as well! Now i have a new daughter (9 months) so add her to the table, and I am feeding 5 kids breakfast every day!

Along with lunch, and snacks, i feel like i am always making, serving, and cleaning up after meals! Not to mention the cost in it! Example, today I made raisen toast, peaches, bananas, yogurt with granola, and milk. And of course half the kids dont eat something so I am throwing half of it out. (thats another whole post though!!) Im tired of it, and am thinking of telling them all to FEED THEIR OWN KIDS BREAKFAST!!

Is this unreasonable of me? Does anybody else feed dcks breakfast?? Should I compromise and suggest parents bring their own breakfast for me to serve them? Id still rather not, because now, my own kids are up at 615am, and I find myself waiting to feed them till 7:30 somedays until all the dcks get here and I can feed them all together. i dont like to feed one or two kids seperately, I like to feed kids all at the same time, to limit my time in the kitchen!!

What are your thoughts? Is this totally unheard of to be feeding dcks breakfast everyday?? We dont have huge snacks, becasue I find they fill up and dont want lunch. So our morning snacks are soemtimes just a big cup of milk, and a bite of a banana, or a hunk of cheese and some juice.
Thanks!

[Inspired by Reggio]

My family is gone before i open so this is not an issue for me with what 'they' might be doing!

However I open at 7am ~ I do not serve 'breakfast' I assume that families should get into the habit of getting up in time to EAT at home because when school starts and so forth this is a habit that should be well engrained as some kids have to be on the bus at the same time they would be at daycare and most schools do not have 'breakfast programs' ;)

That said I do serve a morning snack around 8:30 that RESEMBLES breakfast just in case they do arrive unfed because I want to make sure they are in good spirits and have energy for the mornings activities ~ hungry children tend to have poor behavior and low resistance to stress!

To minimize waste I serve children small snack size portions ~ if they eat it all than they have have seconds or thirds depending on how hungry they are until whatever I have prepped is 'gone' at which point than they can have fresh fruit if they are still hungry cause I can easily cut up more of that . This way whatever is not 'served' remains sanitary and can been 'saved as leftovers' for my spouse the next day ... thankfully he will eat anything leftover even cold french toast or oatmeal or mini quiches and so forth ;)

[jec]

I have been open for almost three years and I've served breakfast every day up until this week. I put a new policy in place where parents feed their kids at home and I changed up my routine. Now I serve snack at 9am ( breakfast type like today was 1/4 piece of bagel with cream cheese and fruit salad with banana and apple and slice of cheese. Yesterday was a mini muffin with small yogurt.
I found that not only was I going way over budget but the kids were also eating at home and then I was wasting food. Now you can aruge that if I'm wasting the food or not that the parents pay for this service but I am also a mom first and ensure that the kids eat until full so they eat much more than they would get a center for snack and lunch with me. I totally understand wanting to offer breakfast as I was a Mom who worked outside the home had had to leave the house really early and wake up my kids to eat breakfast....and they always didn't want to eat.
So..this is how I offer it now ~ anyone arriving for 7am will get breakfast @ 7:15 which is like a small snack as they get another at 9am....then I have lunch bumped up to 11am and snack in the afternoon.
I offer a lot of fresh foods, homemade and do my prep work in the evening to cut down my time in the kitchen. Eg. last night I made the bagels and cut the cheese and then brought the apples and banana's in the playroom to cute up for them in bowls and practically no time in the kitchen.

You do what is right for you. maybe this is a happy medium for you which is what I tired to do. This is the email i sent out to my parents to advise them of the changes.

Effective next week, Monday July 23rd our schedule will be changing to meet the needs of the group.
Breakfast will become morning snack given at 9am. It will be a follow up to your little one eating breakfast at home. Lunch will be moved up to 11am and afternoon snack at 2:30pm
Anyone arriving for 7am will be given breakfast for 7:15am
As always, I try to keep snacks and lunches fun and interesting. Please share if you have any recipes and ideas that you would like me to try with the kids!

[Sandbox Sally]

I don't do breakfasts, but if I did, I would be charging for it. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. Can you imagine sending your kids to school with no breakfast and telling their teacher that they needed the school to provide food for them? They need to get their kids up 15 minutes earlier.

Your business, your rules.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I will be honest if I had small kids at home who were eating their own breakfast when clients arrived unless my spouse was home to 'feed' my kids while I went down to work in the playroom I would have a hard time not offering it to those kids if they had to be there 'watching'.

However I would charge MORE to clients who were getting breakfast served and have a 'cut off' time that you have to be here by Xam to get breakfast if you miss it that's your problem!

[kidlove]

I provide every meal and am required to provide snacks in between as well. So I have no issues with feeding kids. But I am also required to have a schedule. Brkfst: 7-8:30
am snck: 10:45
lunch: 12-1
pm snck: 3:45
supper: 5:15-5:45
I am required that within those hours if I have any children in care, they must be at least offered a full meal or approved snack. But, they have to wait for one another, i.e. no multiple servings of breakfast, whoever is here durring that meal time eat that meal (or at least its offered) if someone drops their child off at 8:45 and says they didnt eat brkfast, that child must wait until am snack. I too feel as if I am cooking/making meals and cleaning up after them ALL DAY LONG! :)
if you are not required to feed the children and they come durring an early hour, why dont you ask the parent to provide a breakfast at drop off? easy one like a bag of dry cereal, or a cereal bar and sippy of milk?

[kidlove]

I also ask parents to sign up for snack once a month, that really helps with prep and cost. And helps keep the parents responable. Sometimes I find that even the nicest parent will use you if they can get away with it. It's such a good practice to hold parents resp. that way they know whre you stand.

[Momof4]

I used to have children arriving at 7am but they are gone. Loved them, but so glad I now start work at 8am! So yes, I started serving breakfast at daycare. Now my meals are at these times:
Breakfast 8:30am
Lunch: 11:30am
Snack: 3pm
It seems to me if you are feeding a snack at 10 and lunch an hour and a half later the children would not be hungry. I serve a giant lunch with all the food groups because my little ones are really hungry, then 2-3 items for breakfast and for afternoon snack.