Breakfast

[Fireyesblue]

I have a "potential" client starting. I am opening 15mind earlier (645) since she will be picking up at 345. She knows I do not serve breakfast and my rate includes lunch and two snacks. She has asked if she can send breakfast for kids... They are 2.5 and 12months. Part of me wants to say no. I don't serve or prepare breakfast etc. And then part of me wants to say for $5 more I will provide breakfast since my own toddler will be eating around that time. Would you either say no entirely or say no but for $5 more it will be provided. I eliminated breaky while back but I am bringing in new clients. Advice :) i dont want to regret anything!

[33 Daiseys]

i would say 5 dollars each child, and that way it comps you for the extra time. keep it simple hot or cold cereal, fruit, toast, yougurt ect.

[kindertime]

I allowed parents to bring breakfast for a short time, but I won't again. I didn't have control over what they were bringing in. If they bring in something that is not healthy, then what would you do? I had one parent bring in a box of Fruit Loops! There's nothing wrong with dry cereal, but fruit loops is just candy! If you think giving these children breakfast will be easy enough because your own child is going to be eating at that time too, then it would probably work out. But you should also have the agreement in writing before you start and be clear that the parent pays for the breakfast every day, whether or not she arrives in time -and have a cut-off time, like 7:15. If she isn't there by that time, then no breakfast.

[Lee-Bee]

A 12month old is not coming in, sitting down and feeding themselves. Are you able to be ready to sit and help/monitor a meal before the other kids arrive? If so I would agree to it, for the $5 but provide the food.

I would also tell them you will start on a trial period and if after 2 weeks it is not working for you then they will need to start providing the meal at home. Simply let them know that this meal greatly impacts your morning and needs to be done and over with before your other children arrive.

My main concern is that you start providing breakfast and they start coming later and later. Now you are having unfed kids arrive at the same time as your regular clients and you need to feed them.

[Fireyesblue]

A 12month old is not coming in, sitting down and feeding themselves. Are you able to be ready to sit and help/monitor a meal before the other kids arrive? If so I would agree to it, for the $5 but provide the food.

I would also tell them you will start on a trial period and if after 2 weeks it is not working for you then they will need to start providing the meal at home. Simply let them know that this meal greatly impacts your morning and needs to be done and over with before your other children arrive.

My main concern is that you start providing breakfast and they start coming later and later. Now you are having unfed kids arrive at the same time as your regular clients and you need to feed them.


Thank you! My other family arrives at 7:30 and I do not offer or serve breakfast. This mom actually works from home and wants to do early drop off so she can do an early pick up. I can't understand why, she can't feed her own kids. She lives few mins from my house as well. I think I will have to phrase it to say I don't offer or serve breakfast which includes outside food; and that the children are required to come fed in the morning. I eliminater breaky because I found it stressful and I opened at 7. She can adjust her hours to feed them at home. I just don't want to lose them as a potential client, but again I am already being flexible with the opening time!

[flowerchild]

I don't offer breakfast. This may sound harsh, but I don't see any reason why a parent cannot ensure their child has breakfast before they come. Maybe if I started really early in the am, like 6am, but otherwise, I don't. I manage to get my own kids fed and ready for their day before starting, so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that of others.

If you don't provide breakfast, I wouldn't start now. If you do, I agree with $5 per child per day. This will account for the extra food, extra work and extra time.

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I not serve breakfast. I have different child arrive different time and it would be disruptive. I think letting child bring breakfast from home, mean have to allow all client to do same. It be chaos if you have different child arrive different time too. Breakfast time potentially be 2 hours long!!

I also find that my daycare children know when one child eat, all going to eat. I imagine an early arrival who did have breakfast home might want second breakfast if friend eating. How to supervise two groups as same time too? Those eating and those not?

I think offering to provide for a fee, shows that it is possible you could do breakfast but if Mom not want pay the money, it will be hard to justify not being open to bring from home.

I would say no outright to prevent that issue.

[BlueRose]

If the mom doesn't need to drop off that early, then don't let her drop off that early. Let her pick up early if she wants. I don't understand why she needs to drop off early in order to pick up early. I let parents pick up early, but there is no way in hell I will open my door earlier because of it. I also don't lower my fee for it either. She is paying for the spot not the hours used.

[Fireyesblue]

If the mom doesn't need to drop off that early, then don't let her drop off that early. Let her pick up early if she wants. I don't understand why she needs to drop off early in order to pick up early. I let parents pick up early, but there is no way in hell I will open my door earlier because of it. I also don't lower my fee for it either. She is paying for the spot not the hours used.

I know, fully agree. I use to work out of the home with an hour commute there and hour back. I would still feed my child breakfast. Its just my "job"band the few moments I get before leaving. Don't get why someone who works from home needs a 645 drop off and can't feed their kids. I did agree to her hours. Nothing is signed. We have yet to meet - scheduled for later this week; providing she is interested after my saying no to breakfast and suggesting a later drop off.


Now her 645 would not start til June since her toddler would be coming PT until then, so yes I am kinda regretting agreeing to verbally opening 15mins earlier. Would it be awful to amend contract before their June start and change the hours? Lol I can't take back agreeing to the hours without looking silly. Ugh! Worse time finding clients lately, so desperate.

[babydom]

No I have done that before. Said something out loud but then after thinking about it said different before signing of the contract. Just say. I apologize but after some thought I prefer to stick to my regular schedule as it has been working well for me. So unfortunately my hours will remain at 7am and the children will be required to be fed breakfast before coming.
It's then on her to agree and sign or say no thank u and move on.

[Fireyesblue]

No I have done that before. Said something out loud but then after thinking about it said different before signing of the contract. Just say. I apologize but after some thought I prefer to stick to my regular schedule as it has been working well for me. So unfortunately my hours will remain at 7am and the children will be required to be fed breakfast before coming.
It's then on her to agree and sign or say no thank u and move on.

Thank you!

[CrazyEight]

I've never served breakfast but did stupidly allow one family to bring breakfast if the kids hadn't finished. I will never do it again.
A) They arrived at 8am, there's no reason why the kids can't eat before then
B) They brought crap - captain crunch or fruit loops or another sugary cereal that my kids got jealous over
C) Sometimes they'd show up with a plain piece of bread and expect me to toast it and put something on it, which doesn't seem like a big deal, but the time and jam/margarine/wow butter whatever really added up
D) I make sure to always feed my kids a large healthy breakfast, and it pissed me off to see these kids show up with crap. A few times the older boy (6) actually showed up with a baggie of 3 cucumber slices for breakfast! Another time it was a boost chocolate shake. Usually it was crappy sugary cereal. I wanted to serve them real breakfast but didn't want to be out money for it.

Also, I agree with the above posters that pointed out the age of the 12 month old. At least the boys I had could feed themselves without me hovering over them. You can't trust a 12 month old if you need to take your toddler to the bathroom or go dress them, for example, and it will eat up time in the mornings.

If you want to try it, I'd ask for $5 more each for you to serve your own food, and do it for a trial 2 week period. You may find the mornings getting too hectic with other kids arriving and everything.

[mickyc]

Firstly I would never adjust my opening time especially if the mom doesn't really need it. I allowed one family to bring breakfast once and nope never again! Same thing as everyone else- crap food sent, not fully prepared, expecting me to toast bread etc, plus the added dishes and mess for me. Nope! Eat before you come.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I am more accommodating with my end time than I am with opening time...I'm just not a morning person lol. 730/745 is early enough for me! I wouldn't adjust it if it was me....especially if mom doesn't really need it!

Breakfast...we eat at 9 so even if they don't eat at home, they aren't going long before snack here. However, I've had parents send breakfast before. I'm pretty laid back and the way I'm set up, it's not an issue. I ask if they want it, 9x out of 10 they don't lol. I just throw it out or give it to them if they want. I have never really had kids complain that so and so is eating xx and they aren't. Even if they did, I just explain why and it's a non issue. I usually have laid back kids too I guess lol

The longer I do this, the more I learn to pick my battles so that I'm not stressing out over every little thing that goes against my schedule. I guess it would be different if I had difficult children but mine don't care. Every one is different though, so decide what battles are WORTH your time! Good luck :)

[crafty]

Well I think you've gotten great advice here. I agree with most posters. I don't offer breakfast either. I offer a good hearty snack that sometimes IS an actual breakfast and it's early enough too. I feel the same way. The child should arrive ready for the day.

I had a parent ask me if they could start sending breakfast in the am and I refused. They weren't happy about it tho. But I really was not ready to make this kind of agreement. The child was coming in late often and I felt it was going to be too disruptive especially that we were having a snack shortly after he would finish eating breakfast. These were great people but they had such a difficult time just setting certain limits with their child it felt like they were putting some of there responsibilities on to me. I also did not like the fact that they were getting a "special" favor that other parents did not have.

[Lee-Bee]

While I wouldn't be offering breakfast to my DC kids I can understand why in some cases it is legit to ask. My 2.5yr old wakes on her own at 8am (goes to bed for 8pm). She cannot stomach food for almost an hour after waking. If we had to get her to daycare in the morning it would be a disaster. We'd have to be waking her before she is ready and would have to force food into her when her stomach is just not ready for it. She goes to nursery school once a week and I dread those days as we need to get food into her right away!

I suppose she would adapt if we had to do it daily...but some kids just do not wake up hungry. Right now I just serve breakfast at 9am and it is a solid meal in place of a snack for DCG. Then they wait until lunch.