Parents supply the food

I think the ages you are dealing with make a difference in parents sending meals too. Most send any puree type foods for infants but I have a hard time imagining what kind of meals a parent could send for an 18m - 3 year old that wouldn't require me to warm it for a hot meal or chop or prepare in some way - even peeling a banana or apple if the parent didn't want it to go brown. A school age child would eat the fruit whole but a toddler would require it cut up. Also sending deli meat sandwiches everyday isn't my idea of an appropriate lunch and that is what could happen.

Parents send everything from sandwiches (meat, chicken, avocado, etc.) to left overs, which is easily heated in the microwave. They send cut up fruit and steamed vegetables, cut up cheese with crackers. It seems to work well for me and I do not have to do a lot of preparing. Parents are told that they must send nutritious snacks and lunch.
What ever works for the caregiver and makes your day run smoothly is all that is important. I am just glad that I do not have to cook for 7 kids everyday.

Cheers

So if you provide food now, and you want to transition to having the parents send meals, how do you do that? Do you have to lower your rate? Give ample notice? Just start the newbies on bringing their own food? Because I provide everything right now and I think I might like to have the parents supply as I hate making meals and snacks. HATE IT! lol... But then I like the tax deductions too. Hmm, which would be a better benefit to me? ;)

Oooooh, it does sound nice not to have to actually cook anything, I will admit! :)
I have to make lunch for my own kiddos anyway, so it's a moot point for me. And I think I am too much of a control freak, I don't think I could trust the parents enough to send food that I won't be all judgemental about, lol!!

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Originally Posted by mom-in-alberta

Oooooh, it does sound nice not to have to actually cook anything, I will admit! :)
I have to make lunch for my own kiddos anyway, so it's a moot point for me. And I think I am too much of a control freak, I don't think I could trust the parents enough to send food that I won't be all judgemental about, lol!!

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lol...my kids can cook for themselves now or make a sandwich. :) As for what parents send, uhhh, I'm kinda of the belief that I can turn a blind eye and let them pack whatever they feel is best for their kid even if it's not what I'd feed them. ;p And if they didn't pack enough, I wouldn't be the food police and turn down giving some of what we were having for snack or drink to the daycare kids but I'm just thinking how nice it would be to take some of the pressure (and expense!) off. I just spent $300 on groceries last night and that's about average every week...yikes!