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This is so true Playfelt! I had a mom show up with a package of instant oatmeal and told me to put milk in it and microwave it. I told her that if she wanted to send breakfast again it would have to be already prepared and ready to eat. I don't have time and it isn't my responsibility to provide breakfast foods!
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Originally Posted by playfelt
I don't do breakfast either. My contract states that they must have had a healthy breakfast before coming. I have my own kids fed by open, and all my families so far have managed to have their kids fed before coming.
If I was asked to provide breakfast as well, I would be raising my fees.
I don't allow outside food in my daycare. Causes problems with kids wanting to eat what they have, kids eating their food from home then not eating lunch, bringing junk food as we all have different definitions of what is junk (yes, I think Corn Pops is junk), plus allergies. No known allergies yet but setting the standards now.
Our a.m. snack is at 9 so I do not offer breakfast nor do I allow outside food. I had one dcm, the one that kneels before her king son, that brought dry cheerios in a bowl and wanted him to offer the other dck's the cheerios so that he could learn to share. Seriously? He's almost 4. I declined her offer as I said it would ruin their morning snack and reminded her I don't allow outside foor. The next day he came chomping on a banana.
I have never had any of the kids want what another kid has (maybe so far I have been lucky). All my kids come with either bagels, waffles, pita breaks, cereal, or oatmeal. The oatmeal o my gets water, I do put milk on the cereal but its only about once every two weeks, and the other items get cream cheese and jam ...all provided by the parents. They bring one or two weeks worth at a time so I choose what the child actually eats that day and the children also come with a small container of fresh fruit ... I find it really simple and I know they are actually eating a good breakfast , Better then the kids eating a cold pop tart in the car
You need to put your foot down. Make it CLEAR that you will not, under any circumstances, be feeding those kids breakfast. Do not allow this parent to off source HER responsibility on to you.
The next time she comes in and announces they have not eaten just look at her and smile and say, "Oh, dear, I guess they are gonna be hungry until snack time then" and walk away.
What parents do in situations like this is make you be the bad guy and guilt you into feeding those kids. Providers tend to give in "for the kids" but you just can't. They won't die of starvation between arrival and snack time and if they complain they are hungry tell them to ask their MOM why they didn't eat breakfast.
I think I had it happen ONCE. Mom told me on drop off that dcg didn't eat breakfast because she refused. I said that snack time was at 9:30. These were the same parents that tried the 10 minute early drop off. In both cases I put my foot down on the first offence, and it didn't happen again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Judy Trickett
What is YOUR rule? Enforce YOUR rule! I serve breakfast at 8:30 and if children arrive before that time they are fed by me. If they arrive at 8:45 or later they must be fed because we don't eat again until lunchtime at 11:30 because we are usually outside all morning.