Milk

[Littledragon]

Hi there,

What do you do with children who are still being fed formula and breast milk? Obviously the parent would supply the breast milk, but what if it's formula. Do they supply the formula? Do you request the leave a can at your home or do they just bring it every morning?

[michellesmunchkins]

The parents in my daycare provide the formula. I don't care whether they send a can that I make up or bottles already pre-made, totally up to the parents. I don't provide homo milk either. I take over when the child is on 2% milk but up until then parents must send whatever they want their child to have.

[playfelt]

Same here. Parents would provide the formula and homo milk. Parents provide anything that goes into a bottle - juice, homo or even 2% if in a bottle. I started doing this because it prevents the parent from asking me to fill the bottle at going home time lest the child whine on the trip of a few blocks home and it started to annoy me. Rather than have to reiterate no there are no options if it is a bottle and if it is a cup then it stays at my house because I provide it. If they want the child to have something to drink on the way home they keep it in the car.

[mom-in-alberta]

I get parents to provide "specialty" food, such as jarred baby food and formula, or anything specific to a dietary need (ie; no/low gluten products).
I would rather that they make the bottles and pack a certain amount. I would ask for the usual number of daily bottles, plus at least one. I don't want to be fussing with mixing formula. Plus that stuff isn't cheap, so I don't want to ask parents every week or two to be bringing more. Then they start wondering if I am preparing it properly, using too much or too little, etc.
And I agree with playfelt about the bottle vs cup idea. If your child is still drinking from a bottle, you supply it and it's contents. Since I really only care for kids around 1 and up, I will supply cups and what goes into them.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya - while they are still on breastmilk or formula or consuming bottles the parents provide it - once they are onto homo milk I provide any milk in a cup ... definitely agree that it is incentive for them to be encouraged to WEAN the bottles and once children are eating 'table food' there are so many better sources for get EFA, calcium and Vitamin D they do not need so much milk to fill up on anyway

[Mamma_Mia]

As well with me formula, breat milk and baby food is supplied by the parents. I provide the homo and I don't mind mostly because I have to get it for my own daugher anyways. They all only drink one cup of it in the morning anyways...

[jec]

I'm with everyone as well ~ parents supply formula for me. I've had parents give me a can of formula here and others made up bottles daily.

[gcj]

yup. parents' resopnsibility. I do provide homo milk, however. I also discourage bottles in general. Most of mine start at 11 months. I feel it's unnecessary. They should be drinking out of sippies. If they're thirsty enough, they'll drink. If baby still needs bottles at home, that's their business. I'm not a fan of toddlers and bottles. They're no longer drinking it to meet their dietary needs.

[Bookworm]

I'm the same as the others. I have the parents just supply me with the bottles and the formula. I do provide the homo milk (although all my dck are still on formula, no milk) since my son drinks it. However, once he is done with homo milk I will make the parents supply it as it is expensive.

[sunnydays]

I am the same...parents supply anything for a bottle. I do have homo milk for my kids, so I do give it in sippy cups, but I will not fill bottles. I had a parent ask me that recently and I told her that I only give them one small cup a day, I cannot fill the three bottles per day that her child still drinks...so she packs the milk.