Lunch prep & clean up timing

[Spixie33]

I also try to reheat food that I cooked the night before so usually it should take me about 10 minutes to heat the food and dish it out. Sometimes it can be a bit lengthy because I might be fishing certain vegetables out of some plate and adding it to another plate based on what the kids like. I.e if one kid doesn't like corn then I try to make the plate as corn free as possible for that child so they don't immediately refuse to eat.

The clean up is probably about 10-15 minutes and it is usually a disaster. the table is usually full of rice or food and same with the boosters and floor. I try to do a good cleaning of the table, throw the scraps etc but I usually leave the floor for a good vacuum and mop at night depending on how bad it is. I pick up only LARGE items during lunch cleanup.

I have plastic bowls for all the kids and I have enough to get me through snacks and lunch. Everything goes through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting so I usually just have to give the plates a quick rinse and put them in the dishwasher and forget it.

I usually do not clean up lunch until I have the kids in bed - therefore it does tend to cut into my 'breathing' time.

[DaycareLulu]

I have resorted to paper plates but I use the really thin ones that can be composted from Dollaramma. That way I don't feel to guilty about the environment, plus I feel it isn't to much of a waste of money since I am not using any water,electricity or detergent to clean them in the dishwasher. I am then able through all of their leftovers and the plate straight into the compost which is picked up on the end of the driveway every week. I also use a wet mop or a wet jet to to mop the floor and push all the little bits of wet food like pasta or scrambled egg at the same time into corner where I can scoop them up and put them into the compost too. That way I am not sweeping first and then mopping. It kills two birds with one stone!