Rate increases

[bright sparks]

The thing is - what you consider healthy and others consider healthy can be two different things.

It is one thing to have a personal perspective different to another person but what is healthy and what isn't healthy is not opinion, it is backed up by research and fact. Processed foods like hot dogs and nuggets are unhealthy, that is fact. If another person doesn't agree that they are unhealthy, they are still unhealthy and that person is just wrong.

[mickyc]

It is one thing to have a personal perspective different to another person but what is healthy and what isn't healthy is not opinion, it is backed up by research and fact. Processed foods like hot dogs and nuggets are unhealthy, that is fact. If another person doesn't agree that they are unhealthy, they are still unhealthy and that person is just wrong.

I guess we will just agree to disagree. I could serve my kids fresh fish fried in a lb of organic butter - homemade and organic but still not healthy. Like I said it is all personal perspective and there is nothing wrong with moderation. Each to their own. Sorry, I enjoy my "unhealthy" food too much to jump on your organic bandwagon. Anyways, last time I am posting on this topic.

[dodge__driver11]

I agree with Micky C in a lot of different areas.

1.. While I understand Brights desire to serve healthy food, I do not advertise serving organic food..... But I make every effort to incorporate things like farm eggs, farmers market veggies, locally made foods, and or fruit truck produce when available and cost effective...Differen t providers do different things, and good on em, but at this time an all organic daycare does not work for me. I too have no problem serving KD, or hotdogs, esp. during the bbq season, or lets face it, when cashflow is a bit tight that week.

2. I make it very clear to parents not to expect a daily craft home, but rather to understand that the kids are having fun learning social skills, and life skills. When I talk to them they often tell me that their child will say things like..".Oh mom we have to respect each other's space", or "we walk we don't run. "

3. As far as vacation and what not, I do what's normal for my area, its as simple as that... I may test the waters a bit when I have been around a while, but for sure not within the first one or 2 years.


(have no idea where that space is coming from)

[JennJubie]

1.. While I understand Brights desire to serve healthy food, I do not advertise serving organic food..... But I make every effort to incorporate things like farm eggs, farmers market veggies, locally made foods, and or fruit truck produce when available and cost effective...Differen t providers do different things, and good on em, but at this time an all organic daycare does not work for me. I too have no problem serving KD, or hotdogs, esp. during the bbq season, or lets face it, when cashflow is a bit tight that week.

When I said healthy, I meant along these lines. I also do not advertise an organic menu. But I do my best. I occasionally serve KD and I have served hot dogs a few times, but for the most part I work hard to make sure that the kids are fed very well. I serve them the same foods that I would feed my own family, and the parents have always been happy with what I am serving.

[superfun]

This may be a dumb question, but I don't know the answer and this seems like the right place to ask it. Everyone seems to agree that hot dogs are bad. No argument from me there, I haven't ever served these as a daycare food. If I was to buy the hot dogs that have ingredients that I recognize, and nothing weird and gross, are these as bad as no name hot dogs? It seems like when I read the ingredients on a package of walmart hot dogs, it seems so obvious that it is bad. But when I read a Maple Leaf package, all it says is "pork (or chicken), sea salt (i think?) and something about celery?
I want to be clear, this is for my own family, for camping or bbq nights, now that the weather is nice. I post my meals every day, and 2 of the 3 families read it, and they appreciate that the kids eat healthy here.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I serve foods along the lines of Jenn and dodge by the sounds of it. I give fruit at almost every meal and snack but I need to get better at serving veggies. My kids have always ate veggies in stews, soups, chilis, etc but I have only ever had one who liked them raw. I don't serve veggies with dip but may try serving it with hummus or something like that.

Superfun, I am not sure if hot dogs are ever really "healthy" but nothing beats a hot dog cooked over the bonfire....go on and splurge!! lol Crap food in moderation isn't the devil....IMO haha

Other ways to save money....

1. Do you supply the sunscreen? If you do, can you ask the parents to start or to at least pay for what you buy (I ask this because I just buy it out of pocket...well not really. I feel my fee covers it)

2. Do you buy/make gifts for special occasions? If you do, can you cut those out? (again, I ask because I do a lot of gifts and if I needed to save money this would be one of the first things I would cut out)

[bright sparks]

I serve foods along the lines of Jenn and dodge by the sounds of it. I give fruit at almost every meal and snack but I need to get better at serving veggies. My kids have always ate veggies in stews, soups, chilis, etc but I have only ever had one who liked them raw. I don't serve veggies with dip but may try serving it with hummus or something like that.

Superfun, I am not sure if hot dogs are ever really "healthy" but nothing beats a hot dog cooked over the bonfire....go on and splurge!! lol Crap food in moderation isn't the devil....IMO haha

Other ways to save money....

1. Do you supply the sunscreen? If you do, can you ask the parents to start or to at least pay for what you buy (I ask this because I just buy it out of pocket...well not really. I feel my fee covers it)

2. Do you buy/make gifts for special occasions? If you do, can you cut those out? (again, I ask because I do a lot of gifts and if I needed to save money this would be one of the first things I would cut out)

They all supply their own sunscreen and as I have said a couple of times we only make crafts around themes. This isn't a case of not being able to afford to run my daycare but simply that as the cost of running it goes up the expense is not passed on in any portion to the parents, it is coming out of my pocket, my earnings.

[5 Little Monkeys]

They all supply their own sunscreen and as I have said a couple of times we only make crafts around themes. This isn't a case of not being able to afford to run my daycare but simply that as the cost of running it goes up the expense is not passed on in any portion to the parents, it is coming out of my pocket, my earnings.

Yes I read that about crafts but I asked about gifts. I do a lot of baking with the children and will often send it home, I make up goody bags for various holidays such as valentines, Easter, Halloween etc, I buy birthday and Christmas gifts for the children and I make up a family basket of gifts when a family leaves. The amount of money I spend on these will sometimes vary if my extra cash fund is low at the time.

What specific costs have gone up that you are referring too? Knowing this will perhaps enable us to offer better suggestions. Some things go up in price but it won't always be up to the parents to pay for it if you know what I mean? For example, sometimes our cable/internet go up in price but I wouldn't necessarily raise my fees to cover that, instead I would decrease my package if I couldn't afford it anymore.

[bright sparks]

Yes I read that about crafts but I asked about gifts. I do a lot of baking with the children and will often send it home, I make up goody bags for various holidays such as valentines, Easter, Halloween etc, I buy birthday and Christmas gifts for the children and I make up a family basket of gifts when a family leaves. The amount of money I spend on these will sometimes vary if my extra cash fund is low at the time.

What specific costs have gone up that you are referring too? Knowing this will perhaps enable us to offer better suggestions. Some things go up in price but it won't always be up to the parents to pay for it if you know what I mean? For example, sometimes our cable/internet go up in price but I wouldn't necessarily raise my fees to cover that, instead I would decrease my package if I couldn't afford it anymore.

So the cost of utilities meaning gas, hydro and water. I'm not talking about things that are not related to daycare. Cable is not part of daycare expenses. Also the cost of gas (fuel) has gone up tremendously over the last few years during which time I haven't raises my rates. I hardly ever take my kids out in the minivan anymore although I specifically lease my 8 seater for work. My husband pays my cheques in now so I don't make that trip and I have managed to get my insurance down nearly 100 a month. Gas, hydro and water rates go up annually and I can't imagine that being any different in other provinces. Property tax goes up but obviously that isn't effected by my daycare but I use a hell of a lot more of the above three for business use even though I am very concious of what times I use my washer and lights being left on etc etc.

@momof4 yes hotdogs are just parts. I have had friends ask me if organic hotdogs are okay and my response is always to see if you don't mind eating organic bum holes hahaha. My 13 year old has now started asking what things are made out of and is being much more concious of the quality of food she puts inside her when she is eating food that someone else has provided her. She does a lot of camping so the bulk of that food is horrific. That being said she is still always polite it would always try and make plans ahead.of time otherwise if something was in front of her she would either eat it or leave it but would pull her face or complain about it if there wasn't another choice for her. Thankfully I raised her right on this area because I stood to my guns and don't run a restaurant in my house but at the same time if I know my kids don't like a certain thing, and especially for these types of reasons, I won't force them to eat it.

[mickyc]

personally I see nothing wrong with serving hot dogs to daycare kids. I don't check labels either, I look at the cost. We only eat it once a month so I don't see the big deal.

If you want to eat hot dogs and serve them to your family then go for it. Sometimes I think people worry too much about this sort of stuff. Pick foods that have ingredients you recognize, try to incorporate lots of fruits and vegies and don't beat yourself up if you eat things that aren't so go like hot dogs!