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Parents and Guardians Forum>Breakfast Time Limit??
Unregistered 09:21 PM 07-25-2011
I seemed to be very upset about this and wanted to get a second opinion about it;

My son who is 2 1/2 goes to a Methodist Preschool and I have noticed that the rules there are very strict from others and they put new rules up constantly, to make the their lives as easy as possible. Anyways, so going on I drop my son off to school this morning and as usual we take his breakfast inside and let him sit down and eat his breakfast at his chair. This routine has been going on for a year and a half now, but this morning the teacher wanted to inform me that my son couldn't eat after 9 a.m anymore?!?!

The Asst. Director stairs at me opening up my sons granola bar asking, "Is that his breakfast?" I reply, "well, yes it is." She turns around looking at the clock at then looks at me and says, "Well it is nine o'clock and the kids should have their breakfast before nine bc then the other kids see your son eating and think it's time to eat again." I thought to myself are you kidding me? With my busy life and the same thing has been going on this long, on top of that my son may take less than 10 minutes to eat his meal! The woman then goes on saying as I'm walking out, "C'mon kids and hurry up and eat, I'll give you just two more minutes to eat." I thought this rediculous, when after paying so much for my sons tuition at this preschool did they get the right to even the point to say when my son had to eat his breakfast by a certain time! It's not like I'm feeding him at noon and then feeding him breakfast!?!

I just need to know how other parents feel about this, or am I just overreacting.
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Meyou 03:31 AM 07-26-2011
I don't allow breakfast after 8am and I expect the children to have eaten before then. It's disruptive to the group to have one child eaten when the rest aren't. They don't understand why Johnny gets to eat and they don't. You may be arriving at 9am but some of those children have already been there for hours with no concept of time other than knowing that first we play, then we snack, then we go outside, then we have lunch, etc etc. If I let a child eat here at 9am the whole crew would assume it was snacktime which would throw my whole day off. For me personally there is a safety risk as well since we eat in a different room from my daycare space.

I think you need to get up a few minutes early and feed your son at home.
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Unregistered 05:29 AM 07-26-2011
Good morning. I am registered (MARSTELAC) but have a password issue this morning. My contract reads: breakfast 7-8 a.m.; lunch 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; afternoon snack 3:30 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. (only this long because I serve in two shifts to accommodate children coming home from school on two different bus schedules). I allow no food from home. If parents bring something from home (it's usually a bribe to get the kids in the car), I toss it in the garbage. It causes too much commotion. Kids want what everyone else has.

I only allow seconds if the first plate is eaten. Then children get to pick what seconds they would like. I also have a "take a bite, be polite" rule. They must try a bite of everything! Food is taken away at the end-time. I try to get the kids to eat quickly as our schools only allow a very short time to eat. I try to get them used to that schedule so they get their food in.

I have VERY strict rules about manners at the table and kids learn them very quickly. These are not in place to make my life easier. I am trying to raise good little eaters and kids with exceptional manners.
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nannyde 05:38 AM 07-26-2011
It sounds like the center needs to cut breakfast off in house completely. That would work best for everyone. That way the kids would come completely fed and they would not need staff to supervise the eating and clean the child up.

Maybe you could talk to them and let them know that the changes in times and new rules are too confusing to you and you are going to go ahead and just feed him a wonderful breakfast at home. You will find that he LOVES sitting at the table with you to a healthy hearty home made breakfast. It's an awesome time to cook for your child and spend some REAL quality time with him before he starts his day.

Preparing and serving the breakfast is the EASY part in group care. The WORK is in the supervising the child eating and cleaning it up. The work is in supervising the other kids while one or two kids eat and supervising them while you are cleaning it up.

So the part you are doing (giving a ready to serve food and sitting him at the table) is not really doing them any good. You are still leaving the bulk of the breakfast work for them. When they have numerous parents deciding when their staff will supervise and clean up individual breakfast they are loosing money. They are most likely WAY too busy to do individual attention at that time of day. A worker who has multiple children from multiple families is just WAY busier than any single parent with one, two, or three kids.

She may have asked about the granola bar because most granola bars kids will eat are actually candy bars nutritionally. When other kids see them they think the child is being candy. They have had them before themselves and they know how sugary and fatty they are. They are most likely have kids want them because the other kids know the granola bars they have had taste like candy.

You think nine a.m. is reasonable. The next parent thinks ten. The next thinks ten thirty. There's NO way to get a group of parents to agree on what is best for the GROUP. That has to be done by the center.

They should NOT have sprung this on you. It sounds like they need to completely cut off breakfast or set an EARLY time when it must be DONE and only allow the kids to eat the center provided food. No food from home would solve this really quickly.
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jen 05:39 AM 07-26-2011
Yep, it's pretty tough on the other kids. They see your child having something to eat and of course they want to eat too! I understand why you are upset, it is always hard when the routine gets changed up. The Center should have said something immediately. My guess is that they were trying to accomodate you, but it just got to be too much of a disruption.

I would get up a few minutes early and feed your child a good, healthy breakfast!
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Cat Herder 05:39 AM 07-26-2011
In my experience that is a very standard policy.

"No food from home. Breakfast is served from **** to ****. Arrivals after this time will have to wait until AM snack at ****."

It will also follow you all through the school years.....

Most daycares/schools are on a federal food program that requires them to offer healthy balanced meals that are approved through their CCR&R. I do know a granola bar would never be an approved meal and could cause issues and fines for the center.

What does your contract say?

IMHO, The bigger problem here is that they allowed it to go on for so long. Inconsistent enforcement of policies is one of the greatest problems in daycare. I am willing to bet they were following the new guidelines after the latest monitoring visit showed they were still allowing parents to bring in treat foods.

The new Government Nutrition Rules are stringent...you should see the menu changes our local Public Schools are having to make. Our cost went up $.75 a day for lunch and $.30 for breakfast to meet the cost of fresh fruit, whole grain breads and side salads everyday.

(The teachers cost is nearly $5 a day...I think they will be brown bagging...)
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nannyde 05:52 AM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by jen:
I would get up a few minutes early and feed your child a good, healthy breakfast!
Yeah yeah



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AfterSchoolMom 05:52 AM 07-26-2011
This won't end by the time your child gets to Kindergarten. If they haven't eaten breakfast by the time they get to class, they have to wait until lunch. If they don't eat all of their lunch during lunch time, it gets thrown in the trash, and no one polices their eating to make sure they're having everything (believe me, I volunteer frequently and see a ridiculous amount of food being thrown away). The younger grades sometimes have morning or afternoon snack, but that ends by the 4th grade here.

Yes, they were totally wrong by springing the new rules on you...and I think the teacher probably didn't handle it as well as she could have. However, think about not what's best and most convenient for you, but what's best for your child. I agree with the others in that the best solution here is to get up a bit earlier (15 minutes is all it really takes) and feed him at home. If that's not enough sleep, then go to bed a bit earlier at night.

The benefits far outweigh the hassle - your child gets to eat at home, with you, doesn't have to rush or fend off other children, and you're setting him up for a successful school career by teaching him healthy eating habits.
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GotKids 06:43 AM 07-26-2011
imagine it this way. Your child's teacher has a bunch fun activities planned for the morning that your son is really excited to do. The problem is he gets there at 7 and has his breakfast and anxiously plays with other toys waiting for the fun to start. In comes johnny at at 7:30 for his breakfast. He eats and table is once again cleaned and johnny joins your son. 8 arrives and little Suzy shows up with her breakfast, again we repeat the process. This continues through 9 am and your son is bored, he wants to do the fun things the teacher mentioned but all she is doing is feeding his friends and cleaning up their mess. By the time all his friends have gotten their and eaten breakfast and the tables have been cleaned the teacher looks at the clock. It is now 2 1/ 2 hours until lunch and she has to decide which fun things your child can't do today because breakfast lasted over 2 hours. Now your son is disappointed, the lessons of the day suffer and teacher is frustrated.


I don't think they should have sprung the change on you but it is more than reasonable to have a time frame that meals are served and eaten. Group care means your child's needs are balanced with the needs of the other children and parents and teachers need to respectful of that.

Is there a way to get your child there earlier for breakfast or for your child to eat before he gets there?
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Mom_of_two 06:49 AM 07-26-2011
I agree that the center should not spring new rules on you like that, but should try to give some advance warning (at least a day) if it is a schedule change. (Not sure if I understand that this was a new rule, not something you might have been misinterpreting...)

If a child arrives here after 7:40 I don't serve breakfast.

I would clarify the expectations with the center, and feed your son at home if they do not offer breakfast as late as you would like. I like doing an early breakfast because it starts my kids with the habit, as when they start actual school it will need to be early. Good luck!
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Crystal 09:07 AM 07-26-2011
For a center I can see the need of limiting breakfast times. For me, I serve breakfast from 7 a.m. -8:30, but would NEVER not give a child breakfast due to the parent neglecting to feed them before arrival if I am not serving breakfast still, I don't care if it's 8:35 or 9:30........IMO making a child go hungry is NOT okay, and the child doesn't have the choice of telling the parent they better feed them before school.

My suggestion to the OP is, since the center is enforcing these new rules, get up 10 minutes early so that you have time to feed your child before preschool.
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dEHmom 09:31 AM 07-26-2011
I cannot believe the variations you all have for breakfast time! lol. 7-830! my goodness.

Generally I would allow about 20 minutes for any meal or snack time. If you haven't eaten it by then then too bad. Because some of the kids are so much younger and still learning to eat, I am more lenient on this but usually kids are done within 20-30 minutes and by 30 minutes they are dying to be out and playing.

I serve breakfast at 730am everyday. If you arrive at 745 you are too late. I make enough breakfast for whoever is HERE and ready to eat at 730. What doesn't get served at that time I eat Of course if there was circumstances out of the parents control, I would never starve a child, but they would get a light snack to hold them over.

All parents are aware of this and drop off no later than 715am and if they aren't going to make it, the kids are fed before they leave home. I have one dcb who eats breakfast at home (at 6am) and has a top up here before nap.

I have a different nap schedule than most on here as well, so that might be why I'm so strict on the breakfast time. My dcbabies go for nap at 830am-1030am (if they get up earlier that's fine with me).

If kids were coming in at 9 with a granola bar, I'd be ticked.
Although I agree with the rest that your center did not handle that appropriately. Could you eat a granola bar or 2 for breakfast??? I cannot imagine even a baby finding a granola bar for breakfast as sufficient fuel for the morning. Even with a snack halfway through.
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jen 09:34 AM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
For a center I can see the need of limiting breakfast times. For me, I serve breakfast from 7 a.m. -8:30, but would NEVER not give a child breakfast due to the parent neglecting to feed them before arrival if I am not serving breakfast still, I don't care if it's 8:35 or 9:30........IMO making a child go hungry is NOT okay, and the child doesn't have the choice of telling the parent they better feed them before school.

My suggestion to the OP is, since the center is enforcing these new rules, get up 10 minutes early so that you have time to feed your child before preschool.
I agree...I have kids who arrived without breakfast even though it was past breakfast time....which for me is 6:30 to 8:00. I did have one family that intentionally and frequently violate the breakfast schedule. When I informed her Mom that I wouldn't feed her child if they arrived after 8am any longer...after several warnings...Mom said, "fine, then I guess she just won't eat" in a tone that meant I was the bad guy. I said, No....if you bring her without having had breakfast, you will be taking them back home.
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Crystal 10:16 AM 07-26-2011
dehmom....I serve that way because my children all arrive at different times. They arrive, wash their hands and sit down to eat. It really isn't a hassle at all to serve them as they arrive....it seems it would be more of a hassle for me if they arrived in shifts, played and made a mess in the playroom while I prep breakfast, have to cleanup and then all sit down together. That's how lunchtime works....and I say breakfast time is much easier for me
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Crystal 10:18 AM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by jen:
I agree...I have kids who arrived without breakfast even though it was past breakfast time....which for me is 6:30 to 8:00. I did have one family that intentionally and frequently violate the breakfast schedule. When I informed her Mom that I wouldn't feed her child if they arrived after 8am any longer...after several warnings...Mom said, "fine, then I guess she just won't eat" in a tone that meant I was the bad guy. I said, No....if you bring her without having had breakfast, you will be taking them back home.
That woulld make me livid.....I would tell her the same thing, and I would also tell her I would be keeping track of the times she failed to feed her child, as it is neglect and I am a mandated reporter.
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Meeko 10:22 AM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
I cannot believe the variations you all have for breakfast time! lol. 7-830! my goodness.

Generally I would allow about 20 minutes for any meal or snack time. If you haven't eaten it by then then too bad. Because some of the kids are so much younger and still learning to eat, I am more lenient on this but usually kids are done within 20-30 minutes and by 30 minutes they are dying to be out and playing.

I serve breakfast at 730am everyday. If you arrive at 745 you are too late. I make enough breakfast for whoever is HERE and ready to eat at 730. What doesn't get served at that time I eat Of course if there was circumstances out of the parents control, I would never starve a child, but they would get a light snack to hold them over.

All parents are aware of this and drop off no later than 715am and if they aren't going to make it, the kids are fed before they leave home. I have one dcb who eats breakfast at home (at 6am) and has a top up here before nap.

I have a different nap schedule than most on here as well, so that might be why I'm so strict on the breakfast time. My dcbabies go for nap at 830am-1030am (if they get up earlier that's fine with me).

If kids were coming in at 9 with a granola bar, I'd be ticked.
Although I agree with the rest that your center did not handle that appropriately. Could you eat a granola bar or 2 for breakfast??? I cannot imagine even a baby finding a granola bar for breakfast as sufficient fuel for the morning. Even with a snack halfway through.
I am going to do things the same way as you. Right now I serve from 7:30-8:30 and breakfast is an ongoing pain in the behind. Constantly stepping away from the stove to answer the door etc etc. only to come back and find a food fight has ensued at the table because I was gone....and then there's the parents who like to arrive at 8:31 with hungry kids and a sob story.

My assistant does not start work until I have 9 children in care, so breakfast can be a pain by myself.

I think I am going to tell parents that breakfast is now going to be the same as lunch and snacks, served at a certain time ....with no hour long window. I will feed whoever is here at 8AM. Why did I not do this earlier?! My contract says that children must be here and seated by 11:30 AM for lunch, or they must be fed before they get here. I will be doing the same with breakfast.

Man I love this forum! I just figured out the obvious...duh!!
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dEHmom 10:37 AM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
dehmom....I serve that way because my children all arrive at different times. They arrive, wash their hands and sit down to eat. It really isn't a hassle at all to serve them as they arrive....it seems it would be more of a hassle for me if they arrived in shifts, played and made a mess in the playroom while I prep breakfast, have to cleanup and then all sit down together. That's how lunchtime works....and I say breakfast time is much easier for me
I think for me it works right now, but should the drop off times start to change I can understand how your guys way works better lol.

Right now my dcb's arrive at 630-645 for 1 and 715 or 830 for the other. So the days the dcb2 comes at 830 he's well fed and ready for nap anyway. otherwise we all eat when they get here and my kids wake up.
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Unregistered 11:02 AM 07-26-2011
OP, I feel for you because the daycare should not have let you and your child get used to a routine for so long if they intended to not let him eat breakfast upon arrival. Not cool. That being said, I understand why daycares don't just let kids eat upon arrival in general. I know that drop off times vary so children could get hungry at different times for breakfast, but that's why the scheduled breakfast time is so important in the first place. That gives the parents of the children a time that they know breakfast will be served at daycare and if they are going to be dropping off after breakfast is over, then the parent can be responsible for feeding before daycare. That would solve the problem. I know that mornings can be very hectic and rushed, but keep in mind that daycare providers whether they are at a home daycare or a center, are busy as well and if we have to stop what we are doing to feed a late arrival breakfast, then how is that fair to all of the other kids? Also, the other kids may be envious of what a late arriving child brings for breakfast and that's not cool either.

Wouldn't it just be easier to get your child up a few minutes earlier to eat breakfast? Just my thoughts.
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Unregistered 11:53 AM 07-26-2011
Sorry, but the daycares in our area don't allow food from home unless it's doctor ordered and then must be accompanied by a note but even then, most food can be accomodated by the daycare anyway. I've never been allowed to drop my kid off with food for breakfast, even though many other parents in my daycare do so regularly and there have been many times I have really needed to bring food with but can't because of the rules because he regularly goofs around at breakfast time and doesn't eat timely. Getting 20-30 minutes to eat is very standard and schools only give 30-40 minutes total, which includes bathroom time, walking to cafeteria, standing in line and getting food and eating it. In our daycare, kids who are established slower eaters get more time to eat but they're also the ones who don't complain about not getting to play right after meal time too. I think it's important for daycares to establish a time limit with kids so they get used to the routine because the preschools in our area model their time frames after the local school system for Kindergarten readiness.
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nannyde 05:48 PM 07-26-2011
I think we need to get back to the idea that kids need to eat breakfast at home. It's amazing to me that we have completely lost sight of the idea that kids should eat with their family in the morning before they go out into the world.

I think the idea of this got started with schools offering breakfast to poor kids because research showed that kids who ate a good breakfast did better in school than kids who didn't.

So the idea of eating away from home was a way to help the poor kids have a more even playing field in school. Then it worked its way into middle class and now everyone thinks somebody else should take care of it.

I think it's going to become common for centers to stop doing it. There's no money in breakfast...... specially if they are having to supervise it and clean it over hours upon hours in the morning. The food program reinbursements are not reflective of the LABOR of it and if they add a protein requirement onto the standards there isn't going to be enough money to even cover the food.

We need to start rethinking breakfast in public. This post is a clear reflection of the current mindset that makes you question the unintended consequences of offering a service to the masses because of research on the poor.
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cheerfuldom 07:08 PM 07-26-2011
Agree! Plus I personally think that 9 is way too late for breakfast. Why not take the time to feed your own child at home? if its so small of a task that the provider could do it, why don't you do it OP? I know, I know, we are all busy working moms (the majority of the providers on this board are moms as well as a good number of daycare employees) and we all make it happen so it can be done. In addition, it will give you the time to provide something more substantial than a granola bar and have those few moments to connect before going your separate ways for the day. You ask "when after paying so much for my sons tuition at this preschool did they get the right to even the point to say when my son had to eat his breakfast by a certain time" and the answer is that they are running a business, they are in charge and that is what gives them the right. You seem just as upset by the other rules (you mentioned they had been changing a few things lately) as this rule but the fact is that the rules are made for a group. There are going to be rules in any daycare that are not very convenient for your personally but thats a part of the deal with a center or preschool (and certainly for grade school). If you are really uncomfortable with the new changes you can always find a new preschool but you will have some rules there you don't like either. Its just part of the sacrifice you make when you send your child to group care instead of staying home yourself or hiring individualized care like a nanny.
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Kaddidle Care 07:21 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
"Well it is nine o'clock and the kids should have their breakfast before nine bc then the other kids see your son eating and think it's time to eat again." I thought to myself are you kidding me? With my busy life and the same thing has been going on this long, on top of that my son may take less than 10 minutes to eat his meal!
Since I work in a Center very much like the one you go to, let me give you my take on this:

Some children will eat breakfast at our Center but most have already eaten by the time they get there. They are usually the ones that arrive at opening (7:30 AM). We have a set eating schedule for the little ones that doesn't include serving breakfast. Snack at 10:30, Lunch at 12:30, another snack at 3:00 after naptime. Our PreK and PreSchool classes START at 9:00 AM and end at 12:00 PM.

It's kind of hard to ready crafts and games at the tables when there are children sitting there eating and usually making a mess. Yes, even granola bars can make a mess with some children. After eating the tables must be cleared and cleaned.

I agree with no more food after 9:00. If you are bringing him that late and he only takes 10 minutes to eat, then get up 15 minutes early and feed him at home.

Oh and Mom, something better than a granola bar - I know we've all given them in a pinch but not a habit of it please. Check out this website: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healt...reakfast.html#
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Unregistered 07:58 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I think we need to get back to the idea that kids need to eat breakfast at home. It's amazing to me that we have completely lost sight of the idea that kids should eat with their family in the morning before they go out into the world.

.
I would disagree nannyde. For most of the parents I see it's because they have to have their children in care early and want to let their children sleep long enough. Transportation time, wake up and dressing time means that people like me would have to wake our children up by 6 am to get them to have breakfast at home. Which easily means working parents need to be up by 5am. Considering many don't quit the housework until 10 pm, that's not a lot of mommy time for most parents.

My kids really need their sleep. If bedtime is too late, or if nap time is skipped we have disasterous endings. So for many people like me, eating a good breakfast at daycare is a must. I provide for my kids (though I'm totally not a granola bar fan, I think they're just sugar) above and beyond what the daycare provides. For example if the daycare has cereal, I'll send in strawberries and bananas to top it off.

I think mommy guilt makes many of us want to let our kids sleep in as long as they can.

I know I like my kids to sleep at daycare, which bumps bedtime back a few hours for my 4 year old which makes mornings really tiring for children. Waking my kids up at 6 am to have a family sit down breakfast wouldn't help anyone out in our home. Mornings would become a frustrating screaming match between my kids and I for sure as we desperately try to get out the door in time to make it for drop off and my own work start time.

I do really think an enforced end to breakfast is necessary though. Random late drop offs, that the rest of the class has to revolve around disrupts everyones schedules. I'm perfectly happy to accept late drop offs as long as parents call in advance to let us know, but many don't, and the late arrivals get later and later in the summer especially. This the whole classroom misses out for a few stragglers.

I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.
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Michael 08:13 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.
Please do register. That way you can post freely. You can choose any name and avatar you like.
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nannyde 06:17 PM 07-27-2011
History of school breakfast: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/breakfas...rogHistory.htm
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Angelwings36 07:32 AM 07-28-2011
Wow so if a child is in daycare full time monday through friday...

That means out of 25 possible times to eat (assuming a child has breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack and supper daily) they are only eating 5 times during the work week with their family and 20 times in a group daycare setting?

That just doesn't seem right to me sorry.

I was raised to believe that meal time was suppose to be family time. My parents were also very busy when I (and my 3 little brothers) were growing up with mom and dad both working full time jobs. It was during meal times that we had the opportunity to catch up with each other, talk about the things that were happening in our lives and unite as a family unit.

I do not offer breakfast now, will not offer breakfast in the future and frown upon parents who CHOOSE to not make time in their life to have quality meal time with their family.
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Blackcat31 08:13 AM 07-28-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I would disagree nannyde. For most of the parents I see it's because they have to have their children in care early and want to let their children sleep long enough. Transportation time, wake up and dressing time means that people like me would have to wake our children up by 6 am to get them to have breakfast at home. Which easily means working parents need to be up by 5am. Considering many don't quit the housework until 10 pm, that's not a lot of mommy time for most parents.

My kids really need their sleep. If bedtime is too late, or if nap time is skipped we have disasterous endings. So for many people like me, eating a good breakfast at daycare is a must. I provide for my kids (though I'm totally not a granola bar fan, I think they're just sugar) above and beyond what the daycare provides. For example if the daycare has cereal, I'll send in strawberries and bananas to top it off.

I think mommy guilt makes many of us want to let our kids sleep in as long as they can.
I know I like my kids to sleep at daycare, which bumps bedtime back a few hours for my 4 year old which makes mornings really tiring for children. Waking my kids up at 6 am to have a family sit down breakfast wouldn't help anyone out in our home. Mornings would become a frustrating screaming match between my kids and I for sure as we desperately try to get out the door in time to make it for drop off and my own work start time.

I do really think an enforced end to breakfast is necessary though. Random late drop offs, that the rest of the class has to revolve around disrupts everyones schedules. I'm perfectly happy to accept late drop offs as long as parents call in advance to let us know, but many don't, and the late arrivals get later and later in the summer especially. This the whole classroom misses out for a few stragglers.

I guess I'll clarify, I've been watching this board for a few days and am really excited to find a care providers forum, but haven't yet registered mainly because I'm not very creative when it comes to screen names. I'll register AFTER I've figured out what to call myself.
I respectfully disagree. I think for some it is mommy guilt but for others it is simply not wanting to have to take the time to feed and care for the kids in the a.m. and letting daycare do it.

Before I opened my childcare business, I worked full time and worked 30+ miles from home. I had to get up by 5 a.m. My children (both under 4 at the time) got up when I did so I could dress them, fix their hair and feed them breakfast. They probably wen tot bed a bit earlier than most kids because they had to get up earlier but realistically, it was no different than regular hours most parents had. Our were simply shifted.

I spent a lot of face time with my children because they were only at child care when BOTH myself and DH were working. When either of us were off, our childen were with us. They at a sit down family style breakfast and evening dinner at home 7 days a week and had snacks and lunch only at childcare.

Our morning routines were no different than any other working parent and both my children gradually learned how to help by dressing themselves and feeding themselves etc as they aged but they ALWAYS ate home. They both arrived at childcare by 7 a.m. and were fully dressed, fed and ready to participate in the day. They were picked up between 4-5 depending on which parent was off first and came home ready to have dinner as a family, play a bit, bathe, have story time and head to bed by 8. It really isn't that hard to do.

This schedule allowed for up to 30 hours of face time with my children Monday through Friday, which is great compared to some of the current daycare kids I have enrolled in my program. Most of which aren't fed breakfast at home, aren't picked up right after work and rarely arrive before 8:30 a.m.
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Crazy8 08:26 AM 07-28-2011
just going to chime in with my 2 cents.... I do not provide meals, my dck's bring breakfast from home, but breakfast time is at 8am. If they arrive during bfast they can still pull up a seat at the table and eat but if they arrive later they can save their breakfast for our snack time (about 9:30-9:45am). My parents know to feed their children at home if they are arriving after bfast time.

I think the problem here is in how it was handled. If you have been doing it this way for 1.5 years then they should have mentioned it sooner or mentioned that it needs to stop. Just curious though... in that 1.5 years did your arrival time get later?? I've had parents who beginning of the school year are getting here at 7:30, then a month down the road it turns into 7:45. By the time we are midway thru the school year they are lucky if they are throwing the child in the door at 8am and getting to work in the nick of time. It happens. Just wondering if maybe the issue is because you are arriving later than you used to??
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Country Kids 09:11 AM 07-28-2011
When I worked there was a time that I actually had to be at work by 6:00 A.M.. This meant I was up at 4:00, had my daughter up by 4;30,fed her breakfast and then we were out the door by 5:15. She was totally ready to go for the day and she was 2 1/2 and we did this for a year. We also had her eat breakfast at childcare because by that time it would have been more of a snack, then she had snack and lunch. I would pick her up by 3:00 and we spent the rest of the day together. She probably also went to bed by 7:00 or so but she had 4-5 hours face time with us after work. So no matter what shift you work I think you need to do your best to make sure you are spending as much time with your child whether you have to get them up an hour earlier than you want or have no activities planned in the evening so you can have a routine and be spending it with your child.
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nannyde 11:46 AM 07-28-2011
Originally Posted by LittleDiamonds:
I think the problem here is in how it was handled.
In my experience the actual "no" IS usually the problem... not the way it was said or when it was said.

If the center came back and said that they handled it incorrectly and they should have given notice BUT from two weeks from now on... no more bringing food in... the parent would still be upset because in the end... they want to bring the food and have it supervised and cleaned up by the staff.

When parents do this they are doing it because it is what they want... not because they CAN do it... but because they WANT to do it. This Mom wouldn't have done the breakfast there if she didn't want it to be like that.

When conflict like this happens the ONLY "in" the parent has is the way it was delivered. That's the only thing left to talk about after the NO. The best way to stop this conflict with the parents is stop offering ANY breakfast service at all including not allowing ANY food to be brought into the center to be consumed by the kids in the morning. NO food.. NO drinks.

If they did that the conflict would STOP. The parents would settle into their own routine (usually feeding the kid in the car seat on the way to day care with snack foods and sweet drinks) and everyone would be happy.

It's the grayness of this that has caused the problem.
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cheerfuldom 05:46 PM 07-28-2011
I agree with nanny. I don't have even close to the number of experience in childcare as she does but in my short 4 years, anytime you say no to a parent, they are not going to take it well. Doesn't matter how you say it, when you say it, what tone you use or how you cushion it. When you have to give a clear no, they are going to balk at least a little because 9 times out of 10, the no means that they are going to have to adjust and possibly do more on their end for their child. It is a rare parent that can calmly see the big picture of a rule like a breakfast time limit. People are selfish by nature (not just parents but everyone) and it is easiest to see things in our own small limited way than to take the mature view of carefully considering the entire scenario before reacting. Some parents will hear a no and then eventually understand the why and go along with the new rule but some dont even do that and continually fight each rule.
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youretooloud 08:06 AM 07-29-2011
I agree that the school shouldn't suddenly change their policy and they should give warning first... then enforce it after a warning. (maybe they do a newsletter?) They could post the new policy on the door for the week before enforcing it.

But, if he's not even getting to school until after 9:00, he's had plenty of time to eat at home. A busy mom might not have time to sit with him, but you can put breakfast on the table, or the coffee table and let him veg in front of the tv while you get ready.

Also, a granola bar isn't really breakfast. It's not even very filling. So, if you really don't want to make a breakfast, you might be just as well off letting him wait until snack time at school. Most schools serve snack around 9:30 or 10:00. So, he would be eating shortly after drop-off anyway. I have a few kids that don't get a breakfast at home, so at snack time, I serve them a little more snack. The parents don't announce it every morning, but they've let me know at one time that the child is probably always going to be hungry early.
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Unregistered 11:04 AM 08-23-2011
I completely agree parents should feed their children at home before they come. You wake them up earlier to allow for the time, and make sure they have a balanced meal. I don't serve breakfast, stopped that many years ago and state the above in my policy. If the parent can come perfectly groomed (hair, makeup, clothes ect.) they have more than ample time to feed their child. And the kids that walk through the door with a pop tart, ect. is not being taught the value of sitting down for their meals.

How many of you have had the parents that drop them off half asleep, crabby and hungry?
However, that same parent has probably eaten, had coffee and again perfectly groomed. Poor parenting imo.
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renodeb 11:45 AM 08-23-2011
As a provider I think breakfast until 9 is reasonable. I cant believe that they would change the rules after that long. I have had kids arrive at 10 and after asking for breakfast which i think is late. Did you ask why the change after so long. For me its not to make my life easier, its to keep some kind of routine every day.
Im sorry, it sounds like such a silly thing but often parents and providers have diffrent views on things like this!
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Rachel 09:48 PM 08-24-2011
My breakfast time must be between 8 & 9, but in that time frame I do take the parents into account. If I have 3 parents telling me they won't get there before 8:30, I"m not going to make breakfast at 8. Right now I have 2 kids, and I am doing breakfast at 8:30. We'll see how it works when I open next week.
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mom2many 10:44 PM 08-24-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
For a center I can see the need of limiting breakfast times. For me, I serve breakfast from 7 a.m. -8:30, but would NEVER not give a child breakfast due to the parent neglecting to feed them before arrival if I am not serving breakfast still, I don't care if it's 8:35 or 9:30........IMO making a child go hungry is NOT okay, and the child doesn't have the choice of telling the parent they better feed them before school.

My suggestion to the OP is, since the center is enforcing these new rules, get up 10 minutes early so that you have time to feed your child before preschool.
I so agree with this! I'm regulated by the food program, but that never keeps me from providing a breakfast to a hungry dck and it does not matter if meal time is over, I will make sure that the child is fed! It is not the child's fault and I will always make sure their welfare comes first.
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theconsumer78 07:12 PM 09-09-2014
Originally Posted by CoachingForQualityImprovement:
That woulld make me livid.....I would tell her the same thing, and I would also tell her I would be keeping track of the times she failed to feed her child, as it is neglect and I am a mandated reporter.
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
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Thriftylady 08:15 PM 09-09-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
But I DON'T work for you. And I WON'T work for you. I am not your slave. I run a business that is to see to the good of all the children in my care. I have training and regulations to follow and you don't set those regulations. It is not MY JOB to be a PARENT TO YOUR CHILD. It is your job as the parent to be a parent. I am a child care provider/teacher. Meal times here are set. You get it in the handbook, and you sign a contract agreeing to those times. If you don't agree, don't sign but you can't come here for childcare. YOUR child does not trump the other children, they will all be treated the same.
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Unregistered 08:54 PM 09-09-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day

Oh I so needed to read that. I really needed a good deep belly laugh
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Cat Herder 04:27 AM 09-10-2014

Attached: ObviousTroll.jpg (32.6 KB) 
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NightOwl 06:05 AM 09-10-2014

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rosieteddy 11:35 AM 09-10-2014
When I first started 30 yrs ago I served breakfast.I got my own 4 children up ready for school decent breakfast together and opened at 7;30.I did offer breakfast those first years,Then parents started giving the kids bars and juice on the way here,They waisted the breakfast were not hungry enough.So the next years contract I told all parents children including infants neeed to arrive at day care fed.I now offer Breakfast-snack at 9:30 am.If the child arrives after not eating well at home you can bet they are hungry at snack time. As for the parent who claimed it was our job to fee the children their breakfast on demand ,well we do not have custody of our daycare children. We offer childcare and work hard to make a nice day for other peoples children. I do think the original poster has reason to be annoyed .She should have been given notice of the change in schedule,But really if children are eating until 9:30 when is snack and lunch? I think it would throw the whole day off,
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KidGrind 12:07 PM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
I don’t have one client who pays be to feed their children breakfast. I have clients who are aware I offer breakfast at 8:00 AM. If they are running late and Johnny arrives at 8:15 AM, it is their responsibility to feed their children on their watch.

I am not a nanny and I have a group of children to observe, guide and keep safe 10 hours per day. The service I offer isn’t to accommodate various parents' sporadic arrival times and feed 6 different breakfast.

It is not my job to feed your child at 9:00 AM. The service I offer is 8:00 AM. A parent’s poor time management doesn’t shift my routine for the day nor does it interfere with my other clients’ children.

You have a good day too.

And I hope the poster was a troll.
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SignMeUp 12:15 PM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
I'm kinda hoping I get fired today You know what they say, It's not the kids, it's the parents
Too bad my boss is so damn nice
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Crystal 02:04 PM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
Well, now, that just made my day! LOL!

Perhaps you should take a closer look at my posts....I said I WOULD feed the child, regardless of what time he arrived if he had not eaten.

You sound very bitter and must have had a negative reaction from a provider who chose not to allow you to bully them. Good luck with that, and I hope you have a BEAUTIFUL day! I certainly am
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ColorfulSunburst 06:18 PM 09-27-2014
I don't feed kids who are dropped off after breakfast. We have circle time immediately after breakfast. Even more: I don't allow drop off during breakfast and circle time.
Parents are informed about that.
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Unregistered 12:34 PM 10-13-2014
"Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day"


REALLY? THIS POST IS UTTER BS!

I think that it's you who ought to get off of her high horse! Lady, if you can't manage to get your children to daycare in a timely manner so that they can have breakfast at daycare then I think that is YOUR problem, not the provider's problem.

Do you think that you are so important that the rules that the provider has in place don't apply to you? Are you such a special snowflake that daycare providers should bend over backwards for you at the expense of the rest of her clients?

Clearly you have NO CLUE how hard it is to stagger feeding times just to pacify one parent who just can't seem to get the sh*t together and drop their child/ren off during the scheduled breakfast time. You are clueless, selfish brat with a serious entitlement issues.

Also, stop acting like providers are YOUR employees because THEY ARE NOT! They are providing a service and you are paying for that service. Nothing more, nothing less. You don't get to make the rules. You don't get to decide when meals are served. THE ONLY CHOICE THAT YOU HAVE IS WHETHER OR NOT TO KEEP YOUR CHILD ENROLLED OR TO CHANGE DAY CARES.
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Unregistered 02:40 PM 12-31-2014
Originally Posted by theconsumer78:
Showing up after 8 am without feeding breakfast to a child when we as parents pay A LOT of money for YOU to do so is hardly neglect.

I understand the problems that feeding a kids "after" the normal meal times might cause regarding the other children in the class but putting out snotty day care workers like yourself isn't something that would ever cross my mind. Guess why????

SUPPLY and DEMAND. Customer service. That's right - I pay for a SERVICE and that service is for the daycare that I employ to feed my child x number of times per day. There is no LATE for breakfast because I already PAID for that breakfast along with YOUR paycheck and just like any other service I can go down the street and find someone who gives a S*** about giving me the value that I expect for my money when taking care of my child.

YOU don't get to be livid because you work for me and my child. I wish that I knew who you were and where you worked so that I could make sure that everyone that I know blacklisted your daycare because I would never allow my child to be taken care of by such a pretentious, sniveling, B**** as yourself. HOW DARE you threaten to report a parent for neglect that only expects that you perform the services that you are paid to do. If the child was brought to daycare at noon without breakfast then ok but 9 am???? That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Many children don't wake up until 8:30 and then straight to daycare for breakfast because GUESS WHAT - IT'S YOUR JOB!!!! Get off of your high horse. I sincerely hope that your attitude gets you fired ASAP.

Good Day
I would never allow anyone that thought like this in my daycare. If ever a parent had the thought "I work for them" then they would be out the door. I work for myself that's one reason I started this job. I am my own boss and" I" choose who to have as" MY"clients. I make the rules and standards and you can choose to pay and follow the rules or there is the door. I provide a service but I work for no one but myself. If this person has a daycare provider Id have to say I feel very bad for that daycare provider.
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Unregistered 09:20 AM 01-09-2015
Originally Posted by KidGrind:
I don’t have one client who pays be to feed their children breakfast. I have clients who are aware I offer breakfast at 8:00 AM. If they are running late and Johnny arrives at 8:15 AM, it is their responsibility to feed their children on their watch.

I am not a nanny and I have a group of children to observe, guide and keep safe 10 hours per day. The service I offer isn’t to accommodate various parents' sporadic arrival times and feed 6 different breakfast.

It is not my job to feed your child at 9:00 AM. The service I offer is 8:00 AM. A parent’s poor time management doesn’t shift my routine for the day nor does it interfere with my other clients’ children.

You have a good day too.

And I hope the poster was a troll.
Yep!
Meal times are the worst part of the day for me... I thought it would be fun when I opened my daycare but mealtime is always a struggle. Manners, actually eating, playing... ugh. Why would I want to do that for hours?? Be here by 8 am or feed your own child. Simple. If you are running late adjust YOUR schedule. Do you get mad at McDonald's when they switch to the lunch menu? Lol
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Blackcat31 10:43 AM 01-09-2015
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Yep!
Meal times are the worst part of the day for me... I thought it would be fun when I opened my daycare but mealtime is always a struggle. Manners, actually eating, playing... ugh. Why would I want to do that for hours?? Be here by 8 am or feed your own child. Simple. If you are running late adjust YOUR schedule. Do you get mad at McDonald's when they switch to the lunch menu? Lol
Um , yeah... they do.

Haven't you heard the transcripts from all the 911 calls people are making because McDonald's gave the them wrong food, wont' serve breakfast after xx time, won't honor expired coupons, didn't give them correct change etc...

It's amazing what people expect of others now days.
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mommyneedsadayoff 10:55 AM 01-09-2015
Since when is a granola bar "breakfast"? Calling it breakfast is more offensive than the actual time limit to eat it
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Jazzii 10:54 PM 03-26-2016
We are an in home daycare and have rules that are just as strict. Our earliest child arrives at 6, so we feed them as they come in. On paper our breakfast is fr 7-7:50 with the last meal being served at 7:50.

We make it very clear to parents that if your child arrives at 8 they will not have breakfas . Same for other meals; 930 for snack, 11:30 for lunch, 3:00 for snack.

Children, esp young ones need to have routine, if I let all of my kids come in and eat whenever they wanted nothing would get done in an orderly way.
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Mad_Pistachio 06:10 PM 03-27-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I had to get up by 5 a.m. My children (both under 4 at the time) got up when I did so I could dress them, fix their hair and feed them breakfast.

They were picked up between 4-5 depending on which parent was off first and came home ready to have dinner as a family, play a bit, bathe, have story time and head to bed by 8.
it's not fitting the topic (which is why it wasn't mentioned), but hopefully your DC had a longer nap than, for instance, ours does. a child under 4 needs about 11-13 hours of sleep per 24-hour period (younger ones would be on a larger side of that number) (c) A Child's World by M. Feldman, p. 255 - yes, I did check one of my textbooks. so, 8pm to 5am would make 9 hours. our DC's nap time is relatively short - about 1.45 to 2 hours (since they all nap at the same time starting around 2 years old, and older kids don't want to sleep much longer, waking younger ones up with them). 9 at night + less than 2 at nap = 11 hours max. for some, that could end up in sleep deprivation (I know it could for our daughter when she was 2-3) and all sorts of problems. which is why I would rather let her sleep in.

that is not to make excuses for breakfast at 9 (again, our DC does provide it, and it's over by 8.45 at the latest; if we drop off at 9, she eats at home. heck, she eats at home, period: early riser). it's just kinda sorta an attempt to explain why parents choose to rather let kids sleep than wake them up at a crack of dawn for breakfast. what's the point of a kid falling asleep "drunk Russian"* style with the face in a bowl of cereal?

*when Russians get drunk, they are known for falling asleep face-in-salad right at the table. not a myth, I, sadly, witnessed that before.
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Blackcat31 06:31 AM 03-28-2016
Originally Posted by Mad_Pistachio:
it's not fitting the topic (which is why it wasn't mentioned), but hopefully your DC had a longer nap than, for instance, ours does. a child under 4 needs about 11-13 hours of sleep per 24-hour period (younger ones would be on a larger side of that number) (c) A Child's World by M. Feldman, p. 255 - yes, I did check one of my textbooks. so, 8pm to 5am would make 9 hours. our DC's nap time is relatively short - about 1.45 to 2 hours (since they all nap at the same time starting around 2 years old, and older kids don't want to sleep much longer, waking younger ones up with them). 9 at night + less than 2 at nap = 11 hours max. for some, that could end up in sleep deprivation (I know it could for our daughter when she was 2-3) and all sorts of problems. which is why I would rather let her sleep in.

that is not to make excuses for breakfast at 9 (again, our DC does provide it, and it's over by 8.45 at the latest; if we drop off at 9, she eats at home. heck, she eats at home, period: early riser). it's just kinda sorta an attempt to explain why parents choose to rather let kids sleep than wake them up at a crack of dawn for breakfast. what's the point of a kid falling asleep "drunk Russian"* style with the face in a bowl of cereal?

*when Russians get drunk, they are known for falling asleep face-in-salad right at the table. not a myth, I, sadly, witnessed that before.
ALL parents have the same 24 hours in a day.

YOUR (general you, not specific you) responsibility is to figure out how YOUR family routine needs to be adjusted or modified to fit the program schedule (school or child care) that your child attends and NOT to expect your school or child care to adjust or modify their schedule for you.
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Mad_Pistachio 07:02 AM 03-28-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
ALL parents have the same 24 hours in a day.

YOUR (general you, not specific you) responsibility is to figure out how YOUR family routine needs to be adjusted or modified to fit the program schedule (school or child care) that your child attends and NOT to expect your school or child care to adjust or modify their schedule for you.
again, I don't know the situation of the OP or yours, but in my case, I chose the DC that fit us almost like a glove. but I had A LOT of choice: competition in this area is crazy. some don't get this luxury.
and yes, you are right, I did not expect anyone to adjust for us. and I already said, I was not trying to make excuses for OP, it's just that I kinda can see where some "sleep-in" parents come from. I've been there... just last night. to fit the topic: yes, we fed her breakfast before leaving. no one would serve her anything at 9am, and it wasn't expected.

P.S. granola bar?.. :-/
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Blackcat31 07:42 AM 03-28-2016
Originally Posted by Mad_Pistachio:
again, I don't know the situation of the OP or yours, but in my case, I chose the DC that fit us almost like a glove. but I had A LOT of choice: competition in this area is crazy. some don't get this luxury.
and yes, you are right, I did not expect anyone to adjust for us. and I already said, I was not trying to make excuses for OP, it's just that I kinda can see where some "sleep-in" parents come from. I've been there... just last night. to fit the topic: yes, we fed her breakfast before leaving. no one would serve her anything at 9am, and it wasn't expected.

P.S. granola bar?.. :-/

I don't know OP's situation either (thread is from 2011 ) but what you said (in bold above) is THE KEY.
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Mad_Pistachio 08:11 AM 03-28-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I don't know OP's situation either (thread is from 2011 ) but what you said (in bold above) is THE KEY.
oh, we bought into an ammonite-old thread AGAIN? man...

yeah, I mean, if the DC's schedule/rules/whatever else that may be important do not fit well with the family, that needs to be discovered while searching, and other options may need to be explored. demanding a DC to adjust to one family's needs is counter-productive.
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thrivingchildcarecom 09:51 AM 03-28-2016
Full disclosure, I am actually a provider. Interestingly enough I was just about to address this issue with my parents.

The problem is this, for many providers there is a time limit imposed upon us as to when and how far apart meals can be served to the children.

I realize that parents don't really know what mandated regulations providers have abide by so I will often share information with my parents so that they understand that, for the most part, the rules are not always coming from just us. There are a lot of things about this business that even providers don't realize when they start child care.

In your case, they probably should not have let it go on as long as this because now it seems out of the blue. I would speak to the director to find out the root of this rule and possibly just try your best to arrive a bit earlier or serve your child their breakfast before arriving.
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Tags:2011, enforcing policies - consistency, food program inspection, meal schedule, obnoxious unregistered, parental responsibility, usda
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