Question for Other Daycare Providers

I am not a daycare provider but htought this could help. I would provide ahead of time the following weeks lunch menu to parents (you can do this via e-mail, send home with the kids, etc.). If the kid is a picky eater ad does not like what is offered it should be requested that the parent send a lunch with the kids on those days. Hope this suggestion helps!

Make up a weekly menu. Ask the parents to look it over. If there is something on there that they know there child will not eat, ask them to bring lunch for there child on that day. If that doesnt work, tell the parents to bring lunch for there child so that providing lunch will be the least of your worries. Make it the responsibility of the parent to determine what there child will or will not eat.

Hope this helps.

If they used to bring lunch and have stopped....and you have to feed them....is it reflected in your price for service?

Maybe you can suggest that everyone donate something during the month - ie gallon of milk, half gallon of juice, bread and cheese, fruit. That way you have food to provide the kids and the parents don't have to bring something every day.

I have my son in a home daycare 2 or 3 days a week and my provider told me up front that she does not provide meals. I have to admit that it is a pain to have to pack him a lunch on those days, but I totally understand where she comes from. She said that she has too many kids to try and please and she also doesn't have to take time away to cook lunch. Also, I take my son to the grocery store and let him pick out what he wants for lunch. My sitter will heat up food, so I can send stuff like soup or spaghetti-o's.
I also provide the drink for my son. He's 4, so I usually send one drink for lunch and something else if he gets thirsty.
Bottom line...I am not offended that I have to pack my sons lunch. I want to help make my sitters day as smooth as possible.

I serve my daycare children morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack. None of my kids are picky eaters anymore. They get what they get and they don't get upset and they choose if they are going to eat it or not. I only serve healthy foods. After awhile the kids get used to the foods that you serve and don't complain. I have a number of kids that will eat yogurt here but won't eat it at home.
It was too much of a pain for me when people brought their own food because then there was always someone upset that Sally had fruit snack and she didn't or whatever.
If you serve a meat, fruit, and veggie everyday and a kid doesn't like the veggie, they have to take one bite (a no thank you bite), but they are still going to eat the meat and fruit, and are not going to go hungry.
Figure out what works best with you and go for it!

When I used to have a home daycare I tried to offer a variety of foods that most kids like. At the same time you want to think about your budget and keep it affordable (buy what you can in bulk like cereal, frozen meatballs, chicken nuggets, rice, cheese etc). Buy your fresh produce when it's on sale - apples are one of the best for your bucks. I did not offer one child a different menu because of dislikes - only if parent requested it due to allergies.

If the children you care for are old enough, you could let them help you plan your menu - for example let them vote on mac n cheese vs. pb&j sandwiches and which days they would like that on, etc.

I posted a menu so parents (and kids) could see what was being served - if you serve a snack within a couple hours after mealtime, they will eat at snack time if not at meal time. When the children know what's to eat for that day they tend to complain less in my experience.

You can claim the food you purchase as an expense on your taxes, and if you are licensed you can join one of the food programs that reimburse you a little for each child and each snack / meal served and provide sample menus and education on nutrition - their info comes with your licensing info.

It really is a nice convenience for the parents too.

good luck!

W.

Dear Karen,

I run a in-home daycare and provide all food. I know that there are some foods that some of the kids don't like, so when I make something that I know that someone doesn't like i try to have a fruit, veggie, or carb product that they do like. For example yesterday, my daughter hates chicken nuggets, so I had chicken nuggets and a thing of pasta sides, peas and oranges. One of the other kids hates peas but loves chicken nuggets it seems to work out for everyone. I always make something with protein and carbs and a fruit and veggie to make sure they all have at least one thing that they like. Some days i hear a lot of complaining but usually they will try something in the end. Yesterday one of the kids didn't like the looks of the cheesy hashbrowns and refused to eat it. But when I finally got to sit down and show her that I tried them she tried her and loved them. I have learned that usually if they help me make the food they are more willing to eat it. If you need some great food ideas let me know, I have some since I have 3 picky eaters in my daycare.
B.

I also run a small home daycare, with only a few children. I provide breakfast, snacks, and lunch for the children in my care. Since most of the children have been with me since infancy, I have gotten to know their likes and dislikes. I try to make meals that will usually please most everyone. If someone says "I don't like that", I try to get them to take at least one "no thank-you bite". Often times, then they realize that they do indeed like the food being offered. If a special snack or treat is going to be offered after a meal, it is a rule that you have to at least try everything on your plate, or you forfiet your treat (I will send the treat home with them later). Finally, if someone really doesn't eat anything at mealtime, I try to make sure to offer a healthy snack later. This works for me and I usually always have healthy and happy children. Hope this helps you.
Just to note: If you were charging less because you were not providing food, you may want to raise your fees a little to cover the cost of the food. Feeding the children can be costly. Good luck and try not to stress out over this.

Karen, I was a daycare provider for a number of years. I have never had parents bring lunches. Snacks sometimes for a special occasion. But it is a lot easier on your day to fix what you want and put it out for lunch. If you are licensed there is a great food program you can join which reimburses you for the food you feed the kids. It is easier than you would think to just put it out there. if they are hungry they will eat. the rule at my house is and has always been you have to try one bite. if you dont like it fine but you have to try it each and every time. as their tastes do change as they get older. good luck

Karen I runa small daycare from home also.
I have had all my kids since they were babies so it makes it a bit easier for me. But I try to think like a kid, mac n cheese, nuggets, the gerber meals are great. Make sure you are charging for the meals. Icharge 2.00 per meal andthat inlcudes a snack & juice & milk. The way food prices are you can't afford to feed them with out some help from the parents. And why did they stop bringing meals? If they were at a school a bill would go home with them for the cost of the meals. Did they stop & you just never said anything? Bring it to the attention of the parents, I bet as long as you were not saying anything neither will they. If you start to charge them I bet they will bring the packed meals again.

Hi,
I have been a family daycare provider for 19 years. I serve breakfast to the children who arive before 8:00. 2 snacks, and lunch.I do not charge an for their meals it is included in the daily rate. I serve a vegetable, meat, cheese or peanut butter, carb, and fruit at each meal. I do not make each child a special meal. I feel it is important for the children to eat a varity of foods not only their favorites. The childrn learn quickly that they need to eat what is served to them or they may be hungry later. Before lunch I will let the children help me plan lunch. At snack they can choose from 2 things and either apple juice or orange juice. It usually works out fine. If I notice a chid doesnot eat much at lunch I make sure I serve something healthy that I know they like at snack.

I have a 5 week rotating menu you can see at http://www.freewebs.com/tarastoyland

I also do the picky eater plan, I'll post it below. Kids eat what I serve and 99% love it. If they don't I do the below and within a few weeks they are loving it too.

There is a great book by William G Wilkoff, MD called Coping with a Picky Eater that every parent or provider of kids should read and have a copy of. http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Picky-Eater-Perplexed-Parent...

This book has what I call the Picky Eater Plan. I have used this plan with kids that literally threw up at the sight of food and within 2 weeks they were eating normal amounts of everything and trying every food.

First you need to get everyone who deals with the child on board. If you are a provider it's ok to make this the rule at your house and not have the parents follow through but you wont' see as good results as what I described up above.

The plan is to limit the quantities of food you give the kid. When I first start with a child I give them literally ONE bite worth of each food I am serving. The book suggests that every time you feed the kids (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner) you give all 4 food groups. So, for lunch today I would have given the child one tiny piece of strawberry, one spoonful of applesauce, 3 macaroni noodles with cheese on them, and 2 oz of milk. Only after they ate ALL of what was on their plate would you give them anything else. They can have the same amounts for seconds. If they only want more mac and cheese, they only get 3 noodles then they would have to have more of all the other foods in order to get more than that. If they don't eat, fine. If they don't finish, fine. Don't make a big deal out of it, just make them stay at the table until e sat at the next meal and they only get what you serve. When I first do this with a child I don't serve sweets at all. So no animal crackers for snack but rather a carrot for snack. Or one of each of those. I don't make it easy for them to gorge on bad foods in other words. Now if they had a meal where they ate great then I might make the snack be a yummy one cause I know they filled up on good foods.

Even at snacks you have to limit quantities of the good stuff or else they will hold out for snack and just eat those snacky foods. I never give a picky eater the reward of a yummy snack unless they had that great lunch prior to it.

It really is that easy.