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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do You Allow Sippys From Home?
Unregistered 09:07 AM 04-18-2011
I have a mom who brings her DCG with a sippy from home, filled with choc milk, EVERYDAY. The DCG is 3 1/2 so she doesn't need a sippy, but that is another issue I guess. My question is, do most of you allow sippys from home? I want to quit letting her bring it because she is always whining about someone touching it, etc, but I am not sure how to go about it. She's been bringing it for 2 years now.

Today, mom told me she was picking her up early (3:15). She informed me I needed to have her go potty (yes, I'm not a moron), fed and a full sippy ready to go. Ummm, excuse me? First of all, snack is at 3:30 when the SA kids arrive, and she knows this. 2nd, is it MY job to fill up a sippy for your kid for the car? It really irrititated me. Am I way off for being perturbed? And, just to complete the scenario, if I don't fill the sippy, mom will most likely walk to my fridge and fill it herself.
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nannyde 10:53 AM 04-18-2011
Sure if they want to bring a tumbler of liquid I'll take the liquid but not the cup. I would just pour it into another cup and hand the sippy back.

I do not send anything out the door with the kids. If the parent wants them to have a sippy then they need to provide that.

Don't let the sippy stay in the house. Tell her you have your own cups and you don't allow outside cups in the house.

My goal is to try to ONLY have the kid going back and forth every day. I don't have them bring things I have to keep and return... other than the kid. The only exception would be breast milk.
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daycare 10:54 AM 04-18-2011
no...no sippy cups from home. I don't allow any form of outside food or liquid unless aproved ahead of time and there is enough for everyone...
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Cat Herder 10:59 AM 04-18-2011
I do not allow sippy cups from home. The rule stops all of this drama and the risk of the "medicated" cup.

If Mom is picking up prior to your afternoon snack, then that becomes her responsibility, not yours. SHE is the mommy, not you. Planning for her afternoon activities is her job, alone.

Granted I have sent pre-packaged snacks/color wonder booklets/markers for doctor appointments many times out of my own goodwill, but to demand it???? Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon.

I have to ask, WHY would she ever have access to your kitchen????

Please start the Good Morning/Good Bye at the door plan. Have children ready to go and waiting at the door as parents arrive. I promise it is worth the extra two minutes of work to get them ready.....

You really need to get a strong backbone, you are being walked on and will burn out quickly like this. BTDT.
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JenNJ 11:01 AM 04-18-2011
The kids can bring them here IF they bring breakfast to eat as well. Otherwise all sippys go straight into the fridge not to be seen again until pickup.
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MsMe 11:04 AM 04-18-2011
I don't allow sippys either. On the rare occasion that I do get one and the parent leaves it on the counter with out me seeing....usually full of juice or choc milk. I store it, use a daycare cup all day, and send the cup from home will ALL the juice/milk back home and tell the parents NOT to do it again. Even if they "leave it on accident" the child will not be allowed to have it so it is pointless to bring it.
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morgan24 11:16 AM 04-18-2011
I don't allow sippy cups either. I would of informed her that snack is at 3:30 sorry but she will miss it. I would dump the choc. milk out and refill it water. If she asked I would inform her that is all I have right now. Bye Bye see ya tomorrow. Tomorrow when she brings the cup give it back to mom and tell her no more cups it causes to many problems.
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Meeko 11:38 AM 04-18-2011
I remind parents that anything I do for their child...I must also be able to do for all 15 others. Filling up 16 sippies to go home would cost a fortune in milk and I do not do it. I don't do water either...simply because I do not want to be running back and forth from the door to my kitchen at leaving time. I give the kids a drink at snack time and right before they start getting picked up to go home. They won't die on the short car ride home!
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Meeko 11:40 AM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have a mom who brings her DCG with a sippy from home, filled with choc milk, EVERYDAY. The DCG is 3 1/2 so she doesn't need a sippy, but that is another issue I guess. My question is, do most of you allow sippys from home? I want to quit letting her bring it because she is always whining about someone touching it, etc, but I am not sure how to go about it. She's been bringing it for 2 years now.

Today, mom told me she was picking her up early (3:15). She informed me I needed to have her go potty (yes, I'm not a moron), fed and a full sippy ready to go. Ummm, excuse me? First of all, snack is at 3:30 when the SA kids arrive, and she knows this. 2nd, is it MY job to fill up a sippy for your kid for the car? It really irrititated me. Am I way off for being perturbed? And, just to complete the scenario, if I don't fill the sippy, mom will most likely walk to my fridge and fill it herself.
Tell the mom that you don't do drinks to go and that snack time is a set time...you cannot have the kids all having food at different times when it is convenient for their parents!
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childcarebytori 11:41 AM 04-18-2011
I used to allow parents to bring sippy cups when I first opened my daycare. That only lasted a few months before I got tired of seeing the kids coming with chocolate and strawberry milk every morning, and right before pick-up I'd go searching for cups for all of the kids and make sure I had the right top to match. It wasn't fun. I sent out a letter informing all parents that sippy cups from home are no longer allowed to be brought to daycare.

I have a pair of divorced parents who still allow both girls to walk into daycare with sippy cups. They're empty from the car ride so I immediately take them from the girls and hand them back to the parent and remind them I don't allow cups or bottles from home. Mom always claims she "forgot" and the dad just smiles and leaves quickly. Just today dad brings two cups and asks if I'd be able to fill them up with milk because the mom is picking up and she has to run errands after work. I gave the cups back and told him I don't allow cups and I'd make sure they had a drink of water before mom picked up. I smiled and shut the door behind him. Problem solved.
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momma2girls 11:44 AM 04-18-2011
I agree, I would never start this!!
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Blackcat31 11:47 AM 04-18-2011
If a child comes in with anything other than things I require, I will hand it back to the parent and simply say "Thanks but we do not need this here."

If a parent were to call me with the request you mentioned about having them ready to go and have the cup filled, I would have politely declined and said, she will be ready but I will not provide snack for anyone unless they are here at snack time and have enough time to sit and eat it here. I am not a drive-through and also do not think I can even count the meal/snack unless the child ate it at my house so I wouldn't even get into the business of sending things "to go". Next it will be lunch or treats or any craft material the child missed on their days off and toys they really like to play with at my house but want to use at home or movies or whatever the parent can come up with next.
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daycare 11:54 AM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
If a child comes in with anything other than things I require, I will hand it back to the parent and simply say "Thanks but we do not need this here."

If a parent were to call me with the request you mentioned about having them ready to go and have the cup filled, I would have politely declined and said, she will be ready but I will not provide snack for anyone unless they are here at snack time and have enough time to sit and eat it here. I am not a drive-through and also do not think I can even count the meal/snack unless the child ate it at my house so I wouldn't even get into the business of sending things "to go". Next it will be lunch or treats or any craft material the child missed on their days off and toys they really like to play with at my house but want to use at home or movies or whatever the parent can come up with next.
thats right this aint buger king... have it your way......

also don't forget about the safety issues that increase when a child eat or drinks in the car. You don't want to submit yourself to any more liability than needed. Cut your ties at the door and TTFN.....
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littlemissmuffet 11:55 AM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:
no...no sippy cups from home. I don't allow any form of outside food or liquid unless aproved ahead of time and there is enough for everyone...
Same here.
Also, I do not nap or feed children at individual times. Nap time is nap time and meal time is meal time - for everyone. Feel free to pick up early, but if it's before snack time (even 15 minutes) you're SOL!
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DCMom 11:58 AM 04-18-2011
I never understood the need for the 'car treat' or 'car cup' for that long ride home

For today's situation, as soon as I heard 'have her sippy filled', the one that she brought in (complete with chocolate milk) would have gone in the refrigerator to go home with her at 3:15.

I don't allow sippy's from the get go. I hand them right back ~ they soon figure out not to bring them in.
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Country Kids 11:59 AM 04-18-2011
OK so here is another question to add to the mix! What do you do if the parents want to bring their own food for breakfast, snack, and lunch. Mind you I provide all of the above (except breakfast) but the parents only eat certain food which includes certain types of milka and juice. One of my little guys comes in with two full cups and a juice cup every day. They are in his lunch cooler but he still brings them. His cousin also brings in a lunch cooler every day to and yes I have mixed up their cups and sent them home with the wrong cups. I can't seem to get it through that I provide meals!
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Cat Herder 12:11 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
OK so here is another question to add to the mix! What do you do if the parents want to bring their own food for breakfast, snack, and lunch. Mind you I provide all of the above (except breakfast) but the parents only eat certain food which includes certain types of milka and juice. One of my little guys comes in with two full cups and a juice cup every day. They are in his lunch cooler but he still brings them. His cousin also brings in a lunch cooler every day to and yes I have mixed up their cups and sent them home with the wrong cups. I can't seem to get it through that I provide meals!
If they have a special milk (soy, lactofree), then I'd allow the parent to bring it in a large container weekly to be poured into my daycare cups.

Unless there is a documented MEDICAL reason, I do not allow ANY food or drink from home (except formula/breast milk, obviously).
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childcarebytori 12:21 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
OK so here is another question to add to the mix! What do you do if the parents want to bring their own food for breakfast, snack, and lunch. Mind you I provide all of the above (except breakfast) but the parents only eat certain food which includes certain types of milka and juice. One of my little guys comes in with two full cups and a juice cup every day. They are in his lunch cooler but he still brings them. His cousin also brings in a lunch cooler every day to and yes I have mixed up their cups and sent them home with the wrong cups. I can't seem to get it through that I provide meals!
I have a toddler who will be 2 in three weeks who is my only child allowed to bring their own drink. This little one cannot have straight milk, so her mother brings in Enfagrow Next Step formula and 1/2 gallon of coconut milk every week. She gets either of those when we have milk for a meal.

The only other time I allow outside food is when a parent of mine brings in snack for the group. I have a parent who does this twice a month and the kids always love the "special" treats.
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Lucy 12:26 PM 04-18-2011
Yes. It's fine with me. If they come in the morning with 8 ounces of milk -- Hey, that's 8 less ounces that I have to pay for!!! I fail to see the problem here. Mom leaves, cup goes in my fridge, they get it at snack time or if they tell me they are thirsty prior to that. Easy Peasy.
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snbauser 12:45 PM 04-18-2011
No outside food or drink. Anything other than what I server requires a doctors note and then I will provide it. Solves so many potential issues.
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Former Teacher 01:38 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Joyce:
Yes. It's fine with me. If they come in the morning with 8 ounces of milk -- Hey, that's 8 less ounces that I have to pay for!!! I fail to see the problem here. Mom leaves, cup goes in my fridge, they get it at snack time or if they tell me they are thirsty prior to that. Easy Peasy.
Just like the pp said...they can put medicine in the drink and the provider would never know it.
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Evansmom 02:25 PM 04-18-2011
I don't have a policy for that but I have had kids bring their own cups. I just take them up and put them aside and then give them back when they get picked up. If a mom had asked me to fill their cups I would fill it with water. If they asked for milk I'd have them provide their own b/c I only allow 2 sippys of milk per child each day. I pay for really nice organic local milk and that stuff is more expensive than two gallons of gas!!
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daycare 02:29 PM 04-18-2011
ouch how much does gas cost where you live...that is so expensive milk.... gas here cost average 4.29 gallon
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Unregistered 03:10 PM 04-18-2011
Let the kids have a cup, sit on the couch later and charge enough to cover milk....wait...aren't you already getting paid a day rate that includes snack and milk? So you get paid for no work when the kid goes home early.....but you begrudge the poor child 6 oz of milk?

Lazy, and mean is how it sounds. You are not running a factory. These are small people you are talking about.
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morgan24 03:18 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Joyce:
Yes. It's fine with me. If they come in the morning with 8 ounces of milk -- Hey, that's 8 less ounces that I have to pay for!!! I fail to see the problem here. Mom leaves, cup goes in my fridge, they get it at snack time or if they tell me they are thirsty prior to that. Easy Peasy.
My problem is what's in the cup. It's usually juice or chocolate milk, sometimes it has been soda. If I let them keep it I would have to listen to the rest of them complain about it. Cause Junior is going to tell them what he has in the cup. I serve them the same thing as a group and it helps to keep my sanity.
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daycare 03:45 PM 04-18-2011
I agree with that... you cant make special acceptions unless its for medical reasons.

Also if you are on the food program, you have to supply the food/drinks paretns are not allowed to... If they do, then you cant claim that child's meals
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GretasLittleFriends 03:52 PM 04-18-2011
I have an 'extra' fridge in my entry room. It's the fridge closest to the garage, so it's also the 'beer fridge'... LOL. Anyway, if a child comes with something to drink it usually goes into that fridge. It is forgotten about until mom or dad comes to pick them up. It depends on who it is and what it is, and who is here that day. If it's water or white milk, I usually let them bring it to the kitchen, anything else goes into the fridge in the entry room. I don't want Susie crying because Billy gets pine-orange-banana juice and she doesn't because he brought it from home and I don't have any...

As far as them using their own cup, I could care less. One less dish for me to wash at the end of the day.
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daycare 03:56 PM 04-18-2011
I used to have the same idea about the sippy cups until one of the parents tried to accuse me of mold in their child's cup was causing them to become ill.... so anything that has a plug in it or small areas that cant be cleaned with a brush are not allowed.....

I recently just changed it to I will supply all cups for drinking. I went out and bought those sip and toss cups and we use straws. I found a ton of them on clearance at walmart. I bought 16 of them for less than $2.00
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PitterPatter 05:10 PM 04-18-2011
No cups from home! I got tired of being expected for them to leave with a refill. Even when I changed the rule and bought 10 new cups for my home I had a parent want me to fill MY cup and let her kid take it home because he was whining for it. Sorry they stay here. I got attitude for that foot going down but it went down and stayed down. She got over it.

I also had the snack problem here. The parent wanted the snack but was 10 minutes early it wasn't even served. I told her it's not ready she said she was going shopping and they would need something to hold them over. I gave it to her (sliced apples and a PB cup I love those things so handy). Another time she was headed to the store again. I just offered so the kids wouldnt go hungry. I layed them on the table (granola bars) dcb reached for 1 and DCM slammed her hand down snatching them up saying "oh no u dont not before dinner I will take those!" I bet the parents ate those snacks So NOW they get NO snacks unless it's 3:00!
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PitterPatter 05:19 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:
I used to have the same idea about the sippy cups until one of the parents tried to accuse me of mold in their child's cup was causing them to become ill.... so anything that has a plug in it or small areas that cant be cleaned with a brush are not allowed.....

I recently just changed it to I will supply all cups for drinking. I went out and bought those sip and toss cups and we use straws. I found a ton of them on clearance at walmart. I bought 16 of them for less than $2.00
OMG Mold is a whole other issue! Thank God I never found that in a cup but a DCM did bring cups 1 day (back when I allowed it) when I opened it it stunk so bad! They were empty but there was small clump of white milk in each. The catch in the mouthpieces were so bad I had to use a pipecleaner to sit and pick it all out. I then soaked them in super hot water and scrubbed them again. I about puked the smell was so bad! When I confronter her with it I tried to be nice saying I think she gave me the wrong cups, and before I could explain why she says "no they were right I just put milk in them this morning and they drank it on the way here." GAG!!! Poor kids!!
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daycare 05:22 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by PitterPatter:
OMG Mold is a whole other issue! Thank God I never found that in a cup but a DCM did bring cups 1 day (back when I allowed it) when I opened it it stunk so bad! They were empty but there was small clump of white milk in each. The catch in the mouthpieces were so bad I had to use a pipecleaner to sit and pick it all out. I then soaked them in super hot water and scrubbed them again. I about puked the smell was so bad! When I confronter her with it I tried to be nice saying I think she gave me the wrong cups, and before I could explain why she says "no they were right I just put milk in them this morning and they drank it on the way here." GAG!!! Poor kids!!
oh that is so gross. I never had the plug cups with my own kids, went straigt to straws or open cup. I had a smiliar issue with a cup from one of the DCK and i threw it away. I told the mom that I found mold in it and that it had be thrown out. I think that she was so embarassed about it she did not say anything other than "oh really, thank god you saw it and threw it out." the funny part was that it was almost every cup the kid brought.......
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Abigail 06:54 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:
I found a ton of them on clearance at walmart. I bought 16 of them for less than $2.00
Send some my way! That is a great deal.
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MsMe 07:21 PM 04-18-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Let the kids have a cup, sit on the couch later and charge enough to cover milk....wait...aren't you already getting paid a day rate that includes snack and milk? So you get paid for no work when the kid goes home early.....but you begrudge the poor child 6 oz of milk?

Lazy, and mean is how it sounds. You are not running a factory. These are small people you are talking about.
I will only address the last sentence of this statement (i have too much to say about the rest)

The rules a parent has for one child at home do not always work in a daycare setting. It is very important that everything (within our control) is fair and equal.

It is also important that we provide healthy and nutritious meals and drinks. Many of us are on food programs where those drinks are not credible or only in very limited quanities.

Rules are rules.
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Unregistered 05:27 AM 04-19-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Let the kids have a cup, sit on the couch later and charge enough to cover milk....wait...aren't you already getting paid a day rate that includes snack and milk? So you get paid for no work when the kid goes home early.....but you begrudge the poor child 6 oz of milk?

Lazy, and mean is how it sounds. You are not running a factory. These are small people you are talking about.
OP here.... my point wasn't to begrudge the "poor child" of milk. While in my care for 7 hours yesterday, that child had at least 3 glasses of milk and a glass of juice. Her sippy was half full when she left because I gave her new milk when she woke up from nap. The point is the way parents treat us and just expect us to do things. It is HER child, not mine. It is HER job to have snacks/drinks/activities for the road, and the times she is not in my care. Had she asked me nicely, I would have said sure, I can do that today. It's the demands.

I am not on the food program, and I watch one and 1/2 children JUST to pay for groceries for the healthy meals and snacks I serve. I'm not begrudging anyone anything. If you want that, walk down the street to the lady who serves chicken nuggets 3 days a week and frozen pizza the other 2.
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broncomom1973 05:31 AM 04-19-2011
I let each child's parents bring one cup from home to leave here. So, each child gets to have their own cup, but they have to leave it here. I wash them all daily.
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DancingQueen 09:43 AM 04-19-2011
I have each parent provide a sippy for their child upon enrollment. That is THEIR sippy only to be used by them.
I wash it every night and it is ready for them the next morning.

The ONLY time I allow a drink to come from home in the morning is if there is an allergy issue that needs the exception or there is one parent .. that when she suspects an illness going around she'll send her son with a sippy of that Emergen C drink. supposed to load them up with vitamin C or something like that. I allow it but it has to stay at the table. He puts it on the table and comes over a few times the first hour or 2 and takes sips but after that I dump it and stick it in his bag (unwashed) for mom.

My daycare parents know when snacks and meals are and plan accordingly. I would never pack a snack or drink to go upon request. I did have a mom come early once and was heading right out of state from my house and I packed a surprise goody bag for dcb just for fun. But to me there is a difference between me doing a nice thing and being expected to do something that goes against policy.. I do nice things for my dcks all the time. I adore them. But if I had a parent making demands like that I absolutely would NOT do it. I am blessed with families that would never ask that of me (knocking one wood because I know how lucky I am)
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Evansmom 06:20 PM 04-19-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:
ouch how much does gas cost where you live...that is so expensive milk.... gas here cost average 4.29 gallon
I know! It is expensive milk but it's organic and local so it's close to $7 a gal! It's SOOOO good too! But I'm still not handing it out for free!
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