I will start cooking as early as I need to, to have supper on the table at 5:40. If I am later than that with supper, my DD2 starts to go into hunger fits
My dcp's have never cared, and tell me often how good it smells. I try to get as much prep work (chopping veggies, making the roast potatoes etc) done at nap time as I can, so that I can just turn on the oven/stove element, but it doesn't always work out that way.
I let parents know at the interview that most of my planned activities go on in the morning, and that the afternoon is usually just free play, as children are being picked up from 3:30 pm on (no child wants to get picked up in the middle of an activity). I only do activities with them in the afternoons if I have no supper prep to do, and they are going a bit crazy.
I don't think this is wrong at all. This is home care after all - and cooking is one thing that you do at home.