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Missani 01:01 PM 06-10-2011
Another dreaded breakfast question. I know this has been posted before, I just want your opinions-new faces, new answers.

I serve a good breakfast every morning: Hot food, fruit, milk/juice. NOBODY eats it. I spend about 1/3 of my food budget (which is large to begin with) to provide them a healthy, balanced meal at the beginning of the day. Most days no one touches it, or at best, I can get 2-3 bites out of them. I serve "normal" things: scrambled eggs with toast and fruit, whole grain homemade waffles with fruit topping and sausage, oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, breakfast sandwiches with fruit, bagels with cream cheese with some sort of sides, etc. My own kids eat it, but no one else does.

One family (mom admits) goes to the McDonald's drive through regularly before arriving because, "some mornings we just can't wait for you to open so we get in the car and head to McDonald's first." Another child usually arrives with a graham cracker (at best) or chips (at worst). Other times the parents will indicate on their daily note that "child ate nothing before arrival." So what's the deal? Aren't they hungry?

I want to continue to provide a hearty and good breakfast for the kids, but I'm tired of spending so much money on food that is thrown away every day. Anyone else have this problem? What do you do?

Oh, and related but as a side note, I feel the same way about milk. I spend $30 or more per week to buy organic milk because it's important to me to provide that, but kids just don't drink it. I think I throw at least $20 of milk away every week. And, yes, I'm only serving small portions with the ability for them to have more if they want it.
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Cat Herder 01:09 PM 06-10-2011
When I have a pattern of the majority of kids not eating breakfast (usually during warmer months) I just drop morning snack and move breakfast back two hours. Parents never worry about snack, but would ask about breakfast, here.

The milk thing, IDK, I am required to give them 4-6 ounces with breakfast and lunch depending on age. The same goes with juice during snacks. I have to view it as disposable.
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nannyde 01:42 PM 06-10-2011
Originally Posted by Missani:
One family (mom admits) goes to the McDonald's drive through regularly before arriving because, "some mornings we just can't wait for you to open so we get in the car and head to McDonald's first."
This Mom is most likely doing this because it is easier to have them buckled in a car seat than it is to have them up at home. The only way to keep them happy buckled in is to give them junk food while they are buckled in.

It doesn't have anything to do with food. It's just about her not wanting to manage them up on their feet at their house.

This usually starts when the kid can't be buckled into a high chair without protesting and throwing down whatever is on the tray of the high chair. This is usually around the age of 22-24 months.

Usually they try buckled in the high chair... tv on.. and a candy cereal. That works between the first and second year. Once the kid gets around two then even the trifecta of high chiar, TV, and candy doesn't work. They flail around in the seat... kick.. and sweep the tray onto the floor.

This is hard for the parent because they WANT that time to get ready for work. It works for quite a long time so when it stops working there really isn't anywhere TO go to avoid having them up BUT to five point harness buckle them into a car seat... drive around... and then have McD's as the place to go. Once the kid gets the McD's (usually the hash browns) then they are quiet till they get to your house.

You will see them parked out on the street or your driveway waiting for the stroke of whenever you allow them in the house. You can tell they have been eating crap food because the time the Mom opens the back seat door till the time they bring the kid out is more than it would normally take. This means she is brushing off the dropped food and wiping the kids hands and face OR she is collecting everything the kid tossed to bring it into your house.

This behavior is a really good sign that the parents don't like being around their kid awake and that the kid is hell on wheels at home.
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Abigail 05:45 PM 06-10-2011
What time do you open? What time is breakfast served? I would put out a short letter to your parents explaining your NEW POLICY on your requirement to serve breakfast. Require your parents to tell you a day ahead of time if they plan on eating breakfast at daycare or you will be wasting food. If you don't want them to communicate about breakfast, then write a letter stating how much food goes to waste and you're required to serve it. Give a sample weekly menu IN DETAIL so they understand how much effort you put into serving a healthy breakfast. Then tell the parents you will be moving breakfast to a new time....so kids will be hungry. We only serve breakfast, lunch, then a pm snack.
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kayakalp 03:31 AM 09-05-2011
What should be the healthy breakfast for the baby of 11 months?
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Country Kids 10:00 AM 09-05-2011
I quit serving breakfast for this reason. The parents can worry about the child eating breakfast or not. I also became tired of waiting to serve breakfast until children arrived because my own were getting hungry and no one was sticking to their arrival times. So no more breakfast here!
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Candyland 10:17 AM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by Missani:
Another dreaded breakfast question. I know this has been posted before, I just want your opinions-new faces, new answers.

I serve a good breakfast every morning: Hot food, fruit, milk/juice. NOBODY eats it. I spend about 1/3 of my food budget (which is large to begin with) to provide them a healthy, balanced meal at the beginning of the day. Most days no one touches it, or at best, I can get 2-3 bites out of them. I serve "normal" things: scrambled eggs with toast and fruit, whole grain homemade waffles with fruit topping and sausage, oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, breakfast sandwiches with fruit, bagels with cream cheese with some sort of sides, etc. My own kids eat it, but no one else does.

One family (mom admits) goes to the McDonald's drive through regularly before arriving because, "some mornings we just can't wait for you to open so we get in the car and head to McDonald's first." Another child usually arrives with a graham cracker (at best) or chips (at worst). Other times the parents will indicate on their daily note that "child ate nothing before arrival." So what's the deal? Aren't they hungry?

I want to continue to provide a hearty and good breakfast for the kids, but I'm tired of spending so much money on food that is thrown away every day. Anyone else have this problem? What do you do?

Oh, and related but as a side note, I feel the same way about milk. I spend $30 or more per week to buy organic milk because it's important to me to provide that, but kids just don't drink it. I think I throw at least $20 of milk away every week. And, yes, I'm only serving small portions with the ability for them to have more if they want it.
You are such a conscientious person! Your post made me crave blueberry pancakes and it's already after 12 noon. Doesn't matter though; I'm gonna make me some.
I think you should forego breakfast for your clients; it doesn't seem to be needed.
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Cat Herder 10:37 AM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by kayakalp:
What should be the healthy breakfast for the baby of 11 months?
This morning my DC infant had 8oz of formula, warm cinnamon oatmeal and diced fresh banana.

Typically I shoot for one full serving formula/breastmilk, one whole grain, and one fruit for breakfast with infants.

Once they reach 12 months I add more protein (like eggs or sausage) and whole milk.

I will, however, continue formula or breastmilk for as long as a parent wishes to provide it.
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momma2girls 02:17 PM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I quit serving breakfast for this reason. The parents can worry about the child eating breakfast or not. I also became tired of waiting to serve breakfast until children arrived because my own were getting hungry and no one was sticking to their arrival times. So no more breakfast here!
I am with you here- I used to serve breakfast about 5 yrs. ago. I was so busy, between my own children, getting ready for breakfast, my little one getting up, needing changed and breakfast. There was also a time, I had to bottle feed my baby, which always woke up, the same time as parents arriving.
I would serve breakfast, when all the school aged children were out the door, inc. my own- around 8:45 am- then snack was between 9 and 9:30. I then started cutting out breakfast all together. My opening time is 7:30 am- so I started a new rule, that all children must be up, dressed, changed and fed breakfast and 1st bottle before coming to daycare.
It has worked out so much better!!
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Blackcat31 02:54 PM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by momma2girls:
I am with you here- I used to serve breakfast about 5 yrs. ago. I was so busy, between my own children, getting ready for breakfast, my little one getting up, needing changed and breakfast. There was also a time, I had to bottle feed my baby, which always woke up, the same time as parents arriving.
I would serve breakfast, when all the school aged children were out the door, inc. my own- around 8:45 am- then snack was between 9 and 9:30. I then started cutting out breakfast all together. My opening time is 7:30 am- so I started a new rule, that all children must be up, dressed, changed and fed breakfast and 1st bottle before coming to daycare.
It has worked out so much better!!
I just made this new rule too! I am open at 7:15 and had all the same problems as OP and was tired of wasting good food and having kids come in with Oreo's or Cinni-mini's from BK or whatever and I had had enough so I stopped serving breakfast and now require ALL children to come fed and ready for the day. My first day of this is tomorrow so we will see how it goes.

I do plan on serving a good healthy A.M. snack a bit later in the day like Catherder said and that will probably be 'breakfast' for those kids whose parents didn't actually feed them more than a few Gummy Bears in the van on the way over!

My other problem was that my kids who ate at 7:15 when they arrived wanted to eat again by 8:30 when my late kids arrive and eat, so I made the new rule and now do NOT serve anything until 9:00 after everyone has arrived and we have done our circle/welcome activities first.
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Ariana 03:14 PM 09-05-2011
Can you move breakfast to a later time? Also maybe serve things that are frozen and can be heated quickly (muffins, pancakes, bagels, toast, cereal) so you can ask the kids if they want to eat and give them the choice. Then serve a snack an hour or two later for those kids who didn't eat breakfast.

If kids are never eating eggs then I'd just serve them to my own kids and give the DCK muffins or something else, again thats quick to heat up. I'd figure out what they like to eat and then serve 2-3 things in rotation. There are a lot of really great muffin recipes that pack a ton of nutritional stuff in them and they're so easy to reheat in the microwave.

It's really too bad that parents are doing the McDonalds drive through before coming but maybe if you ask as they arrive at the door if they've eaten you could skip giving them breakfast and then just do snack. This is what I do. DCM tells me whether or not the kids have eaten and then I either skip brekkie or serve it.

As for the kids never drinking the milk, I've given up on serving super nutritous food that's uber expensive because the kids just never ate it.
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momma2girls 03:18 PM 09-05-2011
Then another thing happened about a yr. ago, I had a preschool child come in with breakfast that I was supposed to serve her at 7:45,"she just didn't finish it in time" it wasn't even started!!! Then another child's parent seen this, so the next day, guess waht happened???? She brought breakfast over as well for him to eat here!! I was so mad!! Then the other 2 children here, came up to the table and wanted breakfast as well!! I asked them "did you eat breakfast at home?" One of them said yes, and the other one said no. So then I had to change my contract once again. I sent out a notice in my newsletter immediately!! Absolutely no food be brought into daycare, except for birthday treats, or Holiday treats. I will serve an am snack every am- it was a MESS!!!
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Abigail 06:36 PM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I just made this new rule too! I am open at 7:15 and had all the same problems as OP and was tired of wasting good food and having kids come in with Oreo's or Cinni-mini's from BK or whatever and I had had enough so I stopped serving breakfast and now require ALL children to come fed and ready for the day. My first day of this is tomorrow so we will see how it goes.

I do plan on serving a good healthy A.M. snack a bit later in the day like Catherder said and that will probably be 'breakfast' for those kids whose parents didn't actually feed them more than a few Gummy Bears in the van on the way over!

My other problem was that my kids who ate at 7:15 when they arrived wanted to eat again by 8:30 when my late kids arrive and eat, so I made the new rule and now do NOT serve anything until 9:00 after everyone has arrived and we have done our circle/welcome activities first.
Are you on the food program? If you are, you should skip am snack and offer your breakfast later in the day so you can claim a higher rate for meals. No outside food allowed and make sure they know you are required to serve breakfast.
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Blackcat31 08:49 PM 09-05-2011
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Are you on the food program? If you are, you should skip am snack and offer your breakfast later in the day so you can claim a higher rate for meals. No outside food allowed and make sure they know you are required to serve breakfast.
That's exactly what I do.

I still say snack though because if I call it breakfast, I am back to square one with parents giving their child poor breakfast choices. If I word it as if it is only a.m. snack (although it contains all the components of breakfast) then parents feed their child the first meal of the day and I can still claim it as a breakfast for the food program ....kwim?
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blessedmess8 10:01 PM 09-05-2011
I agree with later breakfast time. Also, as Nannyde mentioned, you are serving different things than they are probably used to having at home. It often takes introducing a new food to a child AT LEAST 15 times before they will even try it! I do breakfast at 9:00. If I have some that come in super early and I know haven't already eaten at home, I give them some milk and maybe a little handful of dry cereal. Remember! Whether or not the kids eat, you can still claim the meal, either on a food program, or as an expense on your taxes! I claim meals served, not my actual food costs.
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WImom 12:38 PM 09-06-2011
I started just serving healthy but cheap cereal or oatmeal after 6 months of throwing away food. My own kids eat breakfast but the others take one or two bites and are done. I'm not wasting my money or time with homemade wholewheat pancakes, eggs, fresh fruit, etc. I also only give them a little cereal/milk, if they finish I will give them more but they never do. I'm not sure if it's a not hungry or just a don't like my healthy food. I had some fruit loops left from a project so I used them for breakfast one morning to get rid of them and those same kids scarffed those down no problem.
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mismatchedsocks 02:33 PM 09-06-2011
I serve buffet style. If you had waffles, cut them in to quarters, and give a quarter at a time. Also cut the sausages up. I wouldnt stress too much as to how much they eat, if you serve them little at a time that cuts back on waste. Plus snack is in few hours. I do this for all meals. As long as you have enough to offer them, no need to fill up their plates.
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