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Parents and Guardians Forum>Daycare No Longer Providing Morning Snack
nancy123 05:56 AM 01-03-2011
Maybe I am making too big a deal, but my daycare is no longer providing morning snack(children already bring their own lunches from home). They said it is because they are wasting too much food. They said that they will offer the children a snack from their lunch box if they are hungry. Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat. I have three kids in daycare, and it is hard enough offering a vary of foods throughout the week as it is. Not to mention I will have to buy more food for the school week.
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Cat Herder 07:11 AM 01-03-2011
Are they providing any other meal for the day, like breakfast or afternoon snack?

Did they raise rates this year?
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jen 07:13 AM 01-03-2011
Do they provide an afternoon snack? What time is lunch? Also, is this center based or home based?

I don't provide a morning snack either. We eat breakfast upon arrival, provided that the child arrives before 8am. After 8am, they should arrived already fed.

We eat lunch at 10:45 during the school year--the kindergarten bus comes at 11:15. We have an afternoon snack at 2:30 or 3pm.
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Live and Learn 07:17 AM 01-03-2011
My daycare kiddies come with all of their own foods for the day...snacks and lunch. They eat breakfast before they arrive and I provide water to drink with meals. This is the way I have always done it.
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jen 07:22 AM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by Live and Learn:
My daycare kiddies come with all of their own foods for the day...snacks and lunch. They eat breakfast before they arrive and I provide water to drink with meals. This is the way I have always done it.
Do they bring their own milk, too?
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Cat Herder 07:44 AM 01-03-2011
I provide everything for 2 meals and 2 snacks everyday, here, but have thought about discontinuing morning snack a couple times. Since breakfast is from 8:00am-9:00am (as they arrive) and lunch is at 12:00pm, the 10:00am snack is not quite as urgent when funds are getting too tight to keep up to my standards of service. My afternoon snack is at 3:30 but parents continue to ask me to offer another at 5:00. I do not offer supper since I feel kids should have at least one meal with their parents a day.

I went with a $10/per head/per week rate hike to cover the extra expenses (power bill hike, tax hike, water bill hike, insurance hike, grocery hike, etc. this year) instead of cutting services. Your daycare may have decided they would get less trouble from parents with discontinuing services instead of raising their rates.

Unfortnately, now, most parents will not notice a lowering of the level of childcare services BUT will be infuriated by a rate hike to be able to continue to offer higher level of service..... I wish it was different. Your provider most likely lost quite a bit of sleep over the decision.
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Live and Learn 07:48 AM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by jen:
Do they bring their own milk, too?
Those that want milk provide it. I provide water only.
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SilverSabre25 07:54 AM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
I provide everything for 2 meals and 2 snacks everyday, here, but have thought about discontinuing morning snack a couple times. Since breakfast is from 8:00am-9:00am (as they arrive) and lunch is at 12:00pm, the 10:00am snack is not quite as urgent when funds are getting too tight to keep up to my standards of service. My afternoon snack is at 3:30 but parents continue to ask me to offer another at 5:00. I do not offer supper since I feel kids should have at least one meal with their parents a day.
I have also thought of discontinuing morning snack for this reason--breakfast is at 8-8:30, half my kids don't get here until 9:30 or 10, and with 10:30 snack and 12:30 lunch...I dunno. I've thought of moving lunch up to 11:30 and dropping snack.
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Unregistered 10:42 AM 01-03-2011
I did away with mine because every single day, I was throwing away snacks that were barely touched. It gets incredibly frustrating to see that much waste. I tried the approaach of asking who wanted snack and everyone would always say "me" but then they wouldn't eat the snack even though they asked for it. There is only 3.5 hours between breakfast and lunch so I just opted to skip AM snack unless we are having a late lunch.
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Blackcat31 11:44 AM 01-03-2011
I provide breakfast from the time I open until 9:00 a.m. and then lunch from 11:30-12:30 and PM snack at 2:30-3:00. Food program only reimburses for 3 (2 snack and one meal or 2 meals and 1 snack) so that is all I do. I did away with morning snack a long time ago because kids who eat a hearty breakfast would waste the snack in the a.m. so I got tired of wasting food and just made sure the breakfasts were substantial enough to last until lunch.
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marniewon 12:22 PM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I provide breakfast from the time I open until 9:00 a.m. and then lunch from 11:30-12:30 and PM snack at 2:30-3:00. Food program only reimburses for 3 (2 snack and one meal or 2 meals and 1 snack) so that is all I do. I did away with morning snack a long time ago because kids who eat a hearty breakfast would waste the snack in the a.m. so I got tired of wasting food and just made sure the breakfasts were substantial enough to last until lunch.
This is what I do for the exact same reason.
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daysofelijah 01:17 PM 01-03-2011
I did away with morning snack a long time ago. We eat breakfast at 8-8:30, then lunch at 11:30-12. When I offered morning snack the kids wouldn't eat their lunch. After doing away with it they eat a much better lunch and I throw away a lot less food.
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nannyde 01:51 PM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
Maybe I am making too big a deal, but my daycare is no longer providing morning snack(children already bring their own lunches from home). They said it is because they are wasting too much food. They said that they will offer the children a snack from their lunch box if they are hungry. Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat. I have three kids in daycare, and it is hard enough offering a vary of foods throughout the week as it is. Not to mention I will have to buy more food for the school week.
Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat.

All of the kids would say they wanted a snack whether they were hungry or not. You wouldn't be able to do it for some and not others. So either you DO morning snack or you don't.

Are you doing breakfast at home? Does the day care not serve breakfast? If they don't serve breakfast then my guess is that they are having a large number of their kids coming to daycare who SHOULD have eaten at home in the morning but didn't so morning snack is turning into a full breakfast.

When parents know that a morning snack is coming they often don't do breakfast at all or just give treats in the morning on the way. They rationalize that it's okay if the kid doesn't eat anything or eat anything healthy because they will get a snack soon.

When you do morning snack but not breakfast and you have a group of kids who were supposed to eat breakfast at home but didn't... then morning snack turns into a deal where they want a ton of the snack food because they haven't eaten since the night before.

My guess is that they are cutting morning snack because a large percentage of their parents are relying on it to be the childs breakfast. Once the parents KNOW that NO food is coming until eleven THEN they will be more likely to actually take the time in the morning and do a breakfast. Even WITH that rule tho you will always have parents who refuse to feed their kid in the morning because they do not want to build that time into their morning and do the work of preparing and supervising their kids while they are getting ready for work.

If they are providing breakfast and it is a good healthy meal then the kids don't need a morning snack if they do lunch relatively early... like eleven.
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Former Teacher 03:13 PM 01-03-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat.

My guess is that they are cutting morning snack because a large percentage of their parents are relying on it to be the childs breakfast. Once the parents KNOW that NO food is coming until eleven THEN they will be more likely to actually take the time in the morning and do a breakfast. Even WITH that rule tho you will always have parents who refuse to feed their kid in the morning because they do not want to build that time into their morning and do the work of preparing and supervising their kids while they are getting ready for work.
.
So VERY true. I can't tell how many times I have repeatedly told the current parents as well as parents coming in about snack times.

I had to ALWAYS stress to the parents that morning snack was a little something to get the kiddos to lunch and afternoon snack was something to get them to dinner.

I remember one parent dropped normally dropped their child at 7:15 one morning was running late. Snack is served at 8:30. Mom came in running in at 8:35 a.m. and was stunned to graham crackers and juice out. She was like OMG...but didn't say anything.

Next morning same thing. This time we had french toast sticks and juice (milk was served during lunch only). There was still a few left on the tray and the mother said OMG...that's all?!!? I said "yes ma'am. We only make enough for the kids who are going to be here". She said "what if they want more?" I explained to her that "snack was just a little something to hold tummies over until lunch". She said "well So and So hasn't eaten since last night"....umm ok...it's 8:45 a.m. and you haven't fed your child?!? "Ma'am I can give her some dry cereal but we ALWAYS have something small. It is by no means a huge breakfast." Mom told me that when she saw the menu it stated pancakes, waffles, etc. I explained to "Yes, but these are bite size servings". She then started to tell me that she assumed that the daughter (age 3 years) was getting this FULL breakfast, eggs, toast, juice, milk...kinda like hotel continental breakfast

She felt bad and stated that from then on she would make sure she would feed her in the morning.
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nancy123 05:49 AM 01-04-2011
They were providing morning snack @ 8:30(my kids get there at 7:00am already feed) and afternoon snack @ 3:30, and all milk and juice for the day. The children bring their own lunches, no breakfast is served. The center will continue to provide all drinks and afternoon snack only. My kids get up at 6:00 and eat a small breakfast (b/c it is early, they are not very hungry) and we leave the house @ 6:50, so they are hungry @ 8:30.
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SilverSabre25 06:10 AM 01-04-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
They were providing morning snack @ 8:30(my kids get there at 7:00am already feed) and afternoon snack @ 3:30, and all milk and juice for the day. The children bring their own lunches, no breakfast is served. The center will continue to provide all drinks and afternoon snack only. My kids get up at 6:00 and eat a small breakfast (b/c it is early, they are not very hungry) and we leave the house @ 6:50, so they are hungry @ 8:30.
Are they offering a time for morning snack so you can send one? It would be as easy as sticking a couple graham crackers and a string cheese, or a cereal bar, or a clementine in the lunchbox for snack.
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Aya477 11:56 AM 01-04-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
They were providing morning snack @ 8:30(my kids get there at 7:00am already feed) and afternoon snack @ 3:30, and all milk and juice for the day. The children bring their own lunches, no breakfast is served. The center will continue to provide all drinks and afternoon snack only. My kids get up at 6:00 and eat a small breakfast (b/c it is early, they are not very hungry) and we leave the house @ 6:50, so they are hungry @ 8:30.
Nancy, if the daycare your child attends is licensed I would suggest you check with your state licensing entity to ask what meals are required to be served. For example, in NC for a center opened 6am-6pm must serve a morning snack, full lunch, and afternoon snack. Whether or not a child eats a single bit of it is irrelevant--it must be offered in NC.
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nannyde 12:12 PM 01-04-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
They were providing morning snack @ 8:30(my kids get there at 7:00am already feed) and afternoon snack @ 3:30, and all milk and juice for the day. The children bring their own lunches, no breakfast is served. The center will continue to provide all drinks and afternoon snack only. My kids get up at 6:00 and eat a small breakfast (b/c it is early, they are not very hungry) and we leave the house @ 6:50, so they are hungry @ 8:30.
Yup

It sounds like they are doing breakfast with the a.m. snack. They couldn't tell you guys that the kids were scarfing down the snack and the other parents were bringing in their kid without breakfast so they told you the opposite: They are NOT eating so it's not necessary and they are throwing food away.

I promise you that if they are doing a snack at eight thirty they are going to have a LOT of parents who don't do ANY breakfast at all. My guess is they tried doing "snack" and a small cup of juice (this would be a few crackers and four ounces of juice) and then found that they had a TON of kids still really hungry and wanting the snacky snack food "snack". They ended up DOING breakfast with a bunch of hungry kids.

If they cut off the snack then they can say to the parents that they will NOT have any food until lunch unless the parents provide the food. They will most likely get hit with a lot of "snack" food in the lunch boxes that are really for the kids breakfast.

It's a simple fix: Just pop in your kids lunchbox a baggie of dry cereal and a juice box and ask them to give it to them when the kids are hungry. Also if you aren't doing this: consider doing a really nice hearty home made breakfast for your kids and sit down with them in the morning to eat. Home made pancakes, biscuits and gravy, french toast, oatmeal and fruit... stuff like that. If you get up maybe fifteen minutes earlier and have some special time with them and then make a good hefty breakfast you should be fine.

Having a good home made breakfast together is such a wonderful way to start the day. It doesn't matter if it's at six a.m. or six thirty... if you all get to bed at a reasonable time at night and are prepared for the morning you should be able to have that family time together which will really increase their liklihood of eating a nice big breakfast.

I have a group now where every parent gets up and MAKES breakfast and has breakfast as a family. They are super awesome kids and soooooooooo healthy and well behaved. I love this about my group.
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nannyde 12:13 PM 01-04-2011
Doesn't sound like they are on the food program because I don't think they can do a.m. snack that early if they are.
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Live and Learn 12:26 PM 01-04-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
Not to mention I will have to buy more food for the school week.
It sounds to me that the daycare will still offer snack but that the parents will need to supply it. It sounds to me that op is upset to have to supply more food not worried about her child going hungry.

My suggestion is to get up earlier as Nannyde suggested and feed your kid a bigger breakfast....something that really sticks to your bones...oatmeal, breakfast sausages...whatever. Then throw a handful of cereal and dried fruit into a ziplock bag for snack and call it good!
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Unregistered 10:34 AM 01-05-2011
I do not provide a morning snack at my home daycare either. We have breakfast at 8:00 and lunch at 11:00. I do an early lunch because the kids do get hungry if they dont eat a lot for breakfast. Does your daycare belong to a food program? They would get reimbursed for the meals they serve if they did.
www.daycareheadquarters.com
Angela
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lvt77 01:56 PM 01-05-2011
We all know that with kids your going to have food waste. No way of getting around it...

Im not too sure why the provider is not just offering a smaller amount of food.
I start out with small portions and then wait to see who asks for seconds, which most of them do....If I made too much food, then I try to squeeze it into the next meal reducing food waste..... Children need to eat every 3 hours just like adults to remain healthy....food is fuel...the body should not have to starve and store fat wating for its next meal 3.5 hours later..

I serve a small breakfast, large am snack, then we play outside until lunch...Most of the kids are begging to eat lunch from burning all the calories they took in at am snack...

let me ask this....if you have some children eating and those that don't want to eat playing, or doing something else, how do you watch all of the kids at the same time? I know I can't.....
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countrymom 10:30 AM 01-06-2011
I don't know, something doesn't sit right with me. by the sounds of it, the children are going to go hungry. If the center was worried about wasting food, then maybe they should have looked over their menu better, not ever child is going to eat everything and like everything. and what about portion sizes, were the children getting large protions and couldn't finish it. I would start asking more questions.
also, now that you as a parent have to pack all the food, are you going to get a discount, and what are the providers now doing now that they dont have to provide any meals.
now that I think about it, I don't understand the reasoning behing this lunch bringing stuff. I know that by eating at my house, its the only healthy meal many of the children get and food is a tax write off, so why wouldn't you take advantage of it.
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Unregistered 10:42 AM 01-06-2011
I have eliminated the morning snack as well b/c if they eat a good brkfst they can go until lunch. Br is at 9:00am, lunch is 12:00, pm snack is 3:45. I know that seems like a late schedule but My first kid gets here at 745 and there not usually quite ready for a meal yet. I find that kids dont eat a good lunch if they have a morning snack. They should have given you some warning about that. Alot of daycares are havign parents bring there own lunches/snacks from home. I provide 2 meals and one snack daily.
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countrymom 02:39 PM 01-06-2011
I wouldn't say that I elimanted the morning snack, because sometimes we have it and sometimes we don't, it varies with breakfast and what we are doing, but I understand elimanating if you provide meals but if you don't provide anything, it just seems weird.
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Live and Learn 02:58 PM 01-06-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
Maybe I am making too big a deal, but my daycare is no longer providing morning snack(children already bring their own lunches from home). They said it is because they are wasting too much food. They said that they will offer the children a snack from their lunch box if they are hungry. Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat. I have three kids in daycare, and it is hard enough offering a vary of foods throughout the week as it is. Not to mention I will have to buy more food for the school week.
read the original post......it doesn't say that kids can't have snack. Just that the daycare won't provide it......"they will offer the children a snack from their lunch box if they are hungry."
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melissa ann 04:41 PM 01-06-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have eliminated the morning snack as well b/c if they eat a good brkfst they can go until lunch. Br is at 9:00am, lunch is 12:00, pm snack is 3:45. I know that seems like a late schedule but My first kid gets here at 745 and there not usually quite ready for a meal yet. I find that kids dont eat a good lunch if they have a morning snack. They should have given you some warning about that. Alot of daycares are havign parents bring there own lunches/snacks from home. I provide 2 meals and one snack daily.
Breakfast at 9 seems late to me. If kids are coming that late, they should have breakfast at home. I serve breakfast unil 7:30 as we leave for the bus stop at 8:10. This gives the kids time to finish. Right now, though, I have a dcg who shows up at the time we leave for the bus and the other 2 come at 9. So I don't do breakfast right now. I do provide a snack around 9:45 and lunch is right after 12.
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Unregistered 08:43 PM 01-26-2011
I agree with Country Mom and lvt77. This seems crazy to me. I know it's hard to continue to provide food and it can be expensive..and frankly, parents don't stay in a center because you provide fruits and vegetables - which is unfortunate..but cutting AM snack...and having kids bring their own lunch? I guess to each his own. I have breakfast at 8am and it's not "a little something" or "bite size" because I'm not sure why it would be..no offense. I don't get it. Why would it be bite size. I wouldn't want my 4 year old eating bite size for breakfast. Waffles, pancakes...they're not expensive. They have breakfast at 8 and by 10 am they're hungry after circle time and music so we have some fruit or veggie (something small to hold over their tummies) and by noon (after running around again outside), they're hungry again.
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Unregistered 02:00 PM 02-10-2011
I am a parent and not a provider.

Is it really that big of a deal to make the adjustment and put a "morning snack" in your child's lunch? I'm sure you can find the resources to do this so your children are adequately fed. Your children are a priority. This is a no brainer to me.

Whether parents like it or not the day care is indeed in charge. They can make a policy change based on what is going on in the day care AS A WHOLE. The kids may not be eating the snack or (much more likely) the parents are bringing unfed, hungry children. You are not privy to this information but you do have the option of finding another day care if you desire.

First and foremost, you are responsible for the well-being of your child, not anyone else. You can't find the money and/or resources to do this for your child but expect a complete strange/day care to be able to do this and incurr the added expense for all the children in their care, that are in no way related to them?!! Parents need to take a look at themselves sometimes and not point fingers.
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dEHmom 06:55 AM 02-11-2011
My Turn!

The daycare probably found that the added expense of X amount of kids for snack that no one eats anyways was easier to cut out instead of raising rates.

To be honest, I bet everything on it that they debated for months about this, thinking, "should we raise the rates by $1/day/child" (that's 5 dollars a week!) or "should we cut out the snack that no one eats?".

Admit it, if they told you they were raising the rates $5/week/child, that's $15/week for you? if all 3 of your kids are in daycare, that's 60/month extra you are paying, are you telling me you wouldn't be having a hissy fit and then saying "i'll provide the snack if you don't raise the rates"?!?!?!

That's what I see. No matter what, someone's going to have a fit. That's how it ALWAYS goes.

I understand how some may be concerned but IMHO, most parents don't want to get up 15 minutes earlier to feed their kids a good breakfast, so they buy some garbage sugared cereals, and this is what they feed their kids.
And if they provide all the juice and milk still, that's I don't see a problem. Milk is filling, and I try not to feed my kids milk until after they've finished eating because they fill up on milk, and don't eat anything. Milk is expensive, think about this: (based on 3 kids, with 3 servings of milk a day)

4oz milk X 3/day= 12 oz X 3 kids= 36 oz milk they are providing a day

a 4 litre jug of milk at approx $5/jug (depends where you live how much it is), is going to last apprx 3 days. So they are spending $10/week on milk for every 3 children in their care.

That does not include the milk that goes into bowls of cereal should they provide breakfast. That does not include milk that goes into meals prepared for lunches. Please remember this is only the milk I've factored a cost into. If you want them to serve snacks, they also have to buy fruits, vegs, crackers, etc.

They may not have the funds to purchase the snacks. They may be deciding to puchase snacks over new equipment to keep it safe or improve the care they provide. They may be deciding to purchase snacks over replacing books, or maybe even purchase snacks over buying craft supplies!

Please, if it concerns you why, maybe discuss this in private with them, but don't go in there with an attitude, don't go in there with anger.

It's hard to know whether this is a daycare center or a dayhome from what you're posted. It's hard to know if this is licensed or unlicensed. All of this plays a major factor in why they may be doing this.

Food expense is tax deductible, but that doesn't mean they have the funds now to dish out. It's not like we get a cheque back at the end of the year for the money we've spent on food.

EVERYONE is trying to stretch their dollars, but if you are simply upset because you have to stick some more food in your childs lunch box then that is very unfair to take that out on the providers. Cost of living rises, but yet the cost of childcare has not risen. When I was a baby my mom was doing daycare, and she charged the same as the standard rates are now. Yet we are all expected to provide the same care for less money. Cost of food, milk, gas to get to the store to buy this, etc, has all gone up.

Unfortunately there are a lot of bad apples out there, and many ruin it for others.

My daughters school implemented this new snack eating time thing. Personally I HATE IT! Many parents like it, but I don't.
Last year I had to send 2 snacks and a lunch (kindergartener). She ate everything EVERYTHING.
This year, I have to send snack and a lunch, and she brings home so much that I have to throw away! They don't get enough time to eat first off, secondly, the times they eat lunch and their snacks is ridiculous! They eat their snack before their lunch. So, the kids eat snack, and then they don't eat their lunch! And then they are starving when they get home from school, so you give them a small snack, and then they don't eat their supper.

I have an idea then, Why don't the parents take turns supplying something for snack instead? Why not discuss this with them? Say this week I'll provide the milk, Sally will provide the fruits/crackers, etc.
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gbcc 04:06 AM 02-15-2011
I did away with morning snack this past September because it was costing way too much in food for the week. I serve breakfast until 8am. What I found was that parents were not feeding kids breakfast and expecting me to make it up with snack. They would not be satisfied with just a snack and would whine until lunch. I figured parents would be forced to feed the child breakfast. It was a battle for a bit but parents finally saw that I would not cave in and started giving breakfast. One parent actually tried dropping her child off half an hour earlier just to avoid feeding her own child breakfast
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Christian Mother 08:59 PM 03-16-2011
I did away with morning snack and talked to all my parents about it before hand. I am a home based childcare. I started noticing that if the parents feed breakfast in the morning they where still hungry so at 7-7:30am I would feed them another hearty breakfast...some of my kido's didn't have breakfast. Everyone at breakfast whether they ate or not at home. All the kido's would eat everything...so I got rid of morning snack bc they would get filled up on snack and not each lunch. It solved my problem right away. Breakfast is fun here and although I full support breakfast with mom and dad. Sometimes it doesn't always happen so they can have breakfast with me. We just skip snack bc lunch is another big deal. After nap we change diapers and have our afternoon snack...it works out great and no one parent complains.
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youretooloud 07:36 AM 03-17-2011
I also dropped morning snack too. I serve breakfast a little later... so, it's "brunch". But, the kids wont eat that often.

I also do not serve milk. I serve water only.
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Meyou 09:12 AM 03-17-2011
I don't serve breakfast here. If kids arrive before 8am they can eat breakfast that they bring with them at the table. After 8am if you haven't fed your kids yet, you're lazy IMO. :P

I do morning snack at 10:30, lunch at 12:30 and PM snack at 3pm. I also give the kids a little something about 4:30 like 1/2 an apple outside while they play because most don't get dinner at home until 6pm. My kids gobble their morning snack but I have all good eaters that are busy all morning. All my kids get breakfast everyday at home because its one of the things I ask the kids every morning. Maybe that shames the parents into feeding them since they know their kid is going to report to me.
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Unregistered 09:17 AM 03-17-2011
After a short time I nixed morning snack b/c the kids were not eatting there lunch. Ithink sometimes a morning snack is just away to give the kids a break in the morning. I think it depends on the age of the children also.
Debbie
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Meeko 09:21 AM 03-17-2011
....our state and food program REQUIRES us to serve breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack. It's not an option.

I guess each state is different!
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dEHmom 10:50 AM 03-17-2011
I think the biggest difference is that snacks often become more of a meal.

Honestly, after school 4pm I give the kids 1/2 a granola bar, and some yogurt, or something of the sorts. Yeah I know each kid could eat a whole granola bar, but then they won't eat supper.

Snack is not to fill the kids, it's to give them a little energy to make it through to next meal. There is nothing wrong with being hungry come supper time, starving is not good, and not hungry is not good. That's one of the biggest things I've learned and I've never had to diet, or exercise to stay thin. lol. Leaving the table a little less full at meals also helps.

I often don't serve a morning snack simply because the kids eat a good breakfast. By the time they eat, have a nap and wake up, it's usually 10:30- 11:30 am and then it's lunch time. They eat at 11:45 for lunch, and then nap at 1:30- 2:45 and we leave to get kids from school, come home have a 345-4pm snack and wait for parents to pick up. I just don't see a slot in there for a morning snack. I serve breakfast at 7:45. Usually they finish around 8:10.

If they tell me they are hungry at 930, (for any who are awake), then I find them something to munch on.
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Unregistered 10:01 PM 10-23-2011
This is coming from a childcare providers opinion who operates a Montessori Preschool/Dayhome program from my home. I am currently in the process of changing my lunch/snack program as well. I will be asking the parents to provide both A.M., P.M snacks and lunch.

My current childcare fees are only $525.00 per month, soon to go up to $650.00 per month. If you break that down, I only make $20.00 - $25.00 per day, per child (if I'm lucky). Break it down further by taking out what I spend for lunches and snacks (which vary between $5 - $10 per day depending on what is being served because let's face it parents want healthy nutritious meals and snacks (which can be expensive). Don't get me wrong I think it's very important to provide healthy nutritious snacks to children. Anyways, That brings it down to about $15.00 a day. Take away arts and crafts materials (because parents want them to do arts and crafts EVERYDAY), as well as heating costs, hydro costs, wear and tear of toys, wear and tear of the premise etc. If I'm lucky I might make $1 - $2.00 per hour taking care of one child. Yes, I take care of 6 children but I can't look at it that way. I have to look at it as each individual child. Today I could have six children, tomorrow 3. That's the reality of doing childcare. I love my job. I love taking care of children and teaching them, and that's why I do it. However, with that in mind I still have to make some money.

Parents tell you their children are the most important people in their life, however when it comes down to paying for childcare they don't want to pay for it. They want the healthy meals, the BEST quality of care, a preschool program etc. etc. but they are NOT willing to pay for it. And when we as childcare providers turn around and ask parents to provide meals and snack so we can spend more time with their child-instead of preparing meals, or because we are wasting a great deal of food because there children are not eating the meals or snacks or so we can actual use that extra money towards more arts and crafts or learning materials, parents are upset, and make comments like, "I can't believe my daycare won't provide this", "I can't believe I have to to try to decide what to feed them everyday or get up and make my children's meals." When I hear or read comments like that I feel like asking that person, "do you make $1.00 an hour where you work?" "Do the customers come to your house and destroy your house, or break your toys. Is your child actually the most importat person in your life?" It's this simple...If you want me to provide your childs meals and snacks then you have to pay for it. Meaning don't expect to pay $550 per month or even $650 per month. Now you'll be charged by the day instead and your fees will be close to a $1000. a month. Parents don't seem to understand that childcare providers who operate a dayhome from their home DO NOT get paid what they are truly worth. We HAVE to HAVE 6 or 7 or 8 children in our care (if your allowed to in your province or state) to actually make at LEAST min. wage/any sort of money. They DON'T understand when we do our taxes it shows up as us actually not making anything. It's extremly difficult to get loans etc. based on our income because on line 150 iT States we only made $2000 for the year (because we have tried to claim so much, so we don't have to pay a huge amount of taxes) This is what I have to say to that one parent... "suck it up butter cup. If you don't like it go somewhere else. Personally, I wouldn't want you in my daycare if I read your comment. I would find it insulting. And it would demenstrate to me how much you think I'm truly worth. No childcare provider wants an ungrateful parent in their program. I recently opened my daycare at 5:30am (1 1/2hour before open) for a parent who had to work early and closed it at 6:30pm (1 1/2 hrs after closing) at night because they didn't get off work until 6:00pm. (I did this for four days straight.) How much did I get paid for working 13 hours of care $1.92 per hour (This included breakfast, 2 snacks, lunch and dinner). $25.00 for 13 hours of care! I wasn't paid over time, like the parent was. She makes well over $15 an hour and her husband makes $20.00 an hour. Even though he is there only child and the most important person in their life, When I told the parent I would need to charge her more to open my daycare that early and close it that late, she told me she would have to withdraw him from my program and bring him somewhere else.

So the next time you want to complain about a daycare; whether it be a daycare center or dayhome provider and them asking you to provide meals, think about how much they charge you per child, per day, then break it down to an hourly rate, and be grateful that's all they charge you. The going rate for a nanny is about $10 - $15+ an hour.

FYI: My parents have no reason to complain by me asking them to provide their child's own meals & snacks. I offer a Montessori Preschool program in the morning and in the afternoon. We also do Yoga once a week, have art classes (outside of the regular arts and crafts), baking/cooking classes, skating lessons, swimming lessons, kindermusik clases (All included in the price.) As well as a Thanksgiving dinner, Halloween parties, Christmas parties etc. A year end birthday party with gifts for each child to celebrate everyones birthday. All of this for $525.
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Unregistered 10:23 PM 10-23-2011
Originally Posted by nancy123:
Maybe I am making too big a deal, but my daycare is no longer providing morning snack(children already bring their own lunches from home). They said it is because they are wasting too much food. They said that they will offer the children a snack from their lunch box if they are hungry. Why can't they still provide morning snack, and ask who is hungry and wants to eat. I have three kids in daycare, and it is hard enough offering a vary of foods throughout the week as it is. Not to mention I will have to buy more food for the school week.

Because that's their new policy, that's why they don't provide snacks.

Regardless of how much you pay for childcare it probably still doesn't come close to what you should ACTUALLY be paying and them charging you, instead of them giving you a discounted rate. YES a discounted rate, because unless you are paying an hourly rate (At LEAST min. wage), for each one of your children to attend that daycare, you ARE getting a discount. I know parents can't afford to pay an hourly rate for childcare, so childcare providers and daycare centers are FORCED by parents and society to charge parents a discount. You have NO REASON to complain that they have asked you to provide those meals or snacks. If you don't like it, quite your job and care for your own kids. I had FOUR children in daycare at one time. It cost me well over $2400 per month, and I had to provide their own meals. I decided, after a year of that, I would be better of quiting my job (I worked at a Montessori Preschool) and raising my own children. Oncethey got old enough, I opened my own Montessori Preschool from my home with daycare hours.

I know your upset about this new policy, and perhaps you can't afford childcare but you shouldn't blame the daycare center for that. They have bills to pay just like you, they have employees to pay. If it's a dayhome, they still have bills to pay, also think about the wear and tear on their house. Do you think charging a parent $20 or $25 or $40 a day or even charging a flat rate of $500 or $600 a month covers that? No. We do what we do because we love it. Ask your daycare provider "WHY" they are no longer providing that type of service anymore, and actual listen to their reasons. They are probably VERY GOOD reasons.
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Unregistered 10:53 AM 10-24-2011
That is strange not to provide a snack
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permanentvacation 10:57 AM 10-25-2011
Your provider said that she is not providing morning snack because the kids waste the food. She has noticed that obviously they are not hungry enough to eat the food offered at that time. I don't understand why you are fussing over her saying that she has paid attention to the children enough to realize that they aren't hungry at that time. If the kids are not really eating the food at morning snack, then it makes perfect sense that they stop serving morning snack.
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