We did a class on kids and cooking for some training. One of the rules that is listed was: Only the child care provider can distribute the final product.

So how does this work for family style? My idea of family style would be that the child serves themselve but according to this that isn't allowed.

I have also heard that it isn't sanitary to serve family style. The reasoning is to many hands in contact with it. Also, if a child were to sneeze or cough (while serving themselves) they are contaminating everyones food, not just theirs. That is something I had never thought of. I don't do family style but now I'm not even sure I would want to go that route with what I have read.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Not trying to make anyone angry just thought it was some interesting points.

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I can understand the teachable moments in serving family style, but I can see what they are saying. I would also be afraid that the kids would take too much and food would be wasted.

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Due to time I don't do family style.

But have thought about trying it for special occasions e.g. holidays and doing the summer months I was planning ona breakfast buffet on Fridays just to get he kids use to serving themselves.

I'm all for keeping things sanitary...but with little people that's easier said then done!

what If they cough or sneeze at the table...than what?

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Interesting points. I've always done family style when I worked in a center, but only do about half-and-half family style now that I'm in-home (also, I only serve a snack).

Yes, sometimes children do sneeze in the bowl (or sometimes they sneeze directly on someone's plate or in their face). And, just as gross, sometimes a child licks the serving spoon and then puts it back in the serving bowl (ugh!). When an adult is sitting right there with them at the table, you're able to avert some of this (and especially when you know the worst offenders ).

I think that children need to learn to not sneeze in the community bowl (or in your friends face) and they need to learn to not lick the serving spoon. They need to learn how much to serve themselves and how to do it. They need to learn how to pass bowls to one another and learn manners. Some believe that this is best taught at home. In the current community I'm in, most of the children learn a lot of these things at home (some are learning it now, some will learn it when they're older), so family style meals is not something I stress myself about doing.

I'm interested in hearing others responses to this as well...

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Usually they would have their own food in front of them. I'm just saying when they are serving themselves and have that bowl, dish in front of them and cough/sneeze than that is contaminated for everyone.

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I do family style quite often. Thankfully, we haven't had any illnesses, so I never even thought of the whole coughing/sneezing into the food thing. I feel strongly about eating together and learning table manners. Family style meals gives me the opportunity to teach that. None of the children take too much food, as that is part of the learning experience. Everyone says "Please pass the....." in order to get more food. I usually will put more veggies/fruit in the serving dishes than the protein and grain, just to get them used to the fact that there is supposed to be more plants on your plate.
The only time I don't do family style is if I am serving soup or sandwiches. Even then the fruit/veggie sides are on serving dishes on the table for everyone to get as much as they want.
It took a while, but now, meals are very pleasant here.

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I do family style for every meal....for many of the same reasons AmyLeigh mentioned.

I only put a little bit in the serving bowl at a time, so if a child should cough, sneeze or double dip, I throw it out and start over, and its not that much waste. It hasn;t happened that much though.

I think offering the family atmosphere is more important than worrying about a few germs.

Kids are gonna share germs whether its in the kitchen, at the table, or in the block area.

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I'm like Mel...usually I help my toddlers with their first servings, then the preschooler take their turn. I always say "take one" (spoonful, piece), and even my 18mo toddlers get that they should take one sandwich.

They wash their hands right before meals, so yes, there might be a germ or two, but they probably get more off the toys they share. Obviously, I'm not a germaphobe!

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I serve all the food but place it on the table in fornt of them. Family systle but only I serve.

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I dish up each child a small portion and then put "extras" on a plate family style, when it is applicable.

For example, if we have cheese and crackers, I'll put three on each plate and extras in the middle of the table. They may not take "seconds" until firsts are gone and then only one at a time.

They've learned a lot about table manners in this way. No longer do they "hoard" or "gulp". They know that if they want more, there will be more available if they ask.

It's also cut down a LOT on waste......

It works for me, but I only have three.....

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This is how I do it too. I never thought of coughing or sneezing into the group food, but it hasn't been an issue either.

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THis is almost laughable. What do they think the kids do all day when playing with each other? They mouth toys, they lick windows, they sneeze/cough onto each other, they wipe snot on themselves and others. They pretty much share germs in every single way possible so the whole idea that family style eating shouldn't be done because of the sanitary issues is kind of funny....

(Country Kids...that is NOT directed at you. It is directed at their logic....)

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For me (in the food program) once I serve it I have to throw what's not used away. I can prepare meals ahead of time and box them up in food containers and put them in the fridge or freezer until I'm ready to serve it but once I serve it and someone has touched it I can't put it back in the fridge again. If I were to have a large amount of prepared food and took some of it out of the fridge and served it at the table, whatever was left at the table I'd have to throw away. I can't even save a child's plate that was hardly touched until later, I have to throw what the child didn't eat away. Family style for me would waste more time or more money than it was worth. Even if I only reheated or served a smaller amount and served it to the kids to prevent waste, if the kids ended up liking it and ate everything that I served then I'd have to go back and reheat more. For me, I guess I just prefer to serve the food directly onto plates in the quantities that I'm supposed to and heat them that way and if they are still hungry they get a treat like fruit until they are full.

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I see what you're saying, but this is how I do it....

I either cook a big meal for lunch, and only put a small amount in the serving dishes at a time, then pack up the untouched-never been at the table-leftovers up for my families dinner that night....

or

Cook a big meal for dinner and save the leftovers to reheat (the proper amount/serving size) for lunch the next day.

For me, there isn't any more waste then serving from the counter. If I make a big pot of meatsauce at lunch time, for example, and I only have 4 kids that day, I only put 1 cup in one bowl, and 1 cup of spagetti in another. I can always go back and add more to the serving dish (using a clean spoon of course) and the rest gets packed up for my families dinner.

Its the same amount of food whether I plate it myself or put it in a bowl and let them do it.

Here's a few videos on family style dining......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRBzC...ature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIpan...ature=youtu.be

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I do this too

At any given time, a child can sneeze/cough etc over someone else's food regardless of how it's served.

I think the pros for serving family style far out way the cons. The children and I talk and laugh and really bond over mealtime. They learn manners too.

I serve the food and then place the containers on the kitchen counter behind me, so they are not always directly in front of the kids.

It is easier with the food program too. Here in Utah, if we serve restaurant style, we have to account for how many ounces of food each child was served etc. Serving family style eliminates that as we are not required to break it all down. We just offer it.

So it's a win-win for me.

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This is what I do too. I often make enough to take home for my family too. What I take home to them is on a pot on the stove as I only add a small amount to the serving dishes and go back if necessary. No child contamination!

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