So tell me if this makes sense:

I have sort of adopted a "no kids in the kitchen while I'm preparing food" policy. Dcb2 is under my feet the entire time...worst than my dog! I started sending him into the other room about 2 weeks ago because he was under my feet while I was heating lunch up on the stove. So I said for safety reasons, nobody in the kitchen. Now he stares at me from the other room the entire time. Any movement toward dishes, cabinets, etc and he's coming in. I would say every 30-45 seconds I'm having to send him on his way. He will even take food from other kids when his food is gone. By his actions, you would think he doesn't ever eat. Dcd even made the comment a few weeks ago that he seemed to be losing weight. I took that as an insinuation that I wasn't feeding him enough.

When he first started coming he would go right to the table when he saw me moving around the kitchen. He would yell because I wasn't getting his food quick enough. I started telling him that I wasn't ready for him to sit down and that's when he started following me around the kitchen. Has anybody had this happen before. Any ideas on how to handle it???

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I have the same rule, and a gate across the kitchen.

If you can't gate the kitchen (or he climbs it like my son does) then maybe putting him in his seat and ignoring the yelling?

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I don't have a solution but I do have a similar situation. I care for a four year old girl and any time I'm in the kitchen she is right there staring at me and asking what I'm doing. It annoys the heck out of me.

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My kids do the same.

I usually give them an activity to do while I'm making the meal. My dining and kitchen is open so I can see them the whole time. Sometimes I have them sit and they color and many times I give them a sensory activity to do. I have a sensory table that I fill with noodles, bowls, spoons, etc... or I give them bowls with stuff like flour and water so they can mix it. It keeps them busy for the most part. If they come into the kitchen area, I redirect them away from it.

I have two 1.5 yo's, two 2.5 yo's and a 3 yo.

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I have the same rule, it just isn't safe to have kids underfoot while cooking.

I put a gate up and they stand at the gate and watch. They are supposed to be reading or making puzzles lol.

One dck cries the whole time which I ignore. Another constantly repeats "What are you doing? Oh, making lunch? Oh. What are you doing?" I ignore that too, but it annoys me.

I had a dck that would eat everything he saw, took food from other plates, helped himself to food on the counter. He needed more boundaries...and a gate lol

If your dcb has eaten breakfast like everyone else, then it is reasonable to expect him to wait for his next meal just like everyone else. Maybe he's going through a growth spurt?

Are you thinking he isn't eating enough at home?

Does he arrive hungry? Maybe mom and dad could give him some toast or something at home to hold him over until breakfast. Tell them "dcb seems very hungry when he arrives, breakfast isn't until xx:xx. Perhaps he can have something at home to hold him over"

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He takes other kids food? Does he get seconds? I'm wondering why DCD mentioned the weight loss, how much and what and when is he eating at your house? Do the parents give him a good breakfast? It sounds like he is following you around because he is hungry. He might be used to a different eating schedule or grazing at home all day.

My kids sit at the table and color or look at books while I get lunch ready.

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I have the same issue here. I've taken to having them sit and color or do puzzles, although for the most part, they throw it all on the floor and whine (and sometimes scream) anyway. Last week, I even resorted to about 10 minutes of Little Einsteins on my laptop; which engaged 2/4 of them each time.

It doesn't matter WHEN lunch is. It could literally be 10 minutes after breakfast, same result. They are not hungry enough to be in pain, I know that for sure.

According to FCCER's (which is one reason I am not doing a 4-star under our QIP), I would have to get them back up from the table and rewash hands before they eat, even if I only gave them fresh, sanitized toys to play with before meals! I have 3 toddlers and an 8 month old. No way, once they are all seated, would I start all over again! Of course, FCCER's also says they aren't to wait more than 3 minutes once seated. Okay.....

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They all eat plenty. 4 yr old and 6 yr old (6 yr old is mine) eat the same amount. I even give the 2 yr old a bit more at times. I do breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 11:30 and snack at 3:15. They come at 6:45 and leave around 3:45. You might be right with the grazing because that's the way he was when he first came. He was constantly snacking on goldfish. I got sick of the mess and restricted them to a real schedule and food/drinks only at the table. (They were my first family so we were just developing a daycare routine.) He could eat breakfast and sit down for lunch 10 minutes later. I have even caught him eating crumbs from between the couch cushions! And looking in the garbage can.

I honestly don't think the parents will take the time to feed him before drop-off and they know what time I feed them because we had this discussion when they first started.

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I require that all children have breakfast before they arrive, and I have the exact same meal schedule as you.

I assume they won't be sending him to school hungry.

"As you know, we have a.m. snack at 8:30. It seems dcb is hungry before that. I think it would be a good idea if he had some breakfast; a bowl of cereal or a waffle and milk, before arrival. He's just having a hard time waiting for that first meal!"

Prepare for "can't you just give him something early?"

No...then everyone would want to eat early, and we have a group routine. Wish I could , but I'd be in that kitchen all day and we'd never get to do anything else. I'm sure you understand. "

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I would put troublesome kids at the table to wait. Put toddlers in a high chair.

they either play or be bored at the table and wait, their choice.

I also don't serve breakfast or dinner so the parents have the bulk of feeding. If there child is losing weight, THEY need to figure out the reason and address it at home.

If you are on the food program, I would post a menu and direct the parents to that if they have questions.

I have parents send a sack lunch and I only provide snacks. This reduces all special requests about food because the parents are providing three meals a day. If they have a problem with my snacks, they can send snacks for their child too Funny how no parent ever sends snacks....

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Now you have me thinking! I'm not registered yet so no food program yet. I'm still trying to decide what food situation is worth it. Right now, I provide everything and feel like I should be charging more. The food program at least reimburses but I feel like I will be at the store more often and spend more money to meet their requirements. There are no allergies so there wouldn't be any issues with parents providing the food. But then again, I have heard other providers complain that the kids whine about what this kid has versus what they have. Not quite sure what to do..... Thanks for the ideas!

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I had one who grazed at home and when he started here, he lost weight. I attributed it to: more activity, less snacking, and....probably having some weight to lose!

I have a "no kids in the kitchen" rule too. They only come in to eat, and are not allowed in while I'm cooking. I did have a family who decided against me because of this: I don't quite know what they wanted, but the kids being in the living room playing (sight AND sound!) while I took ten-fifteen minutes to get a snack or meal on the table was not acceptable to them. Whatever. Wouldn't have wanted them anyway, most likely.

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If you can't use any physical barriers what about visible barriers/ boundaries. The mom I babysit for had a long white rectangular rug in the kitchen by the stove/oven and he know not to cross it and that he isn't allowed to go past that point, especially while she is cooking. he's three now, but was even doing this at 2.

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I'm glad my DCKs aren't the only little vultures around. I have the same rule of no kids in the kitchen while I'm prepping food. My older DCK's get it, it's the younger ones I've been having issues with. Particularly the 1.5 y/o lately - but she will eventually get it after she's removed from the kitchen enough times.

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I don't have the whining issue. If kids are troublesome at the table, they are separated from the group and eat with their back to the group at a separate area. That nips it in the bud fast!

I only have one rule for lunches and that is that the parent can only send one small treat item per lunch. If there is extra items, I send it home. Most parents send reasonable options but I did have one parent sending movie sized boxes of candy, Little Debbies, sugar juices and fruit snacks every meal, it was ridiculous! I would send all the junk but one small treat home. If the child doesn't have enough real food in their lunch, I fill in with crackers or sliced fruit.

I know a lot of people don't want to deal with the sack lunch issue but this is what the kids will have to handle at preschool or school. Not everyone's lunch matches, deal with it. It has never been a huge issue here and there is no way I am serving lunch out of my own pocket.

And like I said, if you are not on the food program, you can sidestep all the special food requests by having the parents provide food. I cannot tell you how many kids had allergies, sensitivities, picky eaters, vegetarians, organic only, etc, etc at interview and none of these issues when parents had to send a sack lunch the first day! I am fine with whatever eating needs and habits a family has but the parent has the responsibility to fill those needs! I am not buying organic milk, almond milk, soy, different percentages and brands of milk for you kid when you send plain whole milk for their sack lunch! LOL It is very funny to me how fast these parents change their request when they have to pay $6 a gallon for something.

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I have a very strong gate across the kitchen. My dcg2 will stand on the gate every time I go in there. I tell her every time to get off it. She asks 'food time'? every time I go in there. Or she'll sit at the table. Kind of cute, but annoying. She'll also ask me over and over for milk until it appears in her hand. While I'm pouring it, etc...really annoying.

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My husband cut the door in half and made a "church door" where it is half the height and still has a lock on it so I can see and hear the kids while preparing meals. I have also gotten the kids into the habit of everyone sitting at the table quietly or the food will not come out.

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My little ones go into their highchairs while I prepare. If the older ones cannot entertain themselves while I fix lunch, I sit them at the table with their own little white boards and they can draw or write whatever they choose. It works really well. I had the gate but they would just hang and scream on the other side which drove me more crazy!

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see, that's what I do, too. The only problem I have is that they often still scream. I talk to them, and sometimes pretend to be Julia Child, but giving them toys doesn't usually work. They toss them and then scream anyway. My instructor from college (while observing) suggested giving them crackers, but I am NOT going there.

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I just let them cry and don't try to entertain them at all. Ignoring does work. I just go about my business calmly, no early snacks, no toys and eventually they figure out that sitting in the chair is easily than crying when no one is listening.

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Everyone (they're all 2-5) starts out in a group at circle time reading the special circle time books with each other. Once one starts getting a little crazy (there really is only one), then he gets separated from the group, brings his books, and comes and sits on one of those gel kitchen mats in the kitchen with me so I can monitor him. He sits in a location where he can't see what I am preparing (otherwise, he would purposely get in trouble so he could sit in the kitchen ) but I can easily see him.

We go to the tables when it is time to eat to say our prayer and dig in. If they sit at the tables during other parts of the day, they get a book out of the special book box right by the tables.

I do not allow children in the kitchen to wander in and out or play when I am preparing a meal. I have a door on one side and a gate on the other that I can lock if I need to.

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