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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Snack Time
CountryRoads 07:48 AM 07-07-2020
AM Snack is at 8:30. As in at 8:30, the kids who are here are sitting down eating snack. I have several kids who come around 8:40-8:50.
Do you feed snack to the ones who come a little later? We start our next activity at 9:00, so I put everything away after fixing the plates for the ones who are here and at 9:00 we are on to the next thing.
It drives me bonkers when I have finished dishing out food for the ones who are here just to have 2 more kids arrive after I put it away
Do you feed snack to the ones who come a little later? We start our next activity at 9:00, so I put everything away after fixing the plates for the ones who are here and at 9:00 we are on to the next thing.
It drives me bonkers when I have finished dishing out food for the ones who are here just to have 2 more kids arrive after I put it away
Blackcat31 08:40 AM 07-07-2020
I require kids to be in attendance 10 minutes prior to beginning of snack/meal time to be ‘eligible’ for that snack/meal.
8:30 snack time requires kids to be signed in NO later than 8:20 NO EXCEPTIONS
Child care schedules are tough as we juggle multiple kids and tasks so you gotta draw the line somewhere. Parents can adjust accordingly.
8:30 snack time requires kids to be signed in NO later than 8:20 NO EXCEPTIONS
Child care schedules are tough as we juggle multiple kids and tasks so you gotta draw the line somewhere. Parents can adjust accordingly.
Cat Herder 08:51 AM 07-07-2020
My mealtimes are set and I don't serve outside of them. Breakfast is the only one that some try to push but I cut it off at exactly 8 am. If they sign in by 7:59 I do serve them, though. It does make it easier that I don't allow drop-offs after 9 am and morning snack isn't until 10 am, though. 
No food from home regardless of time. I have had several who tried to drop at 8:00 with breakfast in hand as if that somehow fixes the problem. So irritating.
I send them back to the car to drive down the road to the park to eat together. Blocking the driveway for others is not an option, either. 
Breakfast is the only one that some try to push but I cut it off at exactly 8 am. If they sign in by 7:59 I do serve them, though. It does make it easier that I don't allow drop-offs after 9 am and morning snack isn't until 10 am, though. No food from home regardless of time. I have had several who tried to drop at 8:00 with breakfast in hand as if that somehow fixes the problem. So irritating.
I send them back to the car to drive down the road to the park to eat together. Blocking the driveway for others is not an option, either.
Meeko 11:20 AM 07-07-2020
I serve breakfast to kids here by 8:30am. Kids arriving at 8:31am don't get breakfast. No exceptions.
CountryRoads 11:31 AM 07-07-2020
These were my thoughts, too!
I just didnt know if it was considered unacceptable to not give a child snack while others were eating at the table at drop-off, kwim?
I sent out a daily schedule a couple months ago, so all my families know snack is at 8:30....if they looked at it lol
I just didnt know if it was considered unacceptable to not give a child snack while others were eating at the table at drop-off, kwim?
I sent out a daily schedule a couple months ago, so all my families know snack is at 8:30....if they looked at it lol
Mariposa 08:15 AM 07-08-2020
I have a window of time that is "acceptable" and once food is away it is away. Plan enough for expected kids. But they have to hurry if they are cutting it.
Former Teacher 07:42 AM 07-09-2020
At my former center, snack was 8:15-8:45 with circle time starting immediately at 9:00 am. If they were there prior to 8:45 they ate. Once it's put away, oh well.
On a side note, I remember the menu that was posted. It said Breakfast, Lunch, Snack. That always bothered me because it wasn't breakfast. It was a snack. I brought my concerns to the director, only to be told that it was my OCD (I didn't know I had it) talking and if we said Snack, parents wouldn't know what we were talking about.
So one day I was chatting with a parent. She asked me what was for breakfast that morning.
Now on the "menu" it was listed with things like cereal, pancakes, waffles, etc.
So I told her the truth, it was Cheese Toast. She asked what else?
Ummm? Juice? What else? That's it.
She was under the impression that the breakfast was a BREAKFAST....just like how my OCD saw it.
I had to explain to her that no, it was a snack. Just something to get little tummies held over until lunch. Then the afternoon snack was something until dinner. So she hadn't been feeding her daughter in the morning because she assumed we would be feeding her.
I told her to say something to the Director/Owner because I was sure other people noticed it as well.
Sure enough, not long after, the menu was changed to AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack
On a side note, I remember the menu that was posted. It said Breakfast, Lunch, Snack. That always bothered me because it wasn't breakfast. It was a snack. I brought my concerns to the director, only to be told that it was my OCD (I didn't know I had it
) talking and if we said Snack, parents wouldn't know what we were talking about.So one day I was chatting with a parent. She asked me what was for breakfast that morning.
Now on the "menu" it was listed with things like cereal, pancakes, waffles, etc.So I told her the truth, it was Cheese Toast. She asked what else?
Ummm? Juice? What else? That's it.She was under the impression that the breakfast was a BREAKFAST....just like how my OCD saw it.
I had to explain to her that no, it was a snack. Just something to get little tummies held over until lunch. Then the afternoon snack was something until dinner. So she hadn't been feeding her daughter in the morning because she assumed we would be feeding her.
I told her to say something to the Director/Owner because I was sure other people noticed it as well.
Sure enough, not long after, the menu was changed to AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack
Cat Herder 10:08 AM 07-09-2020
My bet is that it was about the difference in write off amount in breakfast ($1.33) and snack ($0.74). 
Former Teacher 11:06 AM 07-09-2020
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
My bet is that it was about the difference in write off amount in breakfast ($1.33) and snack ($0.74).
My bet is that it was about the difference in write off amount in breakfast ($1.33) and snack ($0.74).
Normally I would agree with you but we weren't on the food program so who knows?
Then again she (Owner/Director) ALWAYS ALWAYS liked to contradict me. Once we were driving to where ever and I saw a UPS whip around a corner. I mean seriously...it was like top speed.
I said oh my goodness!! Did you see that?!? He took that corner way to fast! She said oh no that's how the trucks do it. I am like...I have seen trucks go around corners before
...this was NOT the case... She told me bluntly "I don't know what you saw but that truck was just fine"...Whatever
Cat Herder 11:15 AM 07-09-2020
I don't do the food program, either, but I do deduct all my meals at the end of the year. Usually good for around $6000+.
Jo123ABC 12:57 PM 07-09-2020
I did give him a muffin after she left if he said she didn't feed him and we usually eat lunch between 11 and 11:30 so he didn't go hungry. It still annoys me when parents think I should stop everything and mess up my schedule and plans for them after they oversleep or whatever.
Former Teacher 02:12 PM 07-09-2020
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I don't do the food program, either, but I do deduct all my meals at the end of the year. Usually good for around $6000+.
Oh nice! I wonder if she ever knew that!I don't do the food program, either, but I do deduct all my meals at the end of the year. Usually good for around $6000+.