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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Part-Timer Pick Up Just Before Lunch
SilverSabre25 08:46 AM 02-02-2011
I have a part-timer who's here all day Monday and Tuesday and only half the day on Wednesday and Thursday--he gets here in the AM and leaves just before lunch WTh.

If you have a child who's supposed to be picked up just before lunch, but mom isn't here yet when lunch is ready, do you serve everyone lunch including that child or wait until mom picks up to give everyone else lunch?

(I'm not griping about her being late *at all*; the dilemma is JUST about whether to serve lunch or hold it in this situation. I also don't need anyone saying things like "I don't allow pre-lunch pick-ups or anything because that's not the issue at hand. Thanks! )
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Little People 08:48 AM 02-02-2011
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
I have a part-timer who's here all day Monday and Tuesday and only half the day on Wednesday and Thursday--he gets here in the AM and leaves just before lunch WTh.

If you have a child who's supposed to be picked up just before lunch, but mom isn't here yet when lunch is ready, do you serve everyone lunch including that child or wait until mom picks up to give everyone else lunch?

(I'm not griping about her being late *at all*; the dilemma is JUST about whether to serve lunch or hold it in this situation. I also don't need anyone saying things like "I don't allow pre-lunch pick-ups or anything because that's not the issue at hand. Thanks! )
I would feed the child and then ask mom if she could let you know the morning of dropping him off if she will be late, so you could make sure you have enough food to feed him.
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JenNJ 08:51 AM 02-02-2011
If he was hungry, I would feed him. But I would bill mom for the lunch, lol.
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DCMomOf3 08:53 AM 02-02-2011
I would also give him lunch and clarify with mom if she expects you to do that regularly or will she be coming earlier from now on.
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Bizzymom1111 08:56 AM 02-02-2011
I would have dcb ready to go and waiting by the door and continue with lunch. My thought is that mom will probably feel bad that her child had to watch everyone else eat, and not be late again. Or you could just give dcb a banana or some crackers while he waits. I would keep my day going as usual.
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Sunny Day 09:10 AM 02-02-2011
I would feed him.
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kendallina 09:12 AM 02-02-2011
I would feed him if he was hungry.
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misol 09:29 AM 02-02-2011
Truthfully, what I would do is set up the other kids in the kitchen and have them eat while I stay in the playroom with the boy until mom got there. If he is in the middle of lunch when she gets there then that means the mom would have to wait around until he's done and I definitely wouldn't want that happening more than once. You know how the kids get when an outsider is in the house

Consider though, that if you start giving him lunch, then the mom might start picking him up AFTER lunch all the time.

If the lateness continues then you could charge her a late fee for being late, then charge her a lunch fee because you had to feed him. She will either start being on time or tell you not to feed him next time she is late.
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SilverSabre25 09:38 AM 02-02-2011
I ended up having to wait for part of lunch to finish cooking anyway so everyone just waited, but it turned out all right. She's not usually late, and I figure it was bad roads--we've got over 1/2 an inch of ice down right now. This is a good daycare family. She came just as I was finishing putting food on the plates and all was well. Thanks for the input though!
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AnythingsPossible 09:52 AM 02-02-2011
I am in the no lunch camp. Chances are Mom would show up as soon as you got him sat down to eat, or right in the middle. If she is running late she may be in a hurry, then get cranky with you for having to wait! I would have him ready and waiting and just remind Mom what time lunch is and if she needs to adjust her schedule she needs to let you know. If he is saying he is hungry I would give him a granola bar to take with him.
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heyhun77 12:37 PM 02-02-2011
I would serve lunch but only because I don't want the routines of the other kids thrown off by one family's pick up and I wouldn't feed them in front of the one leaving. I've had a similar situation at snack time and then parents get antsy when they have to wait for their child to finish eating beforfe they can leave. They aren't usually late again. In this case since she was late due to bad roads I'd bet she was happy that you got him some lunch so she could just have him nap when they got home and she could just fix something for herself.
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nannyde 01:13 PM 02-02-2011
Originally Posted by heyhun77:
I've had a similar situation at snack time and then parents get antsy when they have to wait for their child to finish eating beforfe they can leave.
That's the money shot.

I would offer the child small portions of food but I would take the plate and the child from the table as soon as I saw the parent arriving. I would not want to have a parent hanging out with the other kids while they ate lunch.

That could turn into a daily deal really quickly.
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heyhun77 06:15 AM 02-03-2011
The parents that have done this to me (scheduling pick up times and then being late when we have a meal/snack coming up) were never late again after having to sit and wait for their child to finish. My families are traditional 7:30 to 5:30 families so pick up's during the day are pretty rare and typically when they have appointments. I'll work with them but meals and snacks are so important to our routines and good behavior that I don't hold off on them for long.
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DBug 07:36 AM 02-03-2011
Here if pickups happen while the kids are eating, it's usually a snack time. As soon as I see the parent coming to the door, I get the child washed up and act all excited that the parent is there "Look who's daddy is here! Let's get you ready to go!", and I put the rest of their food in a small container to take with them. Then I pass them off to the parent while the rest of the kids finish up. I definitely don't want the parent hanging out with the kids while they finish either, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to hold off everybody's meal/snack just because one parent is running late.
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