"Light tea"?

[mumofone]

If you offer mindees a light tea before they go home at the end of the day can I ask what kind of thing you offer them? I am doing this for a mindee that gets a hot school lunch...

[mama2three]

I offer a full meal , but I do have friends who do light tea........things they do are pizza , hotdogs , omelettes , stuffed pittas , chicken goujon wraps , soup and crusty bread , pasta bakes etc.....

[HTSMumma]

If you offer mindees a light tea before they go home at the end of the day can I ask what kind of thing you offer them? I am doing this for a mindee that gets a hot school lunch...
I do a big lunch and then a tea time snack so they can go home and have dinner with their parents.
I do something with some fruit and yoghurt. That something can be toasted teacakes, sandwiches, crumpets, beans on toast, soup, cheese and onion rolls, bagels, English muffins or pitta pockets.

[Mouse]

If you offer mindees a light tea before they go home at the end of the day can I ask what kind of thing you offer them? I am doing this for a mindee that gets a hot school lunch...

Do they eat when they get home or is your tea their main evening meal?

If you've ever seen a school hot lunch you'll realise that it's not that great. It certainly isn't enough to fill a child and count as a main meal for the day.

If a child is going to eat at home, but not until late, I do a 'substantial snack' consisting of a sandwich, cucumber & tomatoes. Instead of a sandwich I'll sometimes do crumpets, cheese and crackers or toast etc.

If they're not going to eat at home I will give a proper tea, regardless of what they've had at school.

[JCrakers]

I offer the afterschool children a light tea. It consists of a sandwich (cheese or ham, cuc, tom, lettuce, tune etc) Or beans on toast/spag on toast, Pizza and salad and occasional hot dogs.
Followed by fruit

My week usually consists of Mon - sandwiches, Tues - something on toast, Weds - sandwiches or pizza, Thurs - sandwiches or something on toast. Hotdogs on occasional Weds but all children are over 8 :D

They all have a hot school meal and this works well because I don't cook hot food. (only for little ones which consists of Sunday lunch reheated etc)

My little ones usually go home for tea so they have sandwiches for lunch. I have 1 EY on a Thursday who has both lunch and tea here so I do a hot meal (which was the families meal the day before) and then whatever the older ones are having.. sandwich, something on toast. I don't do hotdogs for the little ones.


The ones who eat tea with me do go home and have a supper :thumbsup: I don't cook for the children so this works for me

[AliceK]

I do a big lunch and then a tea time snack so they can go home and have dinner with their parents.
I do something with some fruit and yoghurt. That something can be toasted teacakes, sandwiches, crumpets, beans on toast, soup, cheese and onion rolls, bagels, English muffins or pitta pockets.

This is what I do too. The EY's children have a hot cooked lunch and then a snacky tea as described.
I only have 1 x AS mindee and although he has a hot school lunch I still do a hot tea for him here as I am cooking for my DD anyway after school.

xx

[Simona]

Does it not depend on what is in the contract? what sorts of meals are agreed on and what is the charge for them or are they included?

[mumofone]

Does it not depend on what is in the contract? what sorts of meals are agreed on and what is the charge for them or are they included?

Hi Simona, I don't want to open a whole can of worms but meals aren't even mentioned in my contracts (I'm aware my contracts are very sloppy and not very professional, they're on my "to do" list!!) xx

[sarah1975]

I do cooked lunches and light teas - most of my little ones are here til 5.30ish and don't then go home to a meal. I do things like beans, cheese or scrambled egg on toast, jacket potatoes, pizza and a bit of salad, soup, occasionally fish fingers and then follow it with fruit or fromage frais. I used to do a menu but kept finding that the older ones had had similar for lunch so now we just decide when they get back from school.

[bunyip]

Hi Simona, I don't want to open a whole can of worms but meals aren't even mentioned in my contracts (I'm aware my contracts are very sloppy and not very professional, they're on my "to do" list!!) xx

My schoolies could probably eat a whole can of worms, they get through so much food at one sitting. :eek:

When parents quibble about my after school fees, the first thing I point out is that they consume a vast amount more than daycare EY children, pro-rata for the time spent here. Given that it's on top of the care and activities I provide, I'm sure it's a lot cheaper for the mums to let me feed them than for mum to have to sort out a meal at home.

The problem I have with meals is parents who think I'm psychic. I usually provide 'light tea' but do a 'more filling meal' if requested or if I'm already doing the latter for the grandchildren. Mums always say they're fine with this, but occasionally will moan that I've fed them too much. As in, "I wish you'd not fed them casserole because we're going out for dad's birthday." Like I'm supposed to know. :mad:

My particular (un)favourite is the mum who, on being told lo had pasta for lunch, complains how very inconvenient this is, as she's doing pasta for tea when she gets DD home. Again, if they don't tell you, how do they expect you to know? :huh:

Simona's contract point is an interesting one. I use pacey stationery (due to their policy of "buy our product or you don't get your full membership entitlements" :mad:) and I'm not even sure there's anything on those contracts about food. I don't charge for meals, but it's a moot point. If it's not listed on the contract, then are meals considered an "extra", chargeable luxury? Or could a parent assume (not unreasonably) that caring for a child involves meeting their physical needs, so the food is free?

[FloraDora]

[QUOTE=bunyip;1420548]

The problem I have with meals is parents who think I'm psychic. I usually provide 'light tea' but do a 'more filling meal' if requested or if I'm already doing the latter for the grandchildren. Mums always say they're fine with this, but occasionally will moan that I've fed them too much. As in, "I wish you'd not fed them casserole because we're going out for dad's birthday." Like I'm supposed to know. :mad:

My particular (un)favourite is the mum who, on being told lo had pasta for lunch, complains how very inconvenient this is, as she's doing pasta for tea when she gets DD home. Again, if they don't tell you, how do they expect you to know? :huh:


This is why I like to provide a meal plan for the week, DH plans 2 weeks, gives parents access to it the Sunday in advance after double checking it's still ok with any info about children, fridge contents and timings if he has other plans.
Some look, some don't but they can't say 'I wish I had known"!
We plan our own meals before shopping so it is easier to do the same for LO's and our lunch. It also is very cost effective and ensures a balance over the week.

[Simona]

Bunyip and Mumofone...thanks for your replies

You may not find any reference to food in your contract...however...what you can do is ask parents what they would like you to provide in terms of food in the evening...that way you are covered and can provide a service for which you can charge accordingly....and I mean accordingly...taking into account cost of food, travel to the shops, cooking and time spent on the task....plus added expenses!! :o

There are parents who want to cook for their children when they get home, some do not want to even go down that road, some will feed their children again...some do not bother to look at our weekly menu and then double on meals.
As Flora Dora says we can do a menu and hand it to the parents hoping they will look at it.

There is bound to be 'repetition' in children's diet as many children have...in all honesty...a limited variety :( ...do you know any child who will chomp on anything...there are few around but they will eat plenty of their 'routine pizza, pasta, fish fingers and chips diet'

You could also 'broadly' give the parents an idea what your menu is likely to include in rotation so you vary...I used to do and it did help a great deal
All parents are different while we are UNIQUE....and that is why they choose Cms....home cooked food as an added bonus

When agreeing your hourly fee ...or daily fee...ensure food is included in those Terms and Conditions...a short addendum in your contract will do.
When you first interview parents ask what they expect and jot it down in your notes.
If you have shopped for food and the child is picked up early and does not need your meal ...you have covered your costs

One last thought...if you want to make life easier why not do a simple 'Prospectus' for the parents you could hand out with general information including food?

Good luck :thumbsup: