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Lainey Lou
13-01-2010, 05:21 PM
Hi all, just a quick question, do you provide your mindees with an evening meal? I know some cminders do and some dont, I personally dont really want to, I'm happy to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks. Do you feel that parents expect it and for those of you who don't provide evening meal do you just say I don't provide an evening meal or give a reason? Just interested really what you all do/say. :)

manjay
13-01-2010, 05:26 PM
Hi all, just a quick question, do you provide your mindees with an evening meal? I know some cminders do and some dont, I personally dont really want to, I'm happy to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks. Do you feel that parents expect it and for those of you who don't provide evening meal do you just say I don't provide an evening meal or give a reason? Just interested really what you all do/say. :)

I don't but then I try not to take on any children that will be here after 5:15pm. I do give a reason and that is that I am a firm believer that tea time should where possible be spent with parents. Tea time in my house is family time with my own children. I guess it depends on what time your mindees will be going home as I wouldn't expect tiny ones to wait for a silly time to have tea.

Mouse
13-01-2010, 05:45 PM
I don't provide an evening meal, but then my last mindee leaves at 5.15pm.
I have done it in the past, but find it too much of a rush as the first children leave at 4.30pm. There just isn't time to get in from school, sort everyone out & provide an evening meal before half past four. My own children wouldn't eat that early, so it would mean having 2 mealtimes.

Luckily all the parents I have would prefer that their children eat with them in the evening anyway, so it's not an issue. The children all have a snack & drink when we get in from the school run and that does them until their teatime at home.

I just tell parents that I don't do an evening meal. If I do work later than 5.15pm, I tell parents that I will give their child a more substantial snack, but not a full meal. I explain that our afterschool routine doesn't allow time for me to cook.

PixiePetal
13-01-2010, 06:07 PM
If a pre scool child is with me till 5.30 I will provide tea if needed - to be finished by home time.They often go home, bath and get a bit of time with parents before bedtime :)

For older children I will give a snack and drink but think they should be with family for tea. I have found parents don't usually feed older children at home as early as I would have to, they like the idea of not doing it themselves though! (which just makes the end of my day hectic)

When I have older mindees in school hols, I have stopped doing tea and we can spend more time doing fun things :thumbsup:

Playmate
13-01-2010, 06:11 PM
Only if they stay beyond 5.30. Can't be doing with trying to serve a meal before that time!

newandlearning
13-01-2010, 06:16 PM
Hi.. I'm currently doing evening meals for everyone here until 6pm.. I think this works really well as my LOs and the mindees all really love this time together.. it also gives them an hour of sitting relaxed socialising with everyone .. the parents I've offered this too all love knowing they don't have to rush home with a tired child and can have some chill time instead.
I agree that doing this for a child leaving around 5.15-5.30 would be a bit more stressful as I find dinnertime takes around an hour .. and sometimes my timing of serving up is around 15 mins out.:blush:

mushpea
13-01-2010, 06:22 PM
I provide an evening meal as some of mine dont go till 6pm so by the time they get home they are to tired to eat plus when i started out mine were only little and wouldnt have waited untill past 6pm for the tea so they all eat together, as my kids have got older i have given them the choice of eating with us or with the mindees and they prefer tea with the mindees so i am happy to do it, I serve tea at 5pm, if a child is going home earlier then they just dont get tea, they all have a peice of fruit after school and still eat tea, not many minders offer tea near me so I suppose it may be a bit of a bounus for parents.

Alibali
13-01-2010, 06:29 PM
Depends on the parents wishes, but I will if required.

Chatterbox Childcare
13-01-2010, 06:40 PM
I find that parents either want to pay a reasonable price (£2.50 per meal here) or they will provide something. If you really don't want to do it say so or charge a higher price to make it worth your while.

If I didn't want to do it and the children are school aged you could say that if they are having a hot meal at school could they bring a packed lunch for the afternoon?

LisaH
13-01-2010, 06:52 PM
I used to but stopped doing it when parents kept turning up earlier when mindees were still eating:rolleyes:

I just provide a snack after school now and tell all parents that tea time is best spent at home. I always found trying to prepare a meal straight after school quite stressful anyway so am happy not to do them anymore:)

I do however give babies tea if parents provide:)

twiggy
13-01-2010, 06:58 PM
I used to provide lunch but it was so difficult keeping everyone happy with their likes and dislikes. I also mind children with different food allergies so it is now easier and safer for parents to provide lunches and for me not to offer an evening meal.

Gizmo
13-01-2010, 07:53 PM
I do for 1 who doesnt leave until 6.15 gives parents time with him wihout stressing about cooking and I wouldnt like my own kids to have to wait that late to eat so once other 1 leaves at 5 dinner is served :thumbsup:

Chell
13-01-2010, 07:56 PM
I will do as I cook for us all anyway. My own children are often ready to eat by 4.30pm.

PixiePetal
13-01-2010, 08:01 PM
I will do as I cook for us all anyway. My own children are often ready to eat by 4.30pm.

I used to do more when my own children were young and they all enjoyed eating together. It is different now as I would rather my teens ate with DH and I as a family if possible when mindees are all gone.:thumbsup:

jaja
13-01-2010, 08:21 PM
i did up to december but i got fed up with throwing food away, parents turning up early , children left at 5 to 530pm ,and being messed around with faddy eaters, plus i missed our family time.... so i told parents i was trying snacks for january to see how it worked and if it went ok then it will remain that way. Well up to now my kids are eating better, family time is lovely whilst we have tea and then bedtime follows with story time, its nice to sit down together without other children here, and we are eating better.... My last one to leave is 615pm so when he goes the kids get pjs on and me and hubby cook tea, usually on table by 630pm and then bed at 730pm.... then me and hubby relax....

I am big believer that families should eat together as i was fetched up this way, minding got in the way for a while but my family comes first....

Carol M
13-01-2010, 08:23 PM
I do evening meals. I would rather do the meals rather than trying to serve up lots of different meals provided by parents. I tend to freeze little portions of my families meals then only have to prepare veg or rice or pasta or whatever to be able to serve up good meals. It takes a bit of planning but usually it helps the parents too. My kids are teenagers so we all eat later.
Carol :)

TheBTeam
13-01-2010, 08:30 PM
I do not provide an evening meal, and where possible I think that children should eat a family meal at home, however if it is not possible for any reason I ask the parent to provide something for their tea that is either cold or can be microwaved.

I cook/provide lunches and snacks and do not want to have to cook a meal for mindees in the evening, I prefer them not to eat it here but have a couple where I just heat it up and let the children feed themselves, and one day a younger child that i help to feed.

My own family eat together when the mindees have gone, except weds when i feed my two earlier and this is also the day where the two mindees eat tea provided by parents here.

Part of the reason why I am not too keen on doing tea at all is that the other children want to hover around those eating!

loocyloo
13-01-2010, 11:14 PM
i provide an evening meal, my own children eat tea at the same time, usually 4.30/4.45ish. those that don't have tea with us, sit down at the table for a snack and we all sit round the table together. for the children that are here for tea, i have a 'no collection' policy between 4.30 & 5.15, and those that have snack are collected at whatever time, with parents knowing that they may not have had snack if collected early! actually, at the moment, we are having tea around 4.20pm!

this may well change as my children get older, but it suits at the moment.

The Juggler
14-01-2010, 08:07 AM
i provide an evening meal, my own children eat tea at the same time, usually 4.30/4.45ish. those that don't have tea with us, sit down at the table for a snack and we all sit round the table together. for the children that are here for tea, i have a 'no collection' policy between 4.30 & 5.15, and those that have snack are collected at whatever time, with parents knowing that they may not have had snack if collected early! actually, at the moment, we are having tea around 4.20pm!

this may well change as my children get older, but it suits at the moment.

I'm getting to point of changing policy too so we eat later with our own children. But, some of my under 8's would otherwise not eat til about 7 (as they don't leave until 6) so I feel bad. The other days it's just my two and a 10 year old so probably I could stop it on those day but he's been here since he was 5 so feel bad.

Twinkles
14-01-2010, 08:27 AM
I provide a cooked meal for the children who are here at 5pm ( not for those leaving at 5pm ) as it is a selling point that after school clubs don't have.

miffy
14-01-2010, 08:41 AM
I do a cooked meal too but I don't do breakfast as mindees all come at different times.

Miffy xx

jelly15
14-01-2010, 08:43 AM
My hours are 8am to 6pm and I provide a morning snack, light lunch and afternoon snack. I expect them to have had breakfast and eat thier evening meals with their families.

suzyblue
14-01-2010, 09:05 AM
My mindees have to be here until 5.30 to have a cooked dinner but it is a pain with babies to feed and older fussy kids to cook for, parents arriving and some arriving early and then having to hang around for child to finish eating, nappies to do....clearing up.....its a hectic time, then when they have all left at 6 I start cooking all over again for my family......its not ideal...

mumx3
14-01-2010, 02:15 PM
All mine go at 5.30pm apart from one who goes at 6.30pm on one night a week.

I do dinner for my kids at 6pm sharp and so most nights there are no mindees here and I tell them from the start I dont do evening meals unless they stay after 5.30pm....then I charge the same price as the schools for school dinners...£1.95 here.

By the time you get them home and give them a snack it is 4pm, if they are going by 5.30 they arent ready for dinner yet. Too much hassel!

I give them a substantial snack...pizza muffins, crumpets, toasted teacakes, cheese on toat. Plus a choice from the fruit bowl, this keeps them going until 5.30pm

little_gems
14-01-2010, 07:53 PM
I provied a hot evening meal for all children!! some parent's turn up just as im dishing it up and they end u taking it home!! I do sometimes find this very annoying as when the children go home they end up eating another tea!! but parents ask me to fed them so what can i do??

francinejayne
14-01-2010, 08:08 PM
for the children that are here for tea, i have a 'no collection' policy between 4.30 & 5.15

That's a really good idea - I haven't actually started minding yet, but I shall bear that in mind if I do serve an evening meal. My little one eats his tea at 5 so I'm cooking at that time anyway, so I figured I may as well offer food for mindees too.
Thanks!