What meals do you provide for mindees under 1 year?

[Maza]

Hi All,

I have always provided all meals and snacks for my mindees - so far they have all been toddlers. I am possibly going to take on a 10 month old after Christmas. I know that some of you ask parents of babies to provide certain meals and am wondering if I should do the same. Is there a particular reason why you choose to do this (if you do)? Obviously they are still in the weaning processs at this age and so I would only make whatever they had already tried at home.

Many thanks x

[rosebud]

I provide them but like you say only provide what they have already tried at home. I don't find it difficult, if I'm cooking carrots (or whatever) it doesn't take any effort to do a few extra and puree them. I cook from scratch for my mindees everyday though and appreciate that it wouldn't be that easy for everyone.

[Maza]

Thanks Rosebud,

I also cook from scratch and so it probably won't be a problem.

[snufflepuff]

I don't provide food for under 1's to begin with- partly because i'm worried i'd give a food they had not tried at home and they could have a reaction to it. Also it can be tricky to get the consistency right when weaning- for example my son was fine with lumps quite early, others take longer and will gag on lumps for a long time, some will be doing baby led weaning so have 'whole' foods right from the start. I also find that it can be a tricky time for parents, and often they want to know they have full control over the process.

Once i've got to know their eating habits etc and they are generally eating anything, i'll start to provide it myself....they don't have to wait until their first birthday.

[AliceK]

I will provide all meals no matter what the age. At 10 mths I can't see it being much of a problem. As long as the parent is happy for them to try new things then I'll give them a version of what all the other mindees are having.

xxxx

[sarah707]

I ask parents to supply food until the child is weaned in case of allergies then to let me have a list of things they will / won't eat.

Hth :D

[sillysausage]

I am happy to provide meals for weaning babies. I too make most of my mindees meals from scratch so weaning foods are not a problem. I discuss with parents the types of foods that will be offered. Over the years I have had a number of children with food allergies and intolerances, and have found that making my own foods from scratch generally means I avoid most common triggers.
I don't provide an evening meal though, so if a baby or toddler needs their evening meal before they are collected, I ask the parents to provide that (either homemade or jars). None have ever complained.

[Cinderbella]

I cook from scratch for the children but dont provide meals for children under 10 or 11 months, I currently have to prepare a vegetarian variation and alot of the children I care for have allergies so to be honest Im trying to make my life a little easier... If I was to feed babies which I have done in the past, I would use Annabel Karmel's books for ideas.

[stardust]

Hi All,

I have always provided all meals and snacks for my mindees - so far they have all been toddlers. I am possibly going to take on a 10 month old after Christmas. I know that some of you ask parents of babies to provide certain meals and am wondering if I should do the same. Is there a particular reason why you choose to do this (if you do)? Obviously they are still in the weaning processs at this age and so I would only make whatever they had already tried at home.

Many thanks x

speak to the parents hun but i always found in nursery's it went something like this (does vary though)

4-7 mths depends on when the weaning starts - baby rice, farleys rusks mixed with milk and purees, baby cereal - smooth foods
6-9 mths - purees, some normal food blended down with none or fine lumps in, depending on childs development a rusk/baby biscuit (whole) for them to suck on
8-1yr+ - normal food/meals pureed down with fine/ medium lumps and baby biscuits
1 yr+ - normal meals mushed with a fork so big lumps

If your not sure why not go into a supermarket and see what sort of things they sell as the ages are on the boxes. But the parent may prefer to bring their own or provide a list of foods the child can have.
I personally will not give my some baby food jars as i come across a vein when feeding a child at a nursery and there was a baby food recalled a few months ago because they believed they're may have been glass in the food!:eek: I will play it safe and puree what i cook and puree my own veg and things. but each to their own.

[~Grasshopper~]

i provide breakfast, lunch and snacks for all ages.

at 10mths they should easily be able to have most normal foods and plenty of finger foods. i always ask the parents for a list of fav foods and anything they dont want them to have and then i write in the daily diary exactly what they have eaten.

i usually give the little ones weetabix and fruit for breaki and a sandwich and some fingerfoods with fruit and yog for lunch.

xx

[Maza]

Sorry it's taken me ages to reply, but thanks everyone. It's always good to know what everyone else is doing and any 'issues' they may have faced in the past. xxx

[Flisspaps]

It depends on what weaning method they follow.

If they follow baby-led weaning (no puree at all, not even at 6 months, straight on to normal food) then I provide meals.

If they want to take a more traditional approach then they have to provide pureed food, and I will give some of our normal food as a 'finger food'. I didn't make mush for my own DD, I don't intend to make it for anyone elses!

[Toothfairy]

I only provide drinks and snacks for my Mindee's. They all bring packed lunches.

For the babies; they come with sterilized bottles with boiled water in them each day and I just add the powdered milk which they provide but I keep at my house. When they start weening, parents provide either a packed lunch if they are baby led weening or pureed foods if not. I will warm the foods but I don't cook.

I used to provide breakfast, lunch, snack and tea but I found not only was I spending loads of time in the kitchen but also it was costing me a fortune in food.
So instead of putting my prices up 2 years ago I stopped doing food and asked parents to provide it instead.