giving parents a menu each week? Urgent advice please

[primrosecottage]

Do you give parents a menu each week? Does it have to state all the allergens next to the items on the menu? Do you state all the snacks - or list possible snacks? What would you say are appropriate lunches (i.e sandwich - not cooked meals)? I am getting fed up with keep putting the same meals and am paranoid the parents feel so too.

[SYLVIA]

I don't give menus to parents. I gave them all a list of meals we generally have and noted the possible allergens. Any time I want to introduce a new meal I tell them first so they can tell me if its not suitable give their child. If you want to give a menu maybe work it over 2 or 3 weeks and email it to save paper

[natlou82]

I don't provide a menu as I like flexibility with my meals. I rotate a lot of my meals and when I get bored I can change things without having to worry. My lunches consist of sandwiches, wraps, something on toast, omelettes, pasta etc also not having a menu I can tailor this to LOs appetites that day, impromptu picnics etc. On FB there's a great page called childminding munching menus where lots of CMs show pics of meals they've made its good for different ideas :-)

[AliceK]

I don't supply a menu although I do write one up for my benefit and to help me with the shopping. I usually do a hot cooked meal at lunchtime and then a snacky tea. Parents know the types of food I provide, it is all exampled in my folder and each child has a daily A5 sheet to take home which lists what they have eaten that day. I know if a child has any allergies as that is discussed at the beginning. I don't like giving a menu to parents as I don't like being confined to a menu as I sometimes chop and change things.

xxx

[FloraDora]

I do provide a menu - I do it for us so that we know what we are preparing. I only provide breakfast ,lunch and snacks a.m and p,m. I started with the idea of lunch being a 'lunch' of cold sandwiches, wraps etc.. But because of fussy eaters got drawn into hot meals with mash etc.. But have returned for the summer menu to a typical lunch but does include home made fish fingers and chicken gujons and pasta and pizza in between pitta parcels, wraps, sandwiches and toasties and tapas.
I do a month at a time, subject to change and the parents have a copy ( ********* so easy peasy) my parents like to know because they provide evening meal. I won't do evening meals unless an emergency as I really think children should eat with parents - as a family.
Morning snack is fruit,prepared by them, afternoon snack is 'child choice' - I have visual cards of what is on offer and they choose. Often food they have made like a cup cake or popcorn or cheese scones, home made bread etc...
Allergens- we have a list of allergens on our fridge, only to prove to no one that we are aware, we have both completed allergen online training.according to parent info , none have an allergen so I do not comment on them in my menu ...if a child has a reaction I would be able to look at what they eat ( I record what they eat from our menu in diary via the software that is initialled BD) DHmakes all food from scratch so I don't need to keep label info etc..but would be able to provide info if necessary.

[HTSMumma]

I email a fortnightly menu plan that changes every 7/8 weeks.
Each menu has room for change and variety.

[Maza]

I used to email a weekly menu to my parents but stopped about a year ago. I guess I just got lazy. I have worked with all my current families for at least three years and so they know what type of food I provide. Even when I did to menus I only put lunch and dinner on there. They had a list of the types of breakfasts and snacks we had and the children usually choose on the day. I do write in the diary what each child has eaten (including breakfast and snacks).

I have one little one who won't eat bread of any sort and so we can't have sandwiches on the two days that he is here, so we tend to have pasta dishes, jacket potato dishes, rice, home made sweet potato chips, couscous, gnocchi, noodles etc. It has to be something quick to prepare or something that I took out of the freezer from another day. Tea usually takes a little longer to cook and so I prepare it during nap time.

Most schools and nurseries have a rolling menu - usually about three weeks worth of menus which they just rotate. They change them either every term or do a Summer and Winter menu. You don't need to put allergens on the menu, just be aware of which ones are in the meals you provide - keep a list of them blue tacked inside a cupboard door or something. You could always ask parents for feedback on the meals you provide - that way you will know how they feel. x

[loocyloo]

I have a selection of meals that I cook and each week I write them down ... mainly so I know what I'm buying and cooking each week!
Each week I try to have a variety of meals with fish/meat/veggie and then potato/pasta/rice/couscous/noodles.
I do put a copy on my notice board but I don't know if anyone but me looks at it! Actually the schoolies do!

I know all the childrens known allergies, and should anyone have a reaction I can immediately tell parents what was in that meal.

[TinyTinker]

My menus are on the fridge, parents either look or they don't up to them! 4 weekly rotational menus with exact lunches and dinners, but only a suggestion of what might be for snack - allergens included.

[mumofone]

On this subject, I thought we had to show an example of a sample menu somewhere? If menus arent provided to parents how do you do this? Do you put a sample menu on your noticeboard or in your initial parent information pack? I don't like the idea of being "tied to" a menu each week but thought I had to put one together as an example of what we might have?

[moggy]

On this subject, I thought we had to show an example of a sample menu somewhere? If menus arent provided to parents how do you do this? Do you put a sample menu on your noticeboard or in your initial parent information pack? I don't like the idea of being "tied to" a menu each week but thought I had to put one together as an example of what we might have?

I put a 'typical menu' in my portfolio folder for when parents first come to see me. It can be part of a 'Food and Drink Policy' if you have one.

[mumofone]

I put a 'typical menu' in my portfolio folder for when parents first come to see me. It can be part of a 'Food and Drink Policy' if you have one.

Thanks moggy, if this is sufficient then I'll go with this.