Grrr...children arriving eating food

**Mouse** · 23-09-2014, 09:25 AM

It annoys me so much when children arrive eating food. One 3yr old regularly turns up eating chocolate and a 2yr old turned up this morning munching on a sausage roll. She had already dropped crumbs all over the doorstep, then came into the hall dropping even more crumbs. I took the sausage roll off her while she took her shoes off, but her clothes were covered in crumbs that fell off on the way to the table. I'd only just put the hoover away when she arrived & had to get it straight back out again.

I have no problem with children turning up with something to eat if they haven't had breakfast, but other parents put something in a bag or box. I think it's really bad manners to let a child walk into a house dropping food.

**AgentTink** · 23-09-2014, 10:00 AM

This is my niggle too. The only child that arrives eating food is always eating something that is really messy and usually really unhealthy, and they usually are eating in between putting their dummy in and out which just makes the mess worse. They then walk into the house with mucky hands and face. I normally take the food of them pop into the bin whats left and offer a piece of toast to child instead. The same child can also come to me with a snotty nose or snotty arm where he has wiped his nose, which is obviously built over the night and from that morning and they dont seem to be bothered to clean his face/arms/hands before handing him to me. Yet any other time I see this little one away from the setting he is always immaculate

**Maza** · 23-09-2014, 07:40 PM

I haven't had it from mindees but I have had it at playdates. One boy turned up with juice in a carton and started jumping all over my sofa with it in his hand. A couple of weeks ago a little girl ate her whole dinner with her hands (that in itself didn't bother me) and then just got up from the table and was walking on all fours to her mum (greasy hands on my carpet) and then put her hands all over my settee whilst climbing over her mum. All the time I was saying sweetly, "oh sweetie, if you've finished could you use a wipe please?" It fell on deaf ears until I had to get firm. Why do they force you to appear bossy? It's much easier to handle when the parents are not there!

In your case I would be tempted to say "Oh dear, I'm going to have to get the hoover out now" or before you let them in, get them to brush themselves off and great them with a flannel. A childminder friend used to do this when her mindee used to arrive finishing his jam sandwich which was smeared all over his face and hands. The parents didn't get the message but at least it saved her from wiping away a trail of sticky handprints from her furniture. Seriously, how dirty must some houses be if the parents don't flinch at this type of thing?

Do the children eat breakfast at yours?

**Mouse** · 23-09-2014, 07:59 PM

I don't usually provide breakfast, but if children haven't had any at home parents can either send something, or I'll give the children cereal and toast. There's really no need for them to come here eating. I think it's more down to parents giving in to the children's demannds rather than the children being hungry

**tess1981** · 23-09-2014, 11:02 PM

When this happens at mine I tell the child to go straight to the kitchen table. If they try to go elsewhere I excuse myself from the parents and take the child to the table and tell them we eat at the table only and if they don't sit at the table I will have to take the food away... I'm not having food dropped all over the place. If they don't like it tuff....

toddlers896 · 24-09-2014, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by tess1981

When this happens at mine I tell the child to go straight to the kitchen table. If they try to go elsewhere I excuse myself from the parents and take the child to the table and tell them we eat at the table only and if they don't sit at the table I will have to take the food away... I'm not having food dropped all over the place. If they don't like it tuff....

My attitude too.
This is also one of my bear bugs. 7.30 in the morning and turn up with a bar of choc in hands and then they don't eat their breakfast that we provide.
We childminders had this conversation yesterday lol

**tiredandemotional** · 24-09-2014, 10:50 AM

I can imagine this must be really annoying and it also causes problems with other children, including your own, wanting what they arrive eating! Also annoying if you have a healthy eating policy and they arrive eating junk! I had one boy, aged 5 turn up eating sweets at 8am. He had left me early the day before to go to the dentist to have fillings, in his milk teeth! I really had to bite my tongue on that one!

**hectors house** · 24-09-2014, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by tiredandemotional

I can imagine this must be really annoying and it also causes problems with other children, including your own, wanting what they arrive eating! Also annoying if you have a healthy eating policy and they arrive eating junk! I had one boy, aged 5 turn up eating sweets at 8am. He had left me early the day before to go to the dentist to have fillings, in his milk teeth! I really had to bite my tongue on that one!

Just to tweak the topic slightly, does anyone know when children start having routine appointments at the dentist - I always took mine with me when I was having a check up and the dentist would sit them in the chair, have a quick look at their teeth tell them they were perfect or needed better brushing and give them a sticker. I drove past my Dentist's earlier with a 3 1/2 year old, nearly 3 year old and a 2 1/2 year old - I said to them "that's were I go to the Dentist for him to look at my teeth, do you go to the dentist with mummy or daddy?" all all 3 of them insisted that they have never been to the dentist!

**AgentTink** · 24-09-2014, 01:02 PM

My little girl has been going every 3 months since she was 1. This alternates between the dentist and the hygienist. In our area they coat children's teeth with fluoride to protect their teeth and she had this done at 2. I thought this was standard practice nowadays??

**loocyloo** · 24-09-2014, 01:05 PM

I don't think children get 'chased' for a routine dental appointment. Mine always came along with me and once teeth were coming through had their own appointment.
I think it's suggested they take them but that's it. I don't even know if they get their teeth checked at school when they have the checkup in reception with the school nurse. I know they check eyes but not about teeth.
I know some of dds friends have never been to the dentist ... "mum says I don't need to" .

**kat27** · 24-09-2014, 01:22 PM

I once had a 5yr old turn up 7.30 am with chewing gum!! I went got a tissue and made her spit it out infront of parent. No way am i having chewing gum at my setting.. and i personally think 5 is to young. Ive had monster munch at 7.30am... allsorts. Makes me look bad when i say to my children no you're not having crisps for breakfast! X1

**gwm** · 24-09-2014, 01:45 PM

It should be a very rare occasion that a child should have to turn up eating breakfast on the doorstep. If it was a regular occurrence, I would have to put a stop to it. Parents need to get their children up in time in the morning and children need to learn that eating takes place at set times.....sitting down. In the past I had a family who could not do 'on time'. One of their children arrived, at the last minute, clutching toast with peanut butter. I had to say 'I am sorry but, I do not allow eating in the car and I also have a child who has a peanut allergy.' It didn't happen again!
I also get annoyed every evening at school pick up, with the number of children that are walking out of school, along the street eating 'rubbish'....never a sandwich or a piece of fruit, either! I really don't understand why they can't wait until they get home or to their destination to have their snack. Crumbs, sticky fingers, dirty uniform...dirty buggys....dirty cars. (One of my pet hates in the world)
We get home at 3.45pm. Children wash their hands and have snack.....sitting down.

**ziggy** · 24-09-2014, 02:05 PM

being the wicked witch of the west, I just take food off child and say, "sit up to the table when you're ready and you can have that"

**HTSMumma** · 24-09-2014, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by gwm

It should be a very rare occasion that a child should have to turn up eating breakfast on the doorstep. If it was a regular occurrence, I would have to put a stop to it. Parents need to get their children up in time in the morning and children need to learn that eating takes place at set times.....sitting down. In the past I had a family who could not do 'on time'. One of their children arrived, at the last minute, clutching toast with peanut butter. I had to say 'I am sorry but, I do not allow eating in the car and I also have a child who has a peanut allergy.' It didn't happen again! I also get annoyed every evening at school pick up, with the number of children that are walking out of school, along the street eating 'rubbish'....never a sandwich or a piece of fruit, either! I really don't understand why they can't wait until they get home or to their destination to have their snack. Crumbs, sticky fingers, dirty uniform...dirty buggys....dirty cars. (One of my pet hates in the world) We get home at 3.45pm. Children wash their hands and have snack.....sitting down.

Oh dear... I'm one of those people letting her children and mindees eat on the way home from school. Its usually a biscuit or a rice cake, but I see no problem with it. My daughter comes out of school always feeling hungry. I give her (and the others) a little something to give them a boost on the walk home, where they then sit down and have a tea time snack.
And not a dirty uniform in sight, I must add.

**gwm** · 24-09-2014, 04:34 PM

No problem HTSmumma. It is just something that niggles me. As Mouse said in another thread today we all have our individual niggles.

**bunyip** · 25-09-2014, 09:12 AM

I generally don't mind them 'arriving with something to eat', but that's different from 'arriving eating something'.

With the former, I can sit them down to eat in a tidy and civilised manner at the table: just like they never do at home.

With the latter, it's crumbs and sticky/greasy fingers all over the front room, creating, if I would only put something totally unsuitable on the TV for them to watch, a filthy little home-from-home.

I also get frustrated by those that regularly arrive with the accompanying comment, "oh, s/he missed breakfast, could you give him/her something?" - usually too late to fit in before school run, or at about 11am when they'd have had time to replace a missed brekkie had the desire really been there.

While I'm ranting, my latest 'favourite' is the ones who seem to bring their babies here to cr4p. They either arrive will heaving, saggy nappies or "haven't had a poo for days" as mum shouts as she flees for the car, failing to mention the kilo of prunes she just stuffed into them to ensure she gets every last bit of smelly childcare duties she thinks she pays for.

I'm half-considering a nappy surcharge. Particularly for the ones who fill them within minutes of the bins being emptied, thus ensuring I get the pleasure of them marinating for the full fortnight.

**tiredandemotional** · 25-09-2014, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by bunyip

I'm half-considering a nappy surcharge. Particularly for the ones who fill them within minutes of the bins being emptied, thus ensuring I get the pleasure of them marinating for the full fortnight.

Having a bad day Bunyip??!!

I have in my policy that dirty nappies go home with the child (as I use cloth nappies on my own children) I do 'scrape' out the poo first though, just to be nice!

**bunyip** · 25-09-2014, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by tiredandemotional

Having a bad day Bunyip??!!

I have in my policy that dirty nappies go home with the child (as I use cloth nappies on my own children) I do 'scrape' out the poo first though, just to be nice!

I'm just grateful if they take the child home.