Few questions on meals

[Kidston]

Im already filling the forum up with questions lately so thought it would be better to group these questions together.

Do you provide puree food or do you ask parents to provide this?

Do you have to make a menu each week or month?

How do you all inform parents of the menu?

[Simona]

Im already filling the forum up with questions lately so thought it would be better to group these questions together.

Do you provide puree food or do you ask parents to provide this?

Do you have to make a menu each week or month?

How do you all inform parents of the menu?

For babies you can puree yourself...often parents will provide the basic food for babies up to age 1...entirely up to you

You can do weekly/monthly menu...whatever suits you best
I found a way not to be repetitive by stating what choice is on offer for snacks ...fruit etc etc... so saves writing it down each day
I also add that water and milk are available during the day

Diaries are a way of telling parents...or at pick up time but it can take time or you can do a form and put it on the wall if you can and let parents look at it each day...a simple table will do

Good luck

[loocyloo]

ask as many questions as you like, that is how we learn!

Do you provide puree food or do you ask parents to provide this? I ask parents to provide food for children under the age of one/or until they are pretty much eating 'normal' food! I will happy mush a meal with a fork, but not puree foods, or make meals purely for a babe ( although if babe always comes with jars, I usually start providing food sooner! )

Do you have to make a menu each week or month?you don't have to make a menu at all! I do a weekly menu, mainly as it helps me when I go shopping, as I need to cook for quite a few children, and helps me to ensure that I am offering a balanced variety over the course of the week. it also means that when I can't remember what I had planned for lunch or tea, I can look on the board and find out!

How do you all inform parents of the menu? I write a weekly menu and it goes on my notice board which hangs in my porch. to be honest, I'm not sure that any parent ever really looks at it, but the information is there for them! each day I write what we have had to eat for meals/snack in the daily diary that I write for each EY child.

[MessybutHappy]

I'm the same as loocyloo, except that I don't share my planned menu with parents because I'm pants at sticking to my plans, and because a parent once told me I couldn't serve sausages on a Monday lunch because they were having them for tea! So now I have a sample menu of the things I might serve and they find out when they collect! In all honesty, out of all the meals I serve each week, im lucky if two are eaten wholeheartedly by every child, babies especially seem choosy just now, and what I plan and serve isn't always what they actually eat!!! Keeps everyone on their toes though!

[Kiddleywinks]

Same as Loocyloo

[Simona]

Loocyloo...seems we all do very much the same with a slight varaiation

I agree that often parents do not read the notices but it does save writing a menu in each diary every day...especially at 5 pm when we are so rushed and have few precious minutes before the parents arrive

I have to admit that I always interpreted that we had to share a menu with the parents to inform them we give children a 'balanced and varied' diet' as stated in EYFS?
It would surprise me if cms were the only ones who do not share a menu with parents...nurseries and schools do...I would say that is good practice

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Im already filling the forum up with questions lately so thought it would be better to group these questions together.

Ask away - thats what we are here for

Do you provide puree food or do you ask parents to provide this?

I give parents the choice - either I can or they can but I do find that the children eat better when they all have the same thing and they will try new foods

Do you have to make a menu each week or month?

I have a 5 week rotating menu for summer and winter and use it depending on the weather. The children helped me to put it together. This is for our cooked meal. We usually have a "picnic" meal at lunchtimes which I vary depending on what I have ordered the previous week.

How do you all inform parents of the menu?

Never bothered and they never ask but I do tell them what they have had on pick up

Hope that helps but come back for more if you need it

[hummingbird2014]

What I intend to do is a 4 weekly menu for spring/summer and a autumn/winter one. It helps me with planning shopping etc.... I'm pants at thinking on my feet with food and prob end up serving the same things. My policy is this is what we are having no likey bring your own. I am not going to get into preparing 6 different meals for 6 different children.
I am happy to provide a simple purée menu which would be made in advance. If they want them on jars then they are to provide this.

[mum67]

Hi sorry to bring this post up again but never thought about babies food etc until now but in my fees I include all meals, snacks and what nots. So I should in theory have a different pricing for babies as I ask parents to provide formula/dinners. Luckily not had a baby yet so not managed to overcharge anybody thankfully.
There's always something I miss, so glad this forum exists.

[lisbet]

I do the same as Messybuthappy.

Mum67 - On my initial info, in the section explaining fees and what parents need to bring, I say that if a baby eats pre-prepared baby food then the parents will need to supply it. I charge the same hourly rate for children from 0-5 though, whereas many nurseries will charge a higher fee for under-2 places.

[KateA]

Hi,

I don't provide any meals to my mindees only snacks I advise parents they need to provide everything their baby or child would need for the day this includes all formula milk and nappies.

x

[natlou82]

I provide all food including food for babies (parents can provide if they wish), my pricing is the same for all age groups :-)

[Daisy De]

I don't provide any food for anyone, not even snacks, parents bring it all.

Do feel I might be in the minority here but have been minding for 20 years and have never provided food, doesn't seem to cause a problem in my business, I'm always full and don't charge any less.

I look at other childminders I know providing huge amounts of food or throwing it away and feel relieved I don't plus I don't have the worry of thinking up menus or taking time out to prepare and cook food. Other minders argue that mindees will compare lunch boxes and not eat their own. Honestly, that never happens, for some reason they just accept what is in their lunch box is what they eat. If they took a packed lunch to school they would all be eating differently wouldn't they?

Also, to be honest, I am not the world's best cook, so mindees are probably much safer bringing their own

[AliceK]

I'm the same as loocyloo, except that I don't share my planned menu with parents because I'm pants at sticking to my plans, and because a parent once told me I couldn't serve sausages on a Monday lunch because they were having them for tea! So now I have a sample menu of the things I might serve and they find out when they collect! In all honesty, out of all the meals I serve each week, im lucky if two are eaten wholeheartedly by every child, babies especially seem choosy just now, and what I plan and serve isn't always what they actually eat!!! Keeps everyone on their toes though!

Exactly the same here. I write a menu each week which is pinned up in my kitchen so that I can shop. I write on childrens sheets what they have had to eat each day. As for babies, as soon as they are able to eat more or less what the others are eating I will provide the food, I love BLW babies for this reason, but if a child is on pureed / jars etc then parents need to send it in.

xxx