Stopping providing a hot meal - Quick advice please.

[AliceK]

Hi
If you had a child who was flatly refusing to eat their hot dinner and was then getting fed at home (which is prob why child isn't eating it!!) would you refuse with immediate effect to continue to provide a hot meal? This is an ongoing thing btw. I cannot afford to keep chucking food away all the time not to mention the time and effort of actually cooking it.

xxx

[jillplum]

Depends what you agreed with parents. Is it in your contract? if so you may need to give notice of a change of contract. Best thing is have a word with parents and tell them what you plan on doing and see what they say.

[AliceK]

Depends what you agreed with parents. Is it in your contract? if so you may need to give notice of a change of contract. Best thing is have a word with parents and tell them what you plan on doing and see what they say.

I don't charge for meals it's included in my hourly charge. Contract says I will provide meals. Shame it doesn't say providing your child actually makes an effort to eat them

xx

[smurfette]

Yes do, just say 'I am finding Lo isn't eating dinner at mine, and since I know you give him a meal at home, I will just start giving him ...:
Bye see u tomorrow'!!

[smurfette]

Can u tell I am having a 'bad parent' week?!

[AliceK]

Can u tell I am having a 'bad parent' week?!

Yep, me too. I feel your pain

xxx

[smurfette]

Ah well tomorrow is Friday! And for me that means no more yucky horrible parent,, can't wait! Hope for you, you have a good day tomorrow x

[pipandbaz]

It's always the parents that are a pita

[lisa1968]

i stopped providing meals several years ago, mainly because of this. I got so fed up of spending time cooking(that I could've spent with the children) only to throw most of it away,either because they didn't want it,couldn't eat it,didn't like it(although they did last time....) or parents turned up halfway through. I was chucking away more food than they actually ate-food that my own children could've had-and costing me money so i stopped it.

[Little Puddings]

I charge extra for meals, parents know when we eat and therefore do not tend to turn up early, if they do they just wait in the hall until kids are finished.
It frustrates me when they don't eat. I had a period after Christmas when the 2yr old wouldn't even come in the kitchen when tea was on the table but he had behaved the same at home so might have just been because he felt unwell.
I always eat with the children (my husband works away) also my own 3 need to be fed before having to go back out for Scouts, cubs, football, gymnastics, athletics etc as if not they would not get fed until far too late as I used to work until 6pm.
At the minute I have noone after the school run and it is lovely :-)

[bunyip]

Ah well tomorrow is Friday! And for me that means no more yucky horrible parent,, can't wait! Hope for you, you have a good day tomorrow x

Hi Murphf.

You should post a thread this evening when they've gone. We can all sit down, crack open a bottle and have a long-distance celebration party.

bunyip

[phoenix2010]

Yep, me too. I feel your pain

xxx

and me must be something in the water

they seem to all have forgotten how to tell the time

[smurfette]

Hi bunyip! Yes I shall its a deal! I will send u some virtual champagne from Ireland!

[smurfette]

and me must be something in the water

they seem to all have forgotten how to tell the time

Really hate late pickups., even if they are paid for it makes a mess of your evening hugs

[jillplum]

Even 5 minutes late gets me going. I am never late for anything and hate it when others cant get there on time

[smurfette]

Me too, always think they are getting it for free!!!

[mushpea]

I had a child who refused to eat at mine then ate at home with his parents, one day his dad arrived and I had kept the plate, I shoved it under his nose and said 'so tell me whats wrong with that' it was a lovely roast chicken meal, dad looked a bit shocked and said it looks yum ( he sued to help himself to my slowcooker meals!) so I said that was your sons tea and as you can see hes not even touched it, either I feed him here or you feed him at home but both just isnt working and I am fed up with chucking meals, they stopped feeding him at home and eventuyally he learnded to eat at mine then go to bed at a decent time which parents were happy with, BUT this was a parent I knew well and took no offense at the way I approached him lol

[Kiddleywinks]

Must be something in the water!

I've got a 3 year old that has been funny about eating tea here for the last 4 weeks.
Spoke to both Mum and Dad, and agreed not to make an issue over it, I will cook her meal as have to do everyone elses anyway, if she wants it, great, if not, it goes in a takeaway tub to be reheated at home, but turns out dad gives her sweets when she gets home (7pm and we're talking the big bag haribo sized not a little packet), and THAT is why she refused food here.
Last week was the first take home tub as she didn't want to eat it, Dad made her what she asked for instead - mine went into the bin , but then she didn't eat what he'd cooked either - just wanted her sweets, so now Dad wasn't too happy that he'd cooked what she wanted (more fool you!) and she still didn't eat it.
This week, she arrived at 7am and happily told me, I'm not having my tea here, I know you're not sweetie, you're having tea at your house aren't you (smiling sweetly), nod and a wink from mum lol. All day, I was informed she wasn't eating here, I just smiled and agreed,
but it was half term,
I had 5 plus my own two to cook for, and at tea time, all but her sat at the table, she's sat on the sofa all chuffed with herself, out comes tea, and the bottom lip goes
- I'm hungry,
yes but you're having tea at your house tonight,
bottom lip quivers more
- I want some
Are you going to eat it?
Yes (quivering lip)
She ate half, the other half went into the tub and went home.
No sweets from Dad until she finished her tea... She went to bed without the rest of her tea, and without sweets
Next week should be interesting lol

[MessybutHappy]

I'm "forgetting" to clear away at the moment just so parent sees whats been offered/rejected!

[jillplum]

Thats a great idea