In home childcare providers

[TwinKristi]

Lots of great ideas!!
Also, look into your county's food program for childcare providers. You are considered license exempt since you're only watching 1 family's children. You can also include your children in the program since you're feeding them during business hours. They actually pay more for dinner, you can get paid for 2 meals and a snack or 2 snacks and a meal. I'm getting almost $500/mo for food reimbursement alone for June! But I watched kids almost every day plus my 3 (10, 8, 6) and it's about $5/kid/day times 6-7 kids times 20 days. All I had to do was set up an appt, the lady came to my house, filled out a bunch of papers, set up the online program and it actually gives you the core meal structure and choices. For meals you have to do 1 meat/protein, 2 fruits/veggies, 1 grain and milk. That can be grilled cheese (cheddar and whole wheat bread) with carrots and ranch, grapes and milk or string cheese, pretzels, strawberries and sweet potato fries with milk. It doesn't have to be a huge complicated meal. I often do English muffin or bagel pizzas, bagels w/ veggie pasta sauce and a slice of mozzarella with a fruit and milk. Snacks consist of a fruit/veggie, grain and protien. String cheese or yogurt,, blueberry muffins, and apple slices. It's much easier once I used their format. I also offer milk but also give water. My kids and DC kids aren't big milk drinkers. I have been using these cute square and round silicone baking cups for the fruit/veggie/crackers and notice they really like eating out of those. Today we did turkey corn dogs, applesauce, strawberries and goldfish for lunch, blueberries muffins and yogurt for snack, cereal with milk and bananas for breakfast. I'm not afraid to serve my kids or my DC kids 100% natural chicken nuggets or turkey/chicken corn dogs though.

[JennTheMomma]

Hmm, I've never heard of a home daycare asking for parents to supply the food. Normally parents only supply extra clothes, bottles, formula, breastmilk and diapers. Older kids normally just have extra clothes.

As for food, lots of great pasta and potato reciepes out there that are healthy. Home made pizza can be super healthy, etc. This may be a good way to experiment with food with your own kids too.

Snacks - yogurt, cheese, fruit, veggies with home made yogurt dipping sauce, raisins, crackers with PB, bagels, etc.

It will take the kids to get use to your home, your foods, etc. They are not use to it, even if they dont' eat fast food. The new setting will just take awhile.

[s@hmommy]

Originally Posted by TwinKristi Lots of great ideas!! Also, look into your county's food program for childcare providers. You are considered license exempt since you're only watching 1 family's children. You can also include your children in the program since you're feeding them during business hours. They actually pay more for dinner, you can get paid for 2 meals and a snack or 2 snacks and a meal. I'm getting almost $500/mo for food reimbursement alone for June! But I watched kids almost every day plus my 3 (10, 8, 6) and it's about $5/kid/day times 6-7 kids times 20 days. All I had to do was set up an appt, the lady came to my house, filled out a bunch of papers, set up the online program and it actually gives you the core meal structure and choices. For meals you have to do 1 meat/protein, 2 fruits/veggies, 1 grain and milk. That can be grilled cheese (cheddar and whole wheat bread) with carrots and ranch, grapes and milk or string cheese, pretzels, strawberries and sweet potato fries with milk. It doesn't have to be a huge complicated meal. I often do English muffin or bagel pizzas, bagels w/ veggie pasta sauce and a slice of mozzarella with a fruit and milk. Snacks consist of a fruit/veggie, grain and protien. String cheese or yogurt,, blueberry muffins, and apple slices. It's much easier once I used their format. I also offer milk but also give water. My kids and DC kids aren't big milk drinkers. I have been using these cute square and round silicone baking cups for the fruit/veggie/crackers and notice they really like eating out of those. Today we did turkey corn dogs, applesauce, strawberries and goldfish for lunch, blueberries muffins and yogurt for snack, cereal with milk and bananas for breakfast. I'm not afraid to serve my kids or my DC kids 100% natural chicken nuggets or turkey/chicken corn dogs though.

Could you link me to this? I can't find it but am very interested. They are very low income so I really don't want to end up asking her for more money if I don't have to.

[beautifulboyz]

Originally Posted by JennTheMomma Hmm, I've never heard of a home daycare asking for parents to supply the food. Normally parents only supply extra clothes, bottles, formula, breastmilk and diapers. Older kids normally just have extra clothes. As for food, lots of great pasta and potato reciepes out there that are healthy. Home made pizza can be super healthy, etc. This may be a good way to experiment with food with your own kids too. Snacks - yogurt, cheese, fruit, veggies with home made yogurt dipping sauce, raisins, crackers with PB, bagels, etc. It will take the kids to get use to your home, your foods, etc. They are not use to it, even if they dont' eat fast food. The new setting will just take awhile.

I wasn't asked to it was just my preference for my little one. The price did reflect the exclusion of meals.

[JennTheMomma]

Originally Posted by s@hmommy Could you link me to this? I can't find it but am very interested. They are very low income so I really don't want to end up asking her for more money if I don't have to.

http://chfs.ky.gov/dcbs/dcc/registered.htm That's one for your state. Most programs do require you to be licensed, certified or do classes if you're not either of the two. They don't normally just let you sign up saying you're a provider.

[s@hmommy]

That's great! Thank you! I am going to eventually start keeping more kids later so I was looking into becoming licensed. This seems like a very helpful program for the area I live in. Most people around here charge $15 a day per child, and the ones I know say they really are very little after all of their expenses.

[Nimyue]

I think for healthy snacks fruit and yogurt are perfect! Granola bars are good too. But really they won't starve themselves, they'll learn to eat your food.

I have my son on a strict healthy diet, and I agree you can't let the other mama send snacks because you don't want your kids eating it or having to fight about them not eating it! You could as the other mama for a snack budget maybe? $20/week (or do some calculations on what it will cost you) so you can buy the type of food you want in your house.

And they should definitely provide toilettries.

[TwinKristi]

Originally Posted by JennTheMomma http://chfs.ky.gov/dcbs/dcc/registered.htm That's one for your state. Most programs do require you to be licensed, certified or do classes if you're not either of the two. They don't normally just let you sign up saying you're a provider.

I'm sure diff states have diff rules, in CA you can watch one family's children and you aren't required to have a license, only be fingerprinted and CPR. I think in that state it's a "registered" provider. It was $50 for fingerprinting, $70 for CPR/First Aid (thru Red Cross) and $10 for a TB test. But if you get $250 back for food the first month it's worth it!!

[AugustHope]

When I was doing in home child care, I had a couple very picky eaters. I learned that by just putting a little of the 'naughty' with the 'nice', the kids really opened up to what they would eat! examples: apples w/caramel dip, celery w/cream cheese(or peanute butter) and raisins, carrots w/almost any kind of dip, crackers w/smear-smear-it-your-self cheese, broccoli/cauliflower w/cheese.

I also discovered that if you gave things different names the kids were more likely to try it (and even like it). I had a child in my care who absolutely HATED spaghetti for halloween EVERYTHING got fun names, shapes, etc. That child had 2 plates of "bloody worms" (spaghetti).

Another option might be, because they are so used to fast food and may never have experienced it, let them help cook. It is always more fun for kids to eat what they have helped prepare. It can be simple things like pouring pasta into the kettle or picking out the veggie. Maybe getting them involved in the prep of the food would encourage them to eat/try new things.

[Michelle_M]

I would simply tell the mom that you expect the children to eat whatever you are making for dinner, and if they don't like what you're making they will have the option of having a PB&J.

That's what I do with my kids. DS2 is really picky.. he'll eat veggies like crazy, but will eat VERY few protein.. he'll eat chicken sometimes, but never beef, and VERY rarely fish. He'll eat Chicken nuggets, and peanut butter, that's about it for protein. So... I try to get him to try at least 2 bites of whatever I fix, then for bedtime snack he gets a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sometimes I'll give him cheddar cheese with dinner if I have it.

I don't want to force him to eat something he truly doesn't like, but I refuse to make a separate meal for him. My oldest used to be like that, and he eventually outgrew it, hoping DS2 does also!

In fact, tonight he went to bed hungry. I purposely fixed dinner late, because I hadn't been grocery shopping yet and we were out of just about EVERYTHING. So I made dinner late knowing I had nothing to give them for a bedtime snack, and I told them "This is all there is, you eat this, or you go hungry." And so, he ate 2 servings of veggies, and was hungry at bedtime. I gave him the option "come finish your chicken, or go to bed hungry." he said "Actually I'm not very hungry after all."

My point is this.. if they are hungry, they'll eat.

God bless!