Should I be concerned about food at CM's?

Perhaps she's genuinely uninspired where menus are concerned and so it seems like she isn't making much effort. You'll know yourself from her food diaries if the chips are a one-off?

My CM seems to always give pasta every single lunchtime. I don't get in a tiz as it's only two lunchtime meals and I make sure my daughter has a decent hot meal for tea.

YANBU. You should have the pleasure of giving your Ds treats, not the childminder. As a one off it's fine, but otherwise not on, and I think she should let you know beforehand. Eg. On Tuesday we will be going to the park if the weathers nice. Is it ok if I get your Ds an ice cream or chips as a treat. If she's not checking beforehand I'd expect her to take a healthy packed lunch for the kids.

Maybe it was curry sauce from the chippy.

hopefully homemade veggie/tom sauce :)

Ooh do come back and tell us macca (nosey)

I think that this is pretty off, OP.

I may give older children a good quality ice cream/homemade ice cream occasionally if I had checked with their parents first, but I would NEVER give any of my mindees chips or biscuits, especially if they were only with me twice a week.

I wouldnt be bothered bout this if it's once in a blue moon. My childminder takes my DD (although admitedly she is 5) to McDonalds - everything in modderation.
The only reason I may be sligtly annoyed is that once it's happened, DD has used up her junk food quota for a few weeks and Mummy has to be the boring food giver. Would rather she ate healthly there so I could take her to maccyD's
But yes, she was probably at the park and didnt want to leave - she could have been better organised and taken something packed but if it's a rarity then cut her some slack.

DH and I were at the park with our mindees this week. We normally take a full packed lunch, but this week we had chicken cucumber and cheese in our cool bag and added a portion of chips, which the 6 children shared. Unfortunately our local country park doesn't let CMs buy ice creams .

I'm completely on the fence- everything in moderation but not neccessarily the case for a 14m old. I was very anal with my first dc but not my 2nd so I can see where you are coming from. Yes they are a veg, but they are deep fried. Yes she took him out but should have been more prepared. Yes she was honest but it sounds like it was something you wouldn't have done and you are paying her to care for your child so you should lay down the ground rules. Having said that I'm pretty sure you haven't written down anywhere on a wish list "do not feed ds chips" so where you can't really criticise you can perhaps explain you weren't overly happy.

As someone else said, I look at the bigger picture, and my view is that I would not want anyone looking after my child to take him out over a meal time without having planned it first, ie if she knew there was only a chippy then I would have expected her to make a sandwich or similar. If she didn't know there was only a chippy then she didn't know there would be anything and so there would have been no food. I would hope that's not a risk she would take and therefore it sounds like the chippy was planned, which IMHO is unacceptable for a 14m old, period.

But as I said, this is MHO.

is this the first time ds has had chips with cm or even in his life (ie not with you?)

i agree a 14mth doesnt really need chips in his diet but maybe was a one off at the park

agree cheese spread isnt really a nutritiousness filling in a sandwich but again with veggie sticks and fruit, it isnt the end of the world

Hmm.

For my own daughter at 14mo, then I'd probably have happily have given her chips and an icecream as a one off (given the rest of her diet was healthy at that age) during a trip to the park.

Working as a CM though and taking other children out with me though, I'd probably have taken a picnic lunch out with me, but if it was a last minute decision to go out on a sunny day, and hadn't had time to make and pack a lunch and supervise the children then I wouldn't have expected anyone to have a problem with some chips (with no salt or vinegar on them!) or an ice cream.

If it's a rare thing, then I don't think I'd bother saying anything - but if you notice it becomes a regular thing then I'd definitely speak up. A healthy, balanced diet is about everything in moderation.

I'm a childminder and take kids out for days out now the weather is improving. I have an insulated bag which I take sandwiches, fruit, yogurts and water in. It's not hard (probably easier than finding a takeaway).

The children do occasionally have ice cream but it's not a regular thing.

I don't think you are being OTT, have a chat with her and say you'd prefer it if she took food with her.

I'm the opposite. I think oven chips are Frankenstein food - whereas thick cut chip shop chips are a classic that's raised generations. I don't think they're a great choice for me - but as an occasional thing for an active DC I think it is fine. Healthy exercise - hearty food.

Like I said before - I see more issues with too much wheat in a DC diet than with chips.

Chips arent the work of the devil but if they are given regularly, I would speak to her. I also think that chips from chipvans / chip shops are somehow much more unhealthy than say, oven chips/wedges/etc cooked at home. That may just be my opinion, I have no evidence for that, it just feels like that would be the case.

Therefore, I'd be happier if chips were provided at her home, rather than as more of a convenience food, iyswim. I don't think Im explaining myself . I would have thought the ideal food for a trip to the park would be a picnic?

I wouldn't be happy with it at all. No reason for a 14 month old to have chips for their meal, unless it's just a part of a meal now and again. And I really wouldn't want a toddler having icecream frequently, it's just empty calories and sugar, and bought lollies are far too big anyway - ok a little bit of icecream in a bowl occasionally, but a whole Twister at 14 months?

Also, I think one of the nice things about being a parent is being able to treat your child to an icecream etc now and again, but if he's already getting that at childcare then if you give it at home as well it will really be too much.

I don't think there's an awful lot to choose nutritionally between chip-shop chips with ice cream versus cheese spread sandwich with yoghurt.

Fatty? Tick
token dairy? tick
starchy? Tick

Tbh - I'd prefer the chip shop chips for my dc as it's a hot meal, and not so much wheat ( my DC get a bit squitty if they eat too much wheat). Obviously you don't season DC chips. I'd generally also divvy up a portion of fish (pick out the fish from inside the batter and put some with their chips portion).

I'd also be pleased at honest reporting, and lovely outdoors fun days.

I guess the way I am looking at it is that I would want any childcare to resemble as closely as possible my child's home life

and that home life does occasionally involve ice creams or chips from the chippy... cos they're NICE and it's a treat and it's a fun thing to do.

it wouldn't bother me as a one off, but i wouldn't be happy if it was happening regularly.

to clarify, i actually don't think there is anything wrong with chips at all, am a firm believer in everything in moderation. so chips WITH a meal once a week wouldn't concern me at all.

I would not like it however if my child was regularly given just chips for a lunch.

tbh given that he is only there for 2 lunches and one meal each week I think if you are happy with everything else I would ignore it. If it happens more often then ask if she can give him something else, or take a packed lunch out with them

I wasn't too pleased when my CM told me she had given chips to DD (2.3 at the time) for lunch. They were out and about too so it was a total one off.

Not acceptable. My ds is nearly 3 and he wouldn't be having chips for lunch - no way!

My cm gives him snacks and I provide the main meals. It works well cos she is really healthy too and she gives him fruit and yoghurts and pancakes/toast.

She always asks if she can give him a particular thing for a treat i.e ice cream.

Sorry I dont think the occasional portion of chips will do any harm. He did have a proper tea. Actually just noticed he is only fourteen months no not acceptable. Just nicely suggest they take a packed lunch.

quiet

I wouldnt worry about chips and ice cream, but on their own they aren't balanced meals. She should really be providing him with better quality food, especially if you pay for it. I would have a quite word. You arent being precious - come on! Chips on their own for lunch for a baby? No.