childminders do you cook?

I do cold at lunch (mostly sandwiches fruit crackers crisps etc) but make up for it at dinner with homecooked food. We only have junk (to me! fish fingers etc) if I've felt very ill (am pg) and it's not often.

I've tried 'posher' lunches quiche, etc but kids won't eat it.

I love my slow cooker, but gutted i cant use it at the moment because of myleg. Have you checked out the slow cooker thread on either food or recipes?

to ivett83 - missed your post about the slow cooker earlier
its brilliant, got it 4 xmas. just bung everything in the morning (you can brown meat first but you don't have to) and you'll have beautifully tender meat casserole ready to dish up at tea-time. Am trying Hawaiian pork next week.

I also wouldn't be without my combination microwave and my steamer.

well I agree and you are full so your obviously doing fine without having to spend your nights cooking.

I already spend many many of my non-paid-for working hours doing stuff around my childminding - I do courses, I do assignments, I do all my childminding paperwork, I am on county childminding committee, I work as a mentor and a soon-to-be-phased-out vacancy co-ordinator. I prepare activities most evenings for the following day, or at the weekend. I also have a family of my own, housework/shopping and, believe it or not, like to have a life too!

I work jolly hard during my paid working hours (full-time, Monday to Friday, 7.30am-6pm currently). I have three small children full-time during the week, plus a morning and afternoon school run ... and then there are the school holidays! I can be really busy, but we have a lot of fun, and I wouldn't swap what I do for anything else.

I like the idea of providing an all-inclusive meal service to parents, but the reality of it would be so much more work for me. I am already knackered!!!

I think once you start minding, if you are working a full day, cleaning and doing paperwork, you'll soon know why this would be hard to fit in

There's no way I could do this in the evening without having an earlier time to stop minding - no time unless I want to be working through the night. I haven't come across anyone with a problem with cold lunch i.e. sandwiches, pitta etc. as their child is always getting a hot dinner.

sorry. im still in a bad mood

we could cook alot in the evenings but when does one suggest we do it. before all the paper work, putting our own meals on the table, doing homework with our own children, spending time with our own children, spending time with our husbands.....or after.

ivet83 - what are they paying us for?

They pay us to look after, care for and nurture their precious children - with or without meals!

I charge the evening meal outside of hourly fee as some parents need a meal and others don't and they (so far) have all preferred it separate. I have mu hourly fee plus meal fee but only one parent has their child here for dinner and she knows her daily fee is £30+£1.50 so £31.50 a day - this is all in the contract and is very straight forward.

As a mum I would always prefer to choose childcare that did provide my child with a home cooked, hot meal once a day, ideally at lunch time. I would also prefer an all in price, rather than a price plus food on top. The food then saves me a lot of hassle in the evening. If running late I can get away with giving my DD a snack dinner at night, safe in the knowledge she has eaten properly already. Hope that helps.

If doing this and out during the morning, how about cooking in batches in an evening or weekend , and freezing?

My childminders have never provided meals and I'm glad. I'm such a control freak about what they eat (in front of other people, of course ) that I prefer to send it.

I'm in Reading and charge £3.50 which is normal in my village however another end of town people may charge £3 an hour - depends. I don't charge for breakfast and lunch but do charge £1.50 per evening meal.

Think people who don't provide breakfast either start later or maybe ask the parents to bring in bread/cereal??

i provide meals and yes i cook proper food.lunch is normally cold and tea is hot .cooking tea for 7 today.i provide food for babies too.

Meals do mean extra work in terms of planning & shopping as well as preparation & cooking. However, as there is a really cheap after school club that doesn't provide dinners, its something I have to do if I want the after-school kids.

I make heavy use of the slow cooker by preparing either before mindies arrive or while they are eating breakfast. Or I make use of nap-time to get things prepared.

i have changed my name...........OK!
my rate is the going rate in my area, some charge up to £4.50. i did speak to another minder recently who charges the same but expects mindees to bring packed lunches....she does'nt even provide a breakfast. if i thought i could get away with it i would as i said, but even most nurseries provide some food and it is very competitive around here.

I only provide breakfast!!

My mindees leave at noon (I'm such a part-timer) so they have breakfast with me and that's it, even if their mum's shift changes and I have them in the afternoon they have lunch at home and go before tea time.

I don't know what I'd do if I had any full time mindee's.

I don't think I like the idea of doing a hot lunch though as I only ever have something quick and cold anyway, (since my microwave blew up!) I don't even make a hot lunch at weekend for DP and DD it's sandwiches or nothing in my house.