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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask your opinion on sending babies to nursery without having breakfast?

186 replies

Babybunny88 · 11/09/2013 22:30

I work in a day nursery with babies and am astounded by the number of patents who say their baby has been up from 6am (or before) and are starving, please give them breakfast Confused.

We open at 7.30 and sometimes even have parents bring their babies in at 9am with no breakfast or even a bottle before hand. One little girl was brought in at 9.10am and had nothing to eat or drink apart from a bottle that she got at 4am Confused. Another little girl is put into her high chair every morning with nothing while
Her parents sit beside her at the table eat breakfast. One time apparently she grabbed a piece of toast of her dads plate and he wasn't very happy as it was his breakfast and she had to wait until she for to nursery before having hers!

I think my DD would be going into the kitchen and making her own breakfast if I didn't give her any! Really is there any need not to feed your baby before nursery? Is it laziness? Opinions please.

OP posts:
atrcts · 11/09/2013 22:32

I think it's neglect, plain and simple. No excuse!

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 11/09/2013 22:33

I think it's quite worrying to be honest. I mean I get people may not have time or others may not be hungry but if its one if those mornings surely some toast in the car would do.

To not even give them a bottle is mean. Assuming they are still young as they have a bottle. Surely that's the first thing you do???

Noteveryday · 11/09/2013 22:34

Is it part of their nursery contract to provide breakfast? I know many London nurseries provide breakfast.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 11/09/2013 22:34

How do you know all this? Did the Dad tell you about the toast? Confused

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 11/09/2013 22:34

How do you know all this? Did the Dad tell you about the toast? Confused

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 11/09/2013 22:35

But who starves their baby because someone else is paid to do it? If they can wait fine but if their starving feed them who cares if its part of some paperwork. Babies don't know that do they, they are just hungry

pigletmania · 11/09/2013 22:36

Omg that is astounding Shock, why do people even have kids if they cannot be arsed. I could ever sit there eating, and my poor hungry Chid watching me eat in a highchair plain cruel Sad

bigwellylittlewelly · 11/09/2013 22:36

Iur nursery is a late opening one at 8.30, neither child would wait until then. There may be times when dD1 hasn't wanted much breakfast but she has always been offered breakfast!

The nursery do a snack at 9.30 - no food available until then. I have only a few times had to rely on toast in the car. And don't think I've sent DD1 in her PJs either.

Original poster
Babybunny88 · 11/09/2013 22:36

wheres the babies I work with are aged from
4 months to 1 year so yes still young enough to have bottles.

It makes me reay sad for the poor babies who wolf down their porridge when we give them it :( alot of them
Wouldn't have had anything to eat from dinner time. Imagine going for 12 or more hours with nothing on your tummy with no choice in the matter!

OP posts:
JosiePosiePuddingAndPie · 11/09/2013 22:37

DS is 2, he has been going to nursery since 9m. He has never wanted breakfast before we leave in the morning. Sometimes he has some fruit or a couple of breadsticks, but normally he just doesn't want to eat... Until he is half in his car seat that is Hmm. He has breakfast at nursery at 8. He is more than capable of asking for food if he wants it. DH and I normally eat at work when we get there too.

SimLondon · 11/09/2013 22:37

My toddler would prefer to spend the extra time in bed, fill up on a big glass of milk and then have breakfast at the second breakfast sitting at nursery.

I think its unprofessional if your a nursery worker to slate parents behind their backs.

bigwellylittlewelly · 11/09/2013 22:38

Our* not Iur!

Oh and DD1 always had a huge feed at 6am until after her second birthday so she could coast a while on that. Still gave her breakfast though.

foslady · 11/09/2013 22:38

I know mornings are difficult, but I couldn't have done it with my dd, especially if I was eating breakfast Even if they have a long car journey, I'd have given her a rusk- at least, for me that would be better than nothing. I have always insisted dd has breakfast, when they're growing up for me it's important to get them into the habit.
Each to their own though I suppose.........I'm sure someone will be along to say I'm being unreasonable............!!!

MissBetseyTrotwood · 11/09/2013 22:38

I dunno. I used to drop DS at 8am; I'd feed him something but that was for my needs rather than his. I liked to think I could feed him at least one meal a day. However, it would have been unecessary as there was always a warm bowl of porridge waiting for him on arrival if he wanted it.

No breakfast and a 7.30 drop off seems understandable if it's available at nursery.

9's pretty late though. Why wouldn't they feed the baby? Trying to get moneys worth out of nursery? Confused

trinitybleu · 11/09/2013 22:39

We have always given DD a couple of biscuits and a drink, and then she has breakfast at school/nursery. We don't eat breakfast at home. What's wrong with that?

Noteveryday · 11/09/2013 22:39

Some kids (sadly not mine) aren't hungry when they wake up. Or they might have had a night feed at 3 or 4 am and not be hungry til 9 (one of mine did this). There's a lot of hysteria on this thread.

Original poster
Babybunny88 · 11/09/2013 22:39

note we provide toast and fruit at 9am for the babies. If parents don't want to feed them themselves they must bring the breakfast in

neo yes the dad told me about it, he was actually unite annoyed that his hungry daughter took some of
His toast!

OP posts:
JosiePosiePuddingAndPie · 11/09/2013 22:39

Oh and btw DS could sign for food from about 7.5m, he's always been able to ask for food when he wants it.

Trapper · 11/09/2013 22:39

Mine would wolf down porridge. Doesn't mean he hasn't had anything to eat for 12 hours though - seems like a very big assumption?

OP - Where on earth are you getting this information? Where you at breakfast with them, or did they recount the story to you?

HappyAsASandboy · 11/09/2013 22:39

DH drops our children off at nursery without breakfast every day :)

We get them up at 6.15 and are out of the house by 6.40 (it takes 25 mins to get two sleepy two year olds dressed in our house), and no one even sets foot in the kitchen in the mornings. They get to nursery at 7am an have their breakfast there (DH an I commute to work and then eat there, which seems perfectly normal in London).

It would seem far worse to get them up even earlier, just so they could eat at home instead of nursery Hmm. They enjoy having breakfast with the other children, taking fruit in to supplement the cereal they keep at nursery to save us taking some in each day.

HaroldLloyd · 11/09/2013 22:39

Ds1 is up at 8 and has milk, nursery for 9 and has breakfast there. He has breakfast at 9 at home when he's not in.

I don't see the problem?

happystory · 11/09/2013 22:40

IMO one of the most natural things when your child wakes is to give it a drink and or food, we all need it, especially little ones. Never mind whether it is provided, for gods sake look after your child's needs

trinitybleu · 11/09/2013 22:42

That's from 6m onwards and she used to be at Nursery for between 8:30 and 9. She gets to breakfast club at school for 7:30.

HaroldLloyd · 11/09/2013 22:42

Children don't need two breakfasts they are not hobbits.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 11/09/2013 22:42

The op is talking about babies though. Babies probably put to bed at seven and have gone til their parents drop then off at nine without a bottle.