To take a birthday cake in to play group.

[Buckteethjeff]

Just that really, it's dd 1st birthday coming soon and we are going out on the day to somewhere she will enjoy. Just a few family and friends.

I was wondering if I took a cake in to the play group the next day, it could be shared at snack time between everybody. We normally have toast, milk, fruit.

I was wondering if the play leader was would think I would be taking the piss as in 'I'm trying to get a cheap party'

And

What if some of the children are not allowed to eat it?

Before I came on MN I would have just turned up with the cake but kinda wary now.

It's a stay and play session.

[poocatcherchampion]

I was just going to say - yes but you can ask the person who baked it - "no there are no nuts, my husband is allegic too". but clearly I forget people can be idiots.

[ILoveWooly]

Exactly GreenLands.

[GreenLandsOfHome]

I would also always take a shop bought one in for the ingredients side.

Ds2 has a serious allergy to cherry. At a playgroup aged 2, he ended up in hospital because of a homemade cake. I asked her what jam it was...she said strawberry. I double checked and asked if she was sure because ds2 was allergic and she said yes, definitely strawberry, I hate cherry jam, never buy it etc.

Guess what jam it was?

My bad, I should have tasted first but didn't expect she'd be wrong she was so emphatic about it. I wouldn't let him have any homemade cake at school again though.

[ILoveWooly]

I honestly wonder when people get on their high horse over cake.
The reason shop bought is 'preferable' to playgroups is for the simple reason of you can read the ingredients, know if it was made somewhere with nuts etc. Not because it is better or healthier or tastier.

You can't please everyone OP but you can allow them to make informed choices themselves.

[poocatcherchampion]

blimey! I never realised shop bought was preferable to some. it's last resort here - too sweet and plastic-y.

its tough one though if you restrict cake.
we dont do biscuits sweets or chocolate crisps (dont ever think to buy) but cake a few times a week is fine.

[PoppySeed2014]

Sorry minty if I was a bit grumpy there. It's just I have been given haribo etc for my dc aged 1 and below. Just don't understand the mentality of giving rubbish to children who are far too young to know anything about the joys of haribo.

And I repeat - if my older dc have the occasional packet of haribo then that's fine. No problem. It's the pre-schoolers that I object to!

[mintyneb]

Sorry, I'm not suggesting given 1 year olds Haribo, I meant that for when children are older.

At 1 no child is going to know that getting a plastic toy instead of a piece of cake makes them different, but once they get to school they do

[PoppySeed2014]

Ingredients

Corn Syrup , Sugar , Gelatin , Dextrose , Citric Acid , Starch , Artificial and Natural Flavors , Fractioned Coconut Oil , Carnauba Wax , Beeswax Coating , Artificial Colors , FD&C Yellow No. 5 , Red No. 40 , Blue No. 1

Yum! Not to mention not suitable for Jewish/Muslim/vegetarian children.

[PoppySeed2014]

People really give haribo to 1 year olds?! Why?

[MrsMook]

DS needed a full set of teeth before he could chomp through a pack of haribo (insert most dairy free sweets). Jelly babies were one of the first sweets he could eat. I had to do a lot of smiling and nodding as people foisted inedible confectionery upon us, he was at the age be
fore he noticed and cared then

[MrsMook]

I remember taking DS1 to mother and toddler group and doing my best to keep him occupied and entertained while the other children were scoffing cake (milk, egg and soya allergies) and crawling everywhere collecting the cake crumbs being shed liberally by a random unsupervised child incase DS1 picked them up and tried them and made himself ill. His allergies have improved and can tolerate the dairy and egg of a cake, but most shop bought scake is contaminated with soya, so homemade is ok, and shop bought rarely so.

if it's a regular group then ask, and they should know if there's likely to be a problem with other children. If its a casual group then you can't tell who will come and what their needs are

[mintyneb]

Bringing in alternative treats for children with allergies works when they are all very young but once they are old enough to know they are 'different' its not such a good idea.

Haribo all around or, depending on the allergies involved try and get a bought cake that's suitable.

I know from bitter experience.....

[jacks365]

My sure start is the same as cats, you would be told to take the cake home again. Oddly enough ours isn't very well attended either

[CatThiefKeith]

No, not at all, but all my local Sure Start groups view anything other than celery/carrot sticks as dreadful parenting. No hot drinks or biscuits for the adults, and woe betide anyone whipping out a bag if Pom Bears.... Sinners!!!

Whereas the local toddler groups are full of mums and toddlers eating toast with jam, cake and biscuits, washed down with juice or tea/coffee.

Oddly enough, the latter type tend to be better attended!

[Buckteethjeff]

[whomadeyougod]

take the cake ,im sure it will get eaten by the mums anyway while they preach on that their little darlings do not eat rubbish and would rather have a carrot :)

[Buckteethjeff]

cat have I been outed!?!

[kansasmum]

I'm a play group leader and have had mums bring in birthday cake and it's never an issue. Kids and parents/carers enjoy a treat and it probably only happens 2 or 3 times a year anyway!

I'm all for healthy eating- we do fruit for snack usually but one bit of cake once in a while isn't going to hurt!


Bring on the cake!

[givemeaclue]

Raisins are much worse for teeth than cake!

[PoppySeed2014]

Op, yes I am serious. I have older dc who don't binge on treats and still see breadsticks as a treat (no idea why)

I'm strict while they're little and have no idea about sweets, chocolate etc. I'm not depriving them. I'm giving them the best start nutritionally! Once they're at school they discover other sweets etc and that's ok. But all in moderation.

[Buckteethjeff]

poppy are you serious , bread sticks and tomatoes treats?

[CountessOfRule]

At our toddler group we often have birthday cake for adult birthdays or leftover from other events, but it stays in the kitchen and is generally only for the adults - people hide behind the fridge and ram it in quick, spitting crumbs if a child tries to wander in

The gingerbreadmen "barrels" you can get in supermarkets or bakers are more popular for children as they aren't very messy or overly sweet, and they tend to have fewer ingredients than cake.

[PoppySeed2014]

Wow. I am ranty

We do bake at home a couple of times a month. Dc know what cakes and biscuits are. They just don't have them every day (or week) and are small enough to consider its of foods "treats" (berries, tomatoes, bread sticks, etc)

[PoppySeed2014]

Cake for the adults seems a great idea!

I just feel that when dc are small we have a huge responsibility to give them the best nutrition possible.

So, for example, when we have lunch with another family who offer my dc children's yoghurt (sugar, sugar and more sugar) and squash - it's ok as a one off. But it means they're full up on rubbish and I just feel quite frustrated by it. Dc are more than happy with a bowl of natural organic yoghurt and water.

I'm going off on a ranty tangent. Sorry.

By the time dc are at school properly, it's not so bad. It's just when they're so small it bothers me.

My dc was given a packet of haribo aged 1 from a party (for 1 year olds). Thankfully dc had no idea what they were. They went in the bin (no tears from dc). Was I mean not to introduce him to sugary/gelatine tooth rot? Or kind. Hmm...

[BagOfBags]

I think it's a great idea but please ask/ tell everyone in advance if possible. DS has food allergies and there's nothing worse than watching his face drop when he's told he can 't have any. Given some warning I'd make sure I had some cake that he can have with me