CM Club - Need help reviewing a policy and informing parents.

[Saz73]

I currently look after 4 under 5's sometime all on the same day. Youngest mindee is 12mths, then 21mths, 2 yrs and 4 yrs. 3 mindee's arrive with lunch boxes, one doesn't. Mum insists on me cooking lunch for him, most days it's not just lunch (and it's not a matter of heating it up it's cooking it from scratch ie fish mash pots etc, breakfast (bacon, sausage etc), evening meal. The evening meal is no problem but the other two are beginning to become impossible now. Have spoken to parent several times but it seems to be falling on death ears. She also gives me stuff to cook for snacks too.

I now want to possible do a policy and a letter to parents, but I am a complete softy and have no back bone so i am really stuggling with what to write without it sounding too harst.

Sorry I'm waffling on but need to get it off my chest and change the rules. With the nice weather too it's tieing me to the house when we could be out having picnics.

Hiya Saz

I'm sooooooo pleased you are finally doing something about this, you are totally right to I just wish I could help with wording etc.

Leave it with me to think about it some more.

Good luck x

I re-heat meals through most of the year but if items weren't prepared or cooked I'd be charging my full meal charge, I think!

here's something to start you off - I just ask that meals are cold, ready-to-eat in the summer holidays.

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Dear Parent

Now that the summer weather is finally here I hope to make the most of it. We plan to go to [x,y z] and have picnics and lots of outdoor fun.

Therefore, from Monday [date] I ask that all parent provided meals be packed lunches/cold meals and ready to eat as I will not have access to reheating facilities outdoors.

[if applicable:] As always, I am happy to provide suitable nutritional meals if you would prefer the convenience: Breakfast £1.40, Lunch £1.50, Dinner £2.00.

Kind Regards,

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autumn letter

Dear Parents

Now the weather is getting colder we will not be having many picnics for the time being! I am happy to provide cooked meals at the following fees: Breakfast £1.40, Lunch £1.50, Dinner £2.00.

Or, if you prefer to provide meals I am happy to reheat one-pot chilled or frozen bought or home-cooked meals. However, as I work alone, have limited kitchen space and prefer that we all enjoy our meals together, it is not practical to prepare and heat a different meal for each child. Therefore I must ask that ALL preparation of parent provided meals is completed out at home. Meals should be ready to eat and require no more than reheating and serving.

In view of the time and electricity/gas involved and the fact that my time in the kitchen detracts from the quality time I can spend with the children, there will be a preparation fee of £1.50 for each meal that requires more than simply re-heating. [I haven't done this, just thought of it!]

I appreciate your co-operation in this matter and, as always, happy to discuss.

....

NB - I've found a couple of parents expect you to stay in during 12-2 to avoid high sun so you might need to explain about finding shady areas to sit & eat and that you use this kind of activity as a way of teaching sun safety -
info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/

Ayla that is absolutley perfect thank you. I have talked about heating precooked food but always insisted on freshly cooked.

Prparation fee is a good idea. Don't know about anyone else my gas & elec bill for winter was over £700.

What does it actually say in your contracts with the parents? Does it say you will prepare meals? Is tehre any indication that you would be charging to reheat something in your home. I appreciate where you're coming from, but as a parent I think it's a bit over the top.

Sorry - I misread your message re the reheating! It hought you were charging for that only.

This is why I provide all meals for my mindees.

I (DH ) prepare most of them as we cook our own, if we have Shepards pie I make one for us one for the children, same with spag bol (just need to cook the pasta).

Breakfast is ceral, boiled eggs sort of thing.

It only takes reheating then, if parents dont wont this sort of food, then they dont choose me as their CM. (or I dont choose them)

I don't mind reheating food at lunch time. But it's the fact that that is not the option, i'm having to cook it from fresh. If it was a nursery or if I had an assistant it would be ok to do the cooking. And it's also that the other two children are sat down eating lunch sent by parents, I either need to write to the parents as suggested by Ayla or write to them stating that all children will eat the same lunch cooked and provided by me at a charge.

When mindee first started food was provided to be reheated but parent is not keen on reheated food being given to child.

Shoshe I have suggested to parent that I provide evening meal as my children always sit down to a hot meal at teatime. Parent buys organic food & meat from farm shops, which she prefers him to have, where as I buy mine from Tesco/Sainsburys. I can't just go shopping especially for mindee. I know I am most likely upset people by saying this.

Then she has to provide it ready prepared, you cannot take the time away from the children to cook a whole meal just for one child.

Go with Aylas letter.