Does you nursery offer a hot dinner?

[dribbleface]

I'm a nursery manager, we currrently offer a tea at 3.30pm like most nurseries (sandwiches, fruit etc), we also offer hot lunch and snacks etc.

I have been thinking about whether to offer a hot dinner at say 5/5.30pm. The vast majority of our parents work in London and communte (about 45mins). most collect at 6pm (am toying with the idea to open till 6.30pm)

I am obviously going to canvass my parents as to what they would like, but wanted a few views here (always a danger when discussing possibly new ideas that someone will get cross if you don't then implament it, even though they were the only one who wanted it!)

My concerns/queries are:

• If not all parents would use this should it be an extra or part of the overall fees?
• How could it work in practice, if some parents arrived half way through to collect. It is very disruptive when parents arrive during meals and the children seem to get very silly and loud, and then it all returns to calm when the parent leaves

Main reason for thinking of changing it is to make it easy for working parents, not to increase revenue (however it would obviously need to cover its costs)

Thank you

No, Ds's nursery didn't do a hot dinner - hot lunch, then a tea (but that might have soup/beans/tinned spagetti as part of it) at 3.30. All he wanted later was a snack.

Freinds dd is at a 'commuting' nursery, and those who are there at 5.30 get a fruit/cracker sort of snack, and I think they get it on a paper plate to take with them if they want.

Being able to pay extra for half an hour earlier or later would make a big difference to parents

Thanks. I know the 6.30pm thing would be very popular, now to convince the staff!

DS's nursery do a tea which is sometimes hot/sometimes cold i.e. soup, jacket potatoes, tuna rolls, beans on toast etc. They serve tea at 4.00. It helps me as we don't always get home until 6.30!

Have to say I was surprised when I saw soup on the menu (never occured to me to give soup to a 2 year old!) but DS loves it!!

No, my dc's nursery offer a hot lunch, sandwiches at 15 and snacks late afternoon.
I find it sufficient, cook a family meal in the evenings anyway.

Longer opening hours, even if for 15 extra minutes beginning and end of day will probably be the best help to parents. In terms of dinner can you not also give the parents the option to bring in their own dc's dinner? That may be easier on staff and will let the ones who give dinner at home a chance to do that. You could consider making restrictions on what is taken in (so serving is easier). My dd, a toddler, wouldn't be able to make it home before meltdown so I give her a dinner for her to have in nursery with others who have dinner like her. Those that don't have dinner have an activity (but not a further snack as they all have an afternoon snack at the same time). I would have liked a hot dinner option but I don't think more than a third of the children are having dinner (though perhaps more parents would have opted for it if it was a hot meal) so its not worth it for the nursery to provide it. Though I am glad they are willing to serve her the meal I provide. Perhaps you could ballot the parents on both meal options. Good luck!

Thanks all

Snuppeline - some of our babyroom parents do bring in a hot dinner, and were happy with that. Will explore all options suggested.

Am off work today with a sick DS (well to be honest he would most likely be ok to go today but feel judged more than others if i take him in under the weather - sure its just me be parionoid though!), so not MN while i should be working!

No, our nursery does hot lunch and then cold 'tea' / dinner at about 4 - 4.30 of sandwiches / garlic bread and a pudding. The cook only works through lunchtime I think so the tea is prepared in advance. I pick her up at 5.30 and it's never occurred to me to give her anything else to eat when we get home unless she asks for an apple or something

It is open until half 6 (commutersville)

My DS is 2 and is at nursery till 6, they have a hot lunch and then tea around 4ish. For his age I think that works OK, they then have another snack about 5.15. He has over teh last few months begun to ask for cereal at home in the evening as well. I think that as he gets older he is going to want more food, so for the oldest age group I think dinner would be a good idea.

Perhaps if you thought take up, along with longer opening, was going to be fairly universal, you could scale down the lunch slightly (soup, something on toast etc) and serve the main meal at 5.30?

There was no hot dinner at DD's nursery - hot lunch and cold tea at around 3.30/4.00 pm. The nursery was open until 1830 hrs which was brilliant for us, as working in central London until 5.30 pm meant we couldn't get back home until 6.15 pm at the earliest. We used to give DD a snack when she got home - usually crackers and cheese and then she would have a yoghurt at bedtime as she won't drink milk.

I think the parents would appreciate the extra opening times but can understand yo may have trouble with the staff.

I would welcome a cooked tea if I was collecting that late.

I thought my nursery was the norm but obviously not! They are open 8-6, you have the option of a long day 8-6, medium 8.30-4.30, or short either 9-1 or 12-4.
Lunch is a hot meal at 12 (snacks at 10.30 and 3pm) then tea is 5pm which is sandwiches and fruit and veg, sometimes crumpets, scones etc.
This is what we do at home so it fits in well with us although we have a hot meal inthe evening and sandwich type food at lunch.
This routine really suits us as he is usually shattered when I pick him up just before 6pm and can't imagine I would get him to eat anything when he got home. Also if they served tea earlier at 3.30-4pm he would still be asleep so the staff would have to feed him seperately when he woke up.
Best bet is to ask the parents what would suit them and their children.

Forgot to say all meals are included as are snacks and wipes but not nappies or formula.

When my DD was at nursery they had a hot lunch at 11.30 and a hot tea at 3.30. Children picked up later got a cold but substantial snack at 6ish (sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt, breadsticks, malt loaf etc).

Thanks all. Will keep on thinking about best way, and consult my parents of course. Re: fees we are all inclusive too, nappies/wipes/creams/suncreams etc all apart from formula so charging for a extra doesn't sit well. The extra 1/2 hour opening would be charged though.

Our nursery don't offer dinner, so you have to send in food if you want your child to eat before pick up. I collect DS at 6pm so it works really well if he's alredy eaten, when we get home he just has milk and then bedtime routine. It's not too much hassle with the food really, I just pack him a portion of whatever I'm using for the packed lunches.

It is so hard finding good childcare that fits in with commuter hours so I'm sure extending the hours would be really popular with your parents! Anything that makes working parents lives easier like providing tea (hot or not) will be a winner :) Personally I'm happy with a sandwiches type tea after a hot lunch. Good luck :)

Mine does hot or cold breakfast, hot dinner them a hot or cold tea at around 4pm.
Brilliant for me as I pick DD up about 5.45 and she only really wants her bottle and a snack as she's quite tired.