I once had a little boy in my day care whose mother seemed a bit upset with me. I asked her if she wanted to ask me something. She said she didn’t think it was good to give the children peanut butter every day for lunch… I asked her whatever gave her the idea that I gave them peanut butter every day. Apparently she asked her son what he had for lunch and every day he said peanut butter. I had to laugh a little and told her that he asked for peanut butter every day but, of course, that was not what I gave him. I told her that anytime she wanted, she could ask me what they had for lunch or she could drop by if it would make her feel better. That would be a more reliable source than asking a 3 year old little boy who just loved peanut butter. Many providers belong to a Federal Food Program and they mandate a required nutritional variety of foods. However, before I joined the program I gave them the same foods. Most providers give the children good variety in the menu and all of the required foods. Lunch should be a protein, a grain, two fruits and/or vegetables and milk for children over 1 year old. Know you have the right to ask what your child is being fed at day care. Also, when starting your child in day care be sure to inform the provider of any food allergies or sensitivities. If your child has severe allergies you might want to provide a bottle of Benadryl in case of a reaction. You should also provide her with written and signed permission to administer the medication with the correct dosage as directed by your child’s doctor. Providers should also have a signed medical permission slip in case of emergency and she has to call for medical assistance. Some children have very severe allergies that are life threatening and your provider should be told before starting with her services to be sure she is willing to deal with this issue if your child has allergies.
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