Menus for toddlers in daycare - advice needed

[Anonymous]

Hi, my daughter is starting daycare in April when she's almost 18 months. She has some minor developmental issues which mean she's on the slow side for eating solids. She's 14 months now and just started eating bananas. She eats Cheerios and a few other finger foods but it's a struggle. We have an O/T and we're working on it but I'm wondering if it would help if we knew what kids her age usually eat at daycare. That way, we can start introducing her to those foods. Does anyone have some typical foods your kids were served at daycare that you could please share? Can they eat with spoons or is it finger food at that age? We've been practicing daily with a spoon but she's too young to use it well.

I know it would be easier to just ask the daycare for a sample menu. I'm worried about doing that because my DD also isn't walking yet. She's been cruising for several months but shows no interest yet in walking. The daycare says she needs to be walking to be admitted and I told them she isn't yet. I don't want them to reject her because she's on the slower end of development in these two areas. I can't afford a nanny and I need her to be in daycare when our current in-home setup with a relative ends. Another daycare we've toured has the same requirements.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Let's see... We're at a center and the kids have crackers, cheese, fruit, rice cakes, quesadillas and veggies.

[Anonymous]

Most downtown DC daycares use Good Food Company. Their website posts menus that can give you a better sense.

[Anonymous]

Menu aside, why would they not accept your daughter into care because she isnt walking? She has developmental issues, how can they deny her entry to a daycare?

[Anonymous]

Similar situation OP - we want to put 26 mo DD in daycare, and she has major motor delays. She didn't walk until 18 months (with a really good PT who did house calls).

I am wondering too what to pack for her lunches and snacks.

So a few days ago I tried a bunch of cold foods on her tray, but you be the judge if your 18 mo. old is ready:

- cut up cheese
- chick peas
- carrots - long slivers
- cut up bread with butter (very small pieces without the crust)
- apples - thin sliced (I heard squeezed lemon can make it last in a lunch bag)

I need more ideas too.

[Anonymous]

for 18 and 26 mo olds:
pastas with and without sauce
veges cut in bite sized pieces and steamed to be soft. Easiest to use already cut up frozen veges and then steam them. carrots are a choking hazard so slivers is the way to go (not round circles) and cook them WELL
chunks (small!) of cooked hamburger and chicken
crackers of all types
fruits of all types as long as cut into bite sized pieces, and perhaps she's not ready for apples, although other 18 month olds are.
these should be good: kiwi, banana, oranges (make sure those seeds are GONE) and cut them in bite sized pieces, not wedges, canteloupe, melon, watermelon, blueberries, strawberries (no raspberries yet, there are so many stupid seeds).
small chunks of cheese
hummus with crackers or soft veges to dip and eat
yogurt and tzatziki for dipping soft veges in - just put a little in a bowl and she can dip.

NO: nuts, grapes, peanuts, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds
no, an 18 month old is not expected to use a spoon perfectly. they still eat with their fingers, so everything needs to be in bite-sized pieces for easy feeding. we still give them a spoon and encourage it's use, but often they hold it in one hand and eat with the other - cute and just fine! But we do give it to them. 2 yr olds are starting to master the spoon but if you 26 month old isn't yet able to, then fine.

Now, of more concern is not telling them about her developmental delays. Frankly, it's illegal to refuse a child enrollment who is delayed, and your child is. So they must accommodate her in their age appropriate toddler room. This means that she'll do lots of crawling and cruising until she walks, they'll have to use a stroller when she goes outside on walks, but you'll also have to understand that her knees are going to get dirty on the playground as she's going to be crawling where others are walking. Because they cannot hold her at the playground, and they shouldn't, she should be encouraged to move at her ability. And talking to them about her oral motor development is critical so they understand that either YOU will provide all her meals right now OR THEY must cut things in small pieces and give her only a few things on her plate so she isn't overwhelmed and isn't grabbing 10 of something and jamming it in her mouth (which all toddlers will do, LOL). Honestly is the best policy so it's a positive and safe experience for all.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare uses this menu:
http://www.jefferyscatering.com/daycare-and-school-catering/menu-daycare-lunch.php

The kids in her age group eat from that menu, with utensils, but of course still get some help and still use their fingers as well. You are allowed to send food in though if there are dietary or medical restrictions.

My daughter didn't walk til 15 months and was in a toddler room with other walking kids with no issues. Is this a daycare that accepts infants? If so, they should be used to kids transitioning rooms at not all quite the same development level. I'm really surprised to hear that they are being inflexible on that rule. It seems really unreasonable. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most downtown DC daycares use Good Food Company. Their website posts menus that can give you a better sense.

Ours does. They eat what seems like pretty regular food to me--pastas, meatloaf, baked chicken, quiche, etc., with salad or cooked veggies, wheat bread, and fresh fruit--for lunch.

[Anonymous]

You should start feeding them whatever you are eating. Don't get in the habit of making a separate dinner otherwise your child will become a picky eater.

[Anonymous]

If the day care participates in the CACFP, they will have to make mealtime accommodations for her if you have a doctor's note.

At 18 months old, it should be fine for her to use her fingers to feed herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Menu aside, why would they not accept your daughter into care because she isnt walking? She has developmental issues, how can they deny her entry to a daycare?

OP here. When I talked to the center director yesterday, she didn't say that they wouldn't accept my daughter. She said we should just give it a little more time since DD may be walking by then and it won't be an issue. She did sound sympathetic since her granddaughter didn't walk until she was almost two. Since my daughter is in the Fairfaix Infant and Toddler program for her delayed eating issues we probably do have some legal protections, but I haven't looked into that yet. I'll ask our case manager. The center director did say they'd had one kid who also couldn't walk by 16 months and they let him into the toddler room, They just had him wear waterproof pants when they took the kids outside to play.

Thanks SO much to everyone for the menu suggestions! Super, super helpful. DD is slowly starting to accept new foods and we're just plugging away at this. For the PP who said we should have her eat the same things we do -- I totally agree! Sadly, DD just won't eat those things yet and we don't want to eat bananas and Cheerios for dinner. We're working towards the goal of everyone eating the same things at meals together. Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for 18 and 26 mo olds:
pastas with and without sauce
veges cut in bite sized pieces and steamed to be soft. Easiest to use already cut up frozen veges and then steam them. carrots are a choking hazard so slivers is the way to go (not round circles) and cook them WELL
chunks (small!) of cooked hamburger and chicken
crackers of all types
fruits of all types as long as cut into bite sized pieces, and perhaps she's not ready for apples, although other 18 month olds are.
these should be good: kiwi, banana, oranges (make sure those seeds are GONE) and cut them in bite sized pieces, not wedges, canteloupe, melon, watermelon, blueberries, strawberries (no raspberries yet, there are so many stupid seeds).
small chunks of cheese
hummus with crackers or soft veges to dip and eat
yogurt and tzatziki for dipping soft veges in - just put a little in a bowl and she can dip.

NO: nuts, grapes, peanuts, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds
no, an 18 month old is not expected to use a spoon perfectly. they still eat with their fingers, so everything needs to be in bite-sized pieces for easy feeding. we still give them a spoon and encourage it's use, but often they hold it in one hand and eat with the other - cute and just fine! But we do give it to them. 2 yr olds are starting to master the spoon but if you 26 month old isn't yet able to, then fine.

Now, of more concern is not telling them about her developmental delays. Frankly, it's illegal to refuse a child enrollment who is delayed, and your child is. So they must accommodate her in their age appropriate toddler room. This means that she'll do lots of crawling and cruising until she walks, they'll have to use a stroller when she goes outside on walks, but you'll also have to understand that her knees are going to get dirty on the playground as she's going to be crawling where others are walking. Because they cannot hold her at the playground, and they shouldn't, she should be encouraged to move at her ability. And talking to them about her oral motor development is critical so they understand that either YOU will provide all her meals right now OR THEY must cut things in small pieces and give her only a few things on her plate so she isn't overwhelmed and isn't grabbing 10 of something and jamming it in her mouth (which all toddlers will do, LOL). Honestly is the best policy so it's a positive and safe experience for all.

OP here. Thank you so much for the food ideas and for the advice. I'm scheduled to go back in March to drop off her enrollment forms and I'll talk to the center director about her delayed feeding issues. I am hoping she'll be walking by then, but if not we'll just have to figure out how they can accommodate her until she can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Menu aside, why would they not accept your daughter into care because she isnt walking? She has developmental issues, how can they deny her entry to a daycare?

OP here. When I talked to the center director yesterday, she didn't say that they wouldn't accept my daughter. She said we should just give it a little more time since DD may be walking by then and it won't be an issue. She did sound sympathetic since her granddaughter didn't walk until she was almost two. Since my daughter is in the Fairfaix Infant and Toddler program for her delayed eating issues we probably do have some legal protections, but I haven't looked into that yet. I'll ask our case manager. The center director did say they'd had one kid who also couldn't walk by 16 months and they let him into the toddler room, They just had him wear waterproof pants when they took the kids outside to play.

Thanks SO much to everyone for the menu suggestions! Super, super helpful. DD is slowly starting to accept new foods and we're just plugging away at this. For the PP who said we should have her eat the same things we do -- I totally agree! Sadly, DD just won't eat those things yet and we don't want to eat bananas and Cheerios for dinner. We're working towards the goal of everyone eating the same things at meals together. Thanks again!

My 15-month-old is in DC daycare that uses the Good Food catering menu, similar to Jeffrey's in Virginia. She is still slow to accept new foods (or will sometimes accept them the first time and then not the second time). Ideally we'd all eat the same thing, but she is tiny and needs to eat something, so if making buttered pasta for her gets her to eat, then so be it for now. So, we're still plugging away, too, OP.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 18 months and can use a spoon to eat yogurt (her fav food) but everything else that I send is finger food. I usually make her lunch to include 2 fruits or veggies, a starch and a protein, sometimes I through something extra in too. Some things I might pack include (everything gets chopped up):
- Applesauce squeezy pouch (these might be an easier food to grasp for your child)
- Cheese quesadilla on a spinach tortilla
- Strawberries/ blueberries/ raspberries
- Apple slices, no skin
- Baked carrot "fries" with ketchup (in the frozen section at wegmans)
- broccoli with a little parmesean (this is probably unusual, but its one of my kid's fav foods)
- chopped up string cheese & lunch meat
- Leftover pasta
- Annie's whole wheat bunny crackers
- black bean burger
- yogurt
- A com

[Anonymous]

In the two daycares we've been at, the toddlers are served the same thing as the other classes. Pizza, meatloaf, chili, spaghetti, etc. It is similar to what is served in elementary schools. At our daycare they are usually very flexible with various diets, esp in toddlers. So if your child won't eat the foods on the menu, you can send in your own foods that she will eat. Also I know a lot of parents send in pouches to "supplement," and the teachers don't mind handing those over at the end of the meal. I wouldn't worry about eating. There are plenty of parents who send in their own foods for other reasons (vegetarian, Kosher, etc,) so they are used to it. Good luck!