Another Suffolk daycare question - meals

So I'm doing my research on centers near my new house, and something I am totally not used to coming from the center's I've used thus far has come up. There is a center on my list who does not provide meals... parents supply the meals. On one hand, I like knowing I have control over what they eat. I like the people I currently use for daycare - if there was one thing I would change it'd be their menu, BUT my DD's are doing very well there and I just make sure that there are only healthy foods served at home, even as far as bought organic food so I know there is no high fructose corn syrup, msg, etc. Anyway...

Price is less on the place that doesn't serve meals. However, for one thing price is not a consideration in our search for daycare saving $50 a week is meaningless to me. Second, to me, you make up the cost in providing the food. The more "expensive" place we are looking at does provide food. Of course I am doing tours and will look into curriculum and all that jazz. At their ages most important to me is a nuturing environment. Not saying though that the food issue is the only thing that will pull me one way or the other.

Question for mom's who use BYOF daycare - what exactly to you send them to daycare with? Not talking about baby food age kids, my younger child is over a year (15m and will be just shy of 18m when she starts the new daycare) and the older one is almost 2.5. I provided baby food when we were in infant rooms in the past... mine are not infant room kids. The center said there is a microwave but they ask that you don't send them everyday with something to warm up b/c it'd take an hour for the teachers to prepare lunch. They said they are NOT an allergy free center, so as long as no kids in the class have an allergy I guess you can even send PB&J, which is a nice quick sandwich. Other ideas? Is this "tough" on working mom's? Not saying it's such a "burden" to make food for my kids, but obviously there is more planning involved than if the center provides. Also, let's not forget I have 2 kids and the little one can't always eat or does't always like what I give the older one. It's just been something I have not had to do in the past.

Hope this makes sense. So not complaining, just trying to figure out which center would work best for us on that level, assuming everything else is similar.

Re: Another Suffolk daycare question - meals

Hi!

DS just started in preschool, so like you, until recently I didn't have to worry about sending him with lunch and snacks. I actually preferred when he was getting lunch at daycare for two reasons.

First, the convenience is so worth an extra $50.00 a month to me. I LOVED not having to worry about making lunch and remembering to bring another thing with me everyday, even if the choices were not always the healthiest.

Second, we have eating issues, so even though he won't always eat much of what they give him at daycare, at least I knew he was trying it and had the modeling of the other kids that were eating it. Now, I feel like I just keep sending the same 4 things and he's not always eating them anyway.

Hope you guys are loving your new place!!

Re: Another Suffolk daycare question - meals

I can totally see a redundant menu if I prepare the meals. Some weeks even now it's easy to cook on Sundays and make sure dinners are ready to go... then you have weekends like this past one where DD#2 has a cold, breaking 3 teeth at once and was miserable... didn't sleep a wink Saturday night, was so uncomfortable and clingy yesterday... NO cooking got done yesterday. Between walking around like a zombie and #2 being overly mushy, #1 being herself... we thankfully have leftovers from late last week for tonight. More I try to plan even now, the more things fly at me from around the corner. I know one day I'll be making brown bag lunches for required school, but I won't be worrying about diapers, wipes, crib sheets, etc. baby stuff either at that point.

The other center does a 5 week menu rotation... I don't even have a 2 week dinner rotation at home