Question

Flore, 4 years old, arrives at her family child-care provider’s home every morning with a bag of doughnuts. Her mother informs the provider that it is okay for Flore to eat the doughnuts because she doesn’t like what is being served for breakfast. The other children have also begun to ask for doughnuts. How should the provider handle this situation? What factors must be considered?

This question comes from the book Health, Safety and Nutrition for the Young Child 9e

Answer 1

This situation should be handled with utmost care as it is related with the children. So the child-care provider should be diplomatic. He/she must consider the following factors before taking decision:

1. convince Flore without hurting her feelings.
2. find an alternative for doughnuts.
3. make sure uniformity is maintained among the children.

Possible approaches to handle the situation:

1. parents should be informed that they are not supposed to bring special food items.
2. If they want to bring special food items (like doughnuts), they can, on special occasions; and should make sure that it will be shared among fellow classmates.
3. Flore’s parents should be informed that she can have her doughnuts at home.
4. Ensure that frequent changes are made to the breakfast menus; so that it satisfies the children.
5. A new rule can be ammended that all children should bring their breakfast from home.