Proper Care and Feeding of Pre-K Kids

We do not have a hot lunch program at our preschool yet, and someday we hope to change that. in the meantime, we've been, shall we say, diligent about letting parents know what's healthy, what are appropriate portion sizes and what we allow kids to eat while in our facility. You can't make a child eat, but you can give them choices that you feel better about.

At the JEC, we also adhere to kosher-style guidelines. We don't have to eat certified kosher food, but we don't eat milk/dairy products and meat together and we don't allow pork or shellfish. Then we have the FDA requirements, which we ensure for each kid, so we're in complicance with the Municipality of Anchorage licensing guidelines.

By the way, the guidelines say these kids have to be offered all the FDA required items in the appropriate sizes. We aren't required to make them eat, thank goodness.

With all this regulation, it's no wonder our parents get confused sometimes. Heck, we get confused among ourselves. We send home flyers with portion sizes and what's allowed and what's not, but we still see the occasional ham sandwich or cheeseburger bites.

So we started a lunch ticket system, so we can give parents an idea of what's going on with their kid's lunch, what items we had to add or substitute and what they can do better in the next lunch. We also put up flyers when parents have a streak of good lunches.

One of our biggest difficulties is portion sizes. Surprisingly, a lot of kids aren't getting enough of all their healthy food. We all resist our kids growing up, but as they grow they need larger quantities of food. Some parents pack a ton of food, which is okay, as long as they know the kids may not eat everything and that doesn't mean they're not getting enough.

We tell parents that children of this age like to make choices, so they pack crackers, a big piece of bread, some rice or pasta and a pretzel for them to choose from. Unfortunately, none of these choices are fruit, vegetable or protein. And while we're on the subject - a Fruit Roll-Up is neither fruit, nor a roll-up, discuss. No, blue apple sauce and a green fruit roll-up don't count - we suggest buying a bag of apples and oranges instead. Kids love fresh fruit!

So what do we do about it? First of all, it helps to plan ahead. Write down healthy choices and what you know your kid eats (and it WILL change, sometimes daily). Put them in categories, like bread/grains, fruit, vegetables, protein and then make up a lunch. This can be used as a shopping list, too.

Don't worry if your kid likes PBJ and only that for a week then decides PBJ is yucky and not worthy of them. Kids go through phases (usually the above scenario occurs when you've just gone to Costco and gotten a case of Jif Creamy).

So hang in there. You can stop by the JEC any time and get our Food Chart and portion size guides. It's very helpful to hang on the fridge while you're packing lunches.

Bon Appetit!

Miss Tara and Miss Leah

Feelings, nothing more than feelings

I had to take my guinea pig to the vet this morning. After hearing that she had lost about 5 ounces since her last visit two weeks ago, I began to cry. Her last visit was the day after our oldest guinea Pig, Alice, died suddenly after not eating for a day. A GP's weight loss is serious, since they only weigh a couple of pounds on average. I cried today for a lot of reasons, but most of them were a bit selfish - I just can't lose another piggie so soon.

As I checked out of the vet's office (with about $50 in meds and food supplements), I was still sniffling and tearful. I told the receptionist I felt a little silly getting so emotional about a small pocket pet. She reassured me that I was just being human and a good pet owner. She also said they have had people bring in their goldfish for evaluation, worried and tearful about losing them.

So I gave myself a break. Then I thought about how many times I have dismissed my daughter's feelings like I dismissed my own. It doesn't happen often, and I rarely do it out loud, but sometimes I think to myself, "Jeez, get over it! You're worried about a spelling test. Try paying a mortgage!"

One of my favorite comedians, Brian Regan, had a bit recently about how we don't put ourselves in a child's place as often as we should. He said, "I saw a kid let go of a balloon at the fair and then he cried when it floated away. His parents told him to 'calm down; it's just a balloon; we'll get you another one'. So I think to illustrate what this kid was feeling, I should've tied the dad's wallet to another balloon and let it go. That's what the kid was feeling right there."

In trying to be conscious of little people's feelings, I think it is important that we do have empathy and take seriously their fears, joys and other things. It's important that we guide them through those feelings, and help them work through them, but give them the significance and respect those feelings need.

One technique I've used with kids of all ages is just repeating what they say back to them. For example, when a kid says, "I'm scared." I just say, "Oh, you're scared? Okay." If a kid is missing their mom after being dropped off, I can just say, "You're missing your mom, aren't you?" After acknowledging their feelings, I can decide if they need a distraction or just to be left alone. And here's a little secret - sometimes I don't know what they need. If they're old enough, I ask them.

I suppose feeling scared about my little piggie is just that - a feeling. It's not a premonition, but just a feeling. I can act on that and take care of her and myself. And I can remember that losing a pet is a big deal. As Ghandi said, "You can tell a lot about a country by the way they treat their animals." I would add "and their children" to that.

Have a great weekend,

Miss Tara and Miss Leah