Day care lunch... no teeth?

[mambera]

Hi toddler mamas, I'm previewing here from LWAB bc my DD will be 13 months when she starts day care in June. She'll be in the toddler room. She took her first steps on her 10-mo birthday and has been on the early side for all her milestones so I'm not worried about the slightly older peer group.

However, she's almost 11 months now and hasn't a sign of a tooth. (My MIL says none of her kids had teeth before a year.)

The menu from day care includes things like carrot sticks. There is no way my kid can eat a carrot stick and I am afraid she could choke trying.

How should I bring this up with the day care people? Should I just ask that they remove anything hazardous from the lunch before they serve her? Do I need to vet the menu myself and tell them what she can and can't eat each day? TIA

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

My 17 month old still only has 4 teeth, front two top and bottom. He got them a week after his first birthday.

He eats everything everyone else does. Everything from cut up pieces of steak or pork chops to dried cranberries or raisins. When they lack in the teeth department, youd be shocked at how well they learn to gum everything. I know I am! It just takes them longer to eat. Usually me and the little guy are still sitting at the dinner table while Daddy is cleaning up and big brother is in the living room playing.

ETA, my little guy is also allergic to dairy and eggs, so I have to mod the menu for him anyway. They give me one every week so I know what to expect, maybe your DCP will with you too.

OH!! and he eats carrott sticks too.

[DanielleT]

Hello; I know when my little one started daycare at 11 months i was amazed with what she was able to eat...however they did have a rule that if your child was unable to eat what was on the menu for what ever reason as a parent you were to provide something else...that's`why dayhomes are nice; they are able to be more accomodating that way

I would address your concerns with the staff working with your child and go from there; i imagine these situations happen all the time...

[butterfly_mommy]

I agree with the others about the amazing powers of the gums. We did baby led feeding and DS ate what we all ate including carrot sticks and apples etc with only a couple of teeth.

Also I worked for many years in an infant and toddler room and I was always aware of what "my kids" could eat or not eat. Our cook was also very accommodating and would provide alternatives for children that couldn't eat the regular menu. For instance in your situation I would have talked to our cook when your babe started and told her that mama was concerned about her eating hard foods. She in turn would steam the carrot sticks for your babe to have so it would be easier for her to gum them.

I think you should for sure share any concerns you have with the childcare and mention her lack of teeth. However I would also find a different childcare if I felt that the teachers had the inability to asses potential hazards like choking on certain foods. We were trained in infant child CPR and first aid yearly and had the skills and knowledge to identify and deal with a potential choking situation.

[babydanielsmom]

Well just b/c your lo doesn't have teeth now doesn't mean that she won't in June. My ds didn't get his first tooth until 10 1/2 months ...2 months or so later he had like 5 !! Not a fun teething experience for either one of us, but he sort of got a bunch of them out of way at the same time, KWIM

[peaceful_mama]

I'd have to see the carrot. No way would I want them feeding my 13 mo. old raw carrot. But as she gets older like 2, I'd have to see it. My DD choked last summer on a baby carrot (2.5) but has never had trouble with thinner carrot sticks that I cut myself from big carrots. (It makes a difference, don't ask me why but it does.)

Apples are easier to chew than a carrot stick, especially without the skin, for those that posted about that...my first ate whole apples like an adult at 13 mos My current youngest eats them better sliced but has eaten them for quite awhile. (he spits out the skins lol)

[mambera]

Thanks everyone. I asked the director and it turns out they modify the menu for toddlers anyway, with appropriate substitutions for tooth-requiring foods. So I was getting all worried over nothing. Whew!