Contributing to youths' happiness while also avoiding the "hangrys" are prime objectives of the MeTime Drop-In Child Care team in Murfreesboro and Mount Juliet.
MeTime owner Sara Bullock says they maintain a menu board at the entries of their locations so parents and children can select which food items they'd like from among options for cooked or warmed-up breakfasts, lunches or dinners. "MeTime is fully licensed by Tennessee Health Department officials to offer meals for children. All families have to do is let us know if children need to eat when they drop off and we take care of the rest."
Charts with food concerns are kept for each child, with both locations being nut-free facilities, as well. However, Sara says team members doublecheck with incoming guests, asking if any new allergies or concerns were discovered since their last time at MeTime.
She adds that they post pictures of food options so younger children simply can point to the items they'd like. "Kids really like to participate in the process."
Sara says their French toast sticks are the very popular breakfast choice. Lunch favorites include chicken nuggets, pizza, corn dogs or mac 'n cheese. Cheese or pepperoni pizza is often selected for evening meals. Other options, such as animal crackers, applesauce and fruit cups, are available. Drinks are bottled water or juice, with milk being able to be brought in by individuals.
"We do our best to arrange seating to keep children safe, for example, by sitting any lactose-intolerant kids on the same side of the tables," she states. "And by law, we offer children something to eat once every 3 hours. Sometimes, parents let us know that children can have extra snack crackers, or if they're sad for some reason before coming in, they may have cheese sticks as a pick-me-up before having an entree."
She says with everyone's permission, they sometimes share brought-in cupcakes to celebrate children's birthdays.
MeTime is open seven days a week: Mondays through Thursdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays through Saturdays 8 a.m. through midnight; and Sundays: noon to 9 p.m. This group is licensed to care for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years old.
615.603.7144
MeTimeChildCare.com