Honestly, I don't think it's that excessive. Maybe a little bit, but not overly.
My 2 big kids eat heaps through the day. Just today (and it's only 12.45) they have eaten, two slices of toast each, a muesli bar each, mandarin each, one banana, one bowl of chicken noodle soup, one tinned spaghetti toastie, a cup of milk each, two buttered arrowroot with sprinkles biscuits each. And the day is barely half over. It does slow down in the arvo, but generally they will eat more until 3.30pm when I stop feeding them in preparation to get them hungry for dinner at 5.15/30pm. Then they have dinner, and usually some fruit or yogurt (sometimes a treat like cake or icecream) after dinner.
But that is my kids, your kids are different and you know them. If you don't think your kids would eat that much, could you pack all of their own food, and then she won't have to feed them at all.
Definately pack a lunchbox... that way you pack for them & them only and don't have to worry if the food is being given to someone else or going to waste.
I don't have kids the age of yours but I imagine that it is a reasonable amount of food. My 20month could probably consume near that amount of food in 4 days. I think sending their lunch every day is a good idea. What I would be annoyed about is the note, why couldn't she just talk to you? If your kids are spending so much time with the babysitter she would have an idea 'if' they are sick of the food you send and she could have gently said something without putting your nose out of joint iykwim. So that part of it does seem a bit weird.
I have 2 school aged children who eat a lot and that is excessive IMO. I too would send a lunch box, and I would probably make extra food for the night before (say dinner) for hot lunches, and make a container that can be reheated in the microwave for each child.
It really irks me when people take advantage of their employers, be it babysitting, an office or what not. If it was something you offered to do then I think it's rude to be expected to feed all the children. I'll say this in the past when I have left my kids with people I often leave enough food for all the children even if I'm paying... but it's not something I need to do every day!.
Sounds excessive to me, and sounds like she may be trying to take advantage.
I agree that maybe you should try using a lunchbox system and see if that changes things up a little. If she still has things that you have bought in her cupboard then you should be asking for that back, because obviously you could use that at home.
To me I don't think it's over the top, that is, if she only expects smallish amounts if each (eg they might have a mandarin one day, banana another, apple another....). I knw my DD likes the variety - but if your kids don't ten guess sending larger amounts of fewer things is fine.
If the things in blue are what you normally send - do they have milk, bananas and biscuits and nothing else for a whole day or do you send things other than what's on the list too? What do they have for lunch - like a sandwich or something filling? The list looks ok to me, but I don't think that pasta sauce stuff is particularly nutritious (or the strawberry mbars either tbh). Probably no need for quite that much fruit.
May I ask what it costs you at this babysitter for the tiime they are there?
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