Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy Communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception of water and medicine (canon 919 §1).
Exceptions to the Communion fast are listed for the elderly, the ill, and those who care for them; no exception is mentioned for children who are negligent in preparing for Communion.
I have a few questions for you. If a child is negligent in doing his homework, do you think the teacher should exempt him from it? If he is negligent in doing his chores around the house, do you think his parents should exempt him from them? Why then should a child not be held accountable for failing to properly prepare to receive the body and blood of Christ?
I am not suggesting that a parent needs to punish the child or berate the child for his negligence. All that needs to be done is for the parent to explain the consequence for the negligence, which is that the child make a spiritual communion and/or receive a blessing from the priest or deacon (in a parish that offers blessings during Communion to those unprepared to receive the sacrament).
If Communion is treated as something important that requires preparation before each and every reception, then perhaps the child will grow in his appreciation of the Eucharist.
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