Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
DIY school lunches
5 tips to help your children pack them on their own
Do you remember the first lunch you made for your child? Maybe it was bittersweet. You pictured them eating the sandwich you lovingly prepared and reading the sweet note you wrote, and you smiled. But you knew that eating away from home meant they were growing up, and the opportunities to do things for them would be fewer and farther between. Independence was around the corner, and you wanted to hang on for a few more minutes.
But after a few months of lunches, you were over it. There are plenty of ways to show your love other than putting together a dang sandwich when you’re ready to go to bed, or before you have your coffee (if you’re a procrastinator like I am). The time has come for DIY lunches. The kids will love the newfound freedom, and you’ll love the extra few minutes of sleep.
Confession time: My husband likes making the kids’ lunches, and he usually does it. He makes great sandwiches (or artfully packaged leftovers, or other transportable main courses), and they enjoy them. So how do I know the kids are capable? Because when he’s out of town or leaves too early to get the job done, I don’t make those lunches. The boys put them together like champs or, you know, like the reasonably competent human beings they are.
If you’re like me, and you’d rather get in bed a little earlier at night or get out a little later in the morning, here’s how you can get your children to DIY school lunches. You’re doing this already, right? They’re clearing dishes, cleaning their rooms and feeding the family dog. Familiarizing children with routines makes the transition to doing it themselves easier. This is why we let them help, because goodness knows a 3-year-old is never as much help as you’d like them to be.
Although some parents are creative with lunches, a lot of us have a formula. Ours is sandwich, fruit and an extra thing (usually something crunchy, but occasionally something sweet). We don’t always stick to it, and dinner leftovers that make for a good lunch are in high demand (hello, fried rice). But if your children know the drill, it’s easy for them to put together a decent lunch.
Remember to keep the goods in places they can access easily. Depending on when the growth spurt hits, you may need to reserve the bottom shelf for a while.