One of the areas in life where I need to be more organized is making lunches for my kids. As a mom of three, you might think, once school starts, you will have all this “extra” time to get things done. However, my mornings are the busiest time since I have to prepare three lunches each day, five days a week. So to bring a little more sanity to my morning routine, the night before a school day, I tried to set up the kids’ lunch boxes with healthy snacks and have their lunches pre-arranged for them.
But, the following morning the kids would come down for breakfast and see their lunch boxes with snacks they didn’t like. Arguments about their food ensued and my mornings would be very hectic.
I scratched the idea of pre-arranging their lunch at night and instead designed a printable checklist for the kids. First I brainstormed about different foods the kids like and the foods they must eat. I came up with two types of food: “must have” and “nice to have.” Then I told the kids: “From now on, you guys are in charge of making your lunch boxes, granting a few parameters I’ve set for you.”
The result? In the evening, each child handles packing their lunch, adding the “must” foods and choosing the “nice to have “ foods before they get ready to go to bed. This involves planning on my part, for example, having pre-made sandwiches handy. Putting together a few small zip lock bags with fruit or veggies that won’t spoil, think grapes, carrots, snap peas, raw broccoli.
My new “Make your lunch” printable is making a difference for our rushed, crazy mornings. Now, I am one happy, organized mom, content knowing the children are taking responsibility for making their lunches. I’ve brought sanity to our morning routine, and once the kids leave for school, I’m ready to take on the day.
What do you think? One last tip, if you frame the printable and use dry-erase markers, then you can avoid printing many sheets and be greener. Then the kids can check off their items when making their lunches.
Thank you all for visiting kraft&mint! Do you have a system down regarding making lunches for the kids?
When i started reading this I wondered why you were making their lunches. Great idea having them make their own. Teaches many good principles. And they can’t blame you for bad choices, another lesson for them. No time like present for kids to start doing more on their own. Yeah I had 3 kids close in age, they learned early to do things like lunches for themselves. What if i was sick and couldn’t make their lunches? It does happen. Glad you got that out of way and your kids are lots happier with their lunches. Who knows what they might be hungry for each day? You’re providing good choices so what more can you do? Keep up good work Mom. Happy Week