Child refusing to make lunch -- how far do I take this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell your eight-year-old that they're free ride is over! They can pack their own lunch or starve. Time to grow up.

Poor kid :/

Hyperbole, what a stretch for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, my second grader makes pasta while I am getting dressed. You just boil water, add a cup of noodles and cook for 12 minutes then drain and add sauce. It isn't rocket science. I usually drain it for her. Why is this questionable? We are usually up at 5:30 or 6 and out the door by 7:30 so there is plenty of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, that sounds...unusual.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell your eight-year-old that they're free ride is over! They can pack their own lunch or starve. Time to grow up.

Poor kid :/

Some kids like cooking. I am sorry if your child isn't motivated to be self-sufficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, my second grader makes pasta while I am getting dressed. You just boil water, add a cup of noodles and cook for 12 minutes then drain and add sauce. It isn't rocket science. I usually drain it for her. Why is this questionable? We are usually up at 5:30 or 6 and out the door by 7:30 so there is plenty of time.

My 2nd grader makes scrambled eggs for our family, she loves being independent and has not had a problem cracking, scrambling, and cooking eggs. I had no idea this was unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, that sounds...unusual.

Why?

Because I wouldn't let a second grader handle boiling water. Other than that I am all for independence.

[Anonymous]

In my house it's all about the marketing. "This year you're old enough to get to pack your own lunch! Then you can pick what treat will go with your sandwich and fruit! Do you think you can handle it, or would you like me to do it with you a few times?" As opposed to "here's a new chore for you. Good luck kid."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, that sounds...unusual.

Why?

Because I wouldn't let a second grader handle boiling water. Other than that I am all for independence.

As I noted above, I usually drain it for her. The boiling water is problematic as is the weight of our pots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my house it's all about the marketing. "This year you're old enough to get to pack your own lunch! Then you can pick what treat will go with your sandwich and fruit! Do you think you can handle it, or would you like me to do it with you a few times?" As opposed to "here's a new chore for you. Good luck kid."

I doubt anyone presents it as a new chore because you want "buy in" from the child. In our house my kids started packing their lunches with me in PreK because they started getting picky about the food (cheese sticks get too warm, sandwich is soggy, etc.). It progressed into their thing when they proclaimed, "I can do it myself!" I just review what they packed to ensure they have a protein source and complex carbs. (My kids also are learning the basics of nutrition and serving sizes as this progresses.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, my second grader makes pasta while I am getting dressed. You just boil water, add a cup of noodles and cook for 12 minutes then drain and add sauce. It isn't rocket science. I usually drain it for her. Why is this questionable? We are usually up at 5:30 or 6 and out the door by 7:30 so there is plenty of time.

My 2nd grader makes scrambled eggs for our family, she loves being independent and has not had a problem cracking, scrambling, and cooking eggs. I had no idea this was unusual.

It is a thing! There are actually many people who feel kids shouldn't be doing these things. My MIL has a fit that I let my 2nd grader use a sharp knife to chop veggies! Or let her make quesadillas on our gas stove. But seriously, how many children die each year from knife wounds from cutting veggies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, my second grader makes pasta while I am getting dressed. You just boil water, add a cup of noodles and cook for 12 minutes then drain and add sauce. It isn't rocket science. I usually drain it for her. Why is this questionable? We are usually up at 5:30 or 6 and out the door by 7:30 so there is plenty of time.

Omg, you really do not understand why this is unusual? Most people do not get up and cook hot food to pack for lunch. Kids or parents. Some might, but clearly you understand that getting up 2 hours before you leave to allow time to cook pasta is not the norm.

[Anonymous]

reminds me about the perceived risk article.

Some of you are so surprised about 8 and 9 year old kids cooking. I don't understand, when do you plan on teaching your children how to use the stove - when the go to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:reminds me about the perceived risk article.

Some of you are so surprised about 8 and 9 year old kids cooking. I don't understand, when do you plan on teaching your children how to use the stove - when the go to college?

Um, I don't understand your question. So if they are not cooking by 8 or 9 years old, they will never learn? Maybe sometime in the course of the 10 years before they leave for college? I can tell you right now, my easily distractible, somewhat clumsy 8 year old boy is not ready to boil water or use a very sharp knife. When will he be ready? I don't know, maybe 10, 12, 13? I'm sure before college. But I don't think the fact that he is not cooking at 8 means we are doomed to a future of him living in the basement, unable to make his own sandwich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating thread - thank you to all who contributed!

Just curious - if you elementary school kids pack their own lunches what exactly do they put in it? The more specific - the better. TIA

My 4th grader: packs a waffle, fruit, greek yogurt, and almonds.
My 2nd grader: hamburger (DH grills hamburgers ahead of time and she puts together) and fruit. Or she will make pasta in the AM and add sauce with fruit.

Your second grader makes pasta alone? Before school in the mornings? Huh.

Yes, my second grader makes pasta while I am getting dressed. You just boil water, add a cup of noodles and cook for 12 minutes then drain and add sauce. It isn't rocket science. I usually drain it for her. Why is this questionable? We are usually up at 5:30 or 6 and out the door by 7:30 so there is plenty of time.

Omg, you really do not understand why this is unusual? Most people do not get up and cook hot food to pack for lunch. Kids or parents. Some might, but clearly you understand that getting up 2 hours before you leave to allow time to cook pasta is not the norm.

+1. Bizarre that PP would think this is typical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I packed my kids' lunches all the way through their senior years in high school. I also pack my DH's lunch. I do it because I enjoy it, but I understand that by high school kids are certainly able to pack their own lunches. I had no idea people were expecting 3rd graders to pack their own lunches. It's actually kinda sad.

This.

Double this. And my mom did this for us too.

Mine too, and I miss her every day. She did so much for us. My 7 year old DD would love to make her own lunch, though. She likes "cooking" with me, and being responsible. Last wkd, she made obj sandwiches for the homeless with her brownie troop. She enjoyed the responsibility of doing it herself and helping others. I think moms who help their kids learn independent without making it a dreaded chore for the children are really smart. The tone of this OP put me off, though. Where is the love? Cut your third grader some slack. Mom up. Geez.