Bento Boxes are everywhere now. Are they actually doable for less attentive kids?

[Anonymous]

I worry that the idea would become a mess for us because it would not be put back together and snapped or closed properly and food would be everywhere - they don’t even close water bottles all the way and they spill inside their backpacks..

How has your kid done with the bento box style lunch containers?

[Anonymous]

You need a box with one closure for the whole box, not individual containers, and a latch that gives clear auditory feedback. Put it in a lunch box with a zipper and odds are good that one or the other will get fastened.

Also, try to avoid lunches with a ton of tiny bites to be picked up one at a time is helpful. Obviously, if that’s all your kid will eat you can’t do it, but even moving from tiny bits of strawberry to whole strawberries they can hold by the stem, or from Cheerios to whole grain crackers, increases speed and decreases mess when eating.

Finally, resign yourself to lost spoons and forks. Either plan lunches that don’t require them, buy them in bulk at the thrift store, or make peace with the bamboo disposables. Because they will get thrown out at some point.

[Anonymous]

These have been "everywhere" since my kids were little in 2011!!

[Anonymous]

I’ve used them for years but we get the ones with the lid attached. Sometimes they’ve forgot to latch the lid but even then, unless it’s completely liquid, it just falls inside the lunchbox and I just clean out the inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need a box with one closure for the whole box, not individual containers, and a latch that gives clear auditory feedback. Put it in a lunch box with a zipper and odds are good that one or the other will get fastened.

Also, try to avoid lunches with a ton of tiny bites to be picked up one at a time is helpful. Obviously, if that’s all your kid will eat you can’t do it, but even moving from tiny bits of strawberry to whole strawberries they can hold by the stem, or from Cheerios to whole grain crackers, increases speed and decreases mess when eating.

Finally, resign yourself to lost spoons and forks. Either plan lunches that don’t require them, buy them in bulk at the thrift store, or make peace with the bamboo disposables. Because they will get thrown out at some point.

+1 to the single lid lunchbox. We use Yumbox, Bentgo is good too.

[Anonymous]

Bentgo Chill and place it inside insulated lunch bag. If they don’t latch it the right way the bag will contain spills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worry that the idea would become a mess for us because it would not be put back together and snapped or closed properly and food would be everywhere - they don’t even close water bottles all the way and they spill inside their backpacks..

How has your kid done with the bento box style lunch containers?

My kid has had bento since preschool and never had a problem. Maybe it’s a chicken or the egg situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These have been "everywhere" since my kids were little in 2011!!

People don’t like you btw.

[Anonymous]

My boys (6&8) do great with them. Both are not the organized types at all but we haven’t had any issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My boys (6&8) do great with them. Both are not the organized types at all but we haven’t had any issues.

I should add, we use a simple single lid version. I don’t think it would work out as well with multiple containers/lids