At what age did you stop making lunches for kids?

[Anonymous]

DD has been packing her own consistently since 6th grade, but she still ends up buying at school a lot when she does not feel like packing. I would prefer she bring lunch from home because it is healthier, but I am not willing to pack it for her (and then have to throw it away because it is not what my picky child wanted that day.)

[Anonymous]

Maybe this is just one of those things that varies from family to family or is cultural? My mom stopped making my lunches when I gave up the Scooby Doo lunchbox and thermos, but I know plenty of moms who still pack lunches for their kids until they leave for college.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids in a 1200 sq foot house...small galley kitchen. When I tried to instill indepdence and reponsiblity by them packing my kitchen was in shambles every morning
It was way more work to deal with that aftermath than pack three lunches, which at this point I can get done in about 8 minutes including clean up. My kids took a half hour.

[Anonymous]

I packed their lunches from kindergarten all the way through their senior years in high school. I pack my DH's as well. Just something I could do to make things a little easier for them in the morning.

[Anonymous]

6th grade. They can make it or buy it. Both dislike school lunch, so they pay the penalty if they don't bother to bring lunch from home.

[Anonymous]

I stopped in 5th grade for my eldest, and 4th grade for the second one (he complained one time too many about what I had packed). They are now in high school and middle school. They pack lunches 3 or 4 times a week, and buy lunches on the days they are running late. They eat pretty healthily and are not thrilled with the school lunches. They also make all their own snacks (usually smoothies or pasta) in the afternoon.

Someone upthread mentioned that their children were athletes and have busy schedules. Same here, but it really only takes them about 5 minutes to make and pack their lunches. I just make sure to have a ton of fruit, lunch-ready vegetables, and sandwich makings on hand. Almost all my friends are still making their kids lunch into high school, and it doesn't seem to vary according to whether there is a SAHP. Most seem envious that we have our kids do their own. If you like the idea of putting your kids in charge of it, I'd suggest you have them start when they are still in elementary school while they are still at the age to more or less do whatever they are told.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who still makes lunches for her 21 year old son when he goes to work at his summer job. I think it's nice. She's the food person in the house.

I might do the same for my son. But he's independent enough he might want to make his own someday. He's only 7. He likes to cook now, and makes his own lunch on weekends and sometimes cooks dinner (with help) for the family, so it's not about coddling him that way. It's just a routine that I don't see needing to change. At least not yet.

[Anonymous]

I still pack for ms and now hs. Not because my kids are coddled. They frequently are responsible for the family dinner but lunch packing let's me be efficient in use of leftovers and finishing open item etc. Works for us.

[Anonymous]

Around 3rd grade, my kids started consistently packing their own lunches. I consult with them about what they'd like in the house to pack and make sure that's available but they are fully capable of putting stuff in a lunchbox. DS often buys his lunch but DD packs most of the time. I don't recall my mom packing my lunch after about 2nd-3rd grade. I liked being able to decide what I was going to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids in a 1200 sq foot house...small galley kitchen. When I tried to instill indepdence and reponsiblity by them packing my kitchen was in shambles every morning
It was way more work to deal with that aftermath than pack three lunches, which at this point I can get done in about 8 minutes including clean up. My kids took a half hour.

I'm the one whose kids have been doing it themselves since first grade. They make their lunch while I'm cleaning up from dinner. If there'll be a sog-issue they do everything but the sandwich hand save just that part for the morning.

[Anonymous]

I still pack lunch and make bfast (on the go) in morning for DD who is in HS. I spend the mornings in the kitchen, emptying dishwasher, prepping for dinner, cooking breakfast for both of us and packing both lunches. Sometimes, I'll cook her a meal for lunch in the morning (something hot that I can put in her thermos).

[Anonymous]

I never made their lunch, ever. Kids didn't make their lunch. They always bought at school.

They turned out fine

[Anonymous]

I pack their lunches. But they decide what to pack -- that's the hard part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even in high school?

I pack in HS, becasue that is what works for our family. They are fully capable of packing it themselves and have done so when I am out of town. It just makes the mornings run more smoothly, for us, if I pack them. I also pack DH's, It is more efficient to make three lunchs at the same time than have three people trying to make their individual lunches. They are responsibe for their own breakfasts.

However, they do clean the bathrooms, laundry, vaccuum... when asked.

Why can't you husband pack his own lunch? Then he could make the kids lunches too..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I packed their lunches from kindergarten all the way through their senior years in high school. I pack my DH's as well. Just something I could do to make things a little easier for them in the morning.

But why on earth can lunches be made the night before?
I've always done it that way.