At what age did you stop making lunches for kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of coddling here.

I think around 4-5th grade. Making their own lunch the night before was one of their chores. Now they all just do it. I still help my 7yr old but she likes doing it on her own.

And seriously, If their schedules are so "busy" they can't make 5min to pack a lunch, you are an over scheduler and need to take it down a notch.

Lots of judging here.

Agreed. And more assumptions and ignorance.

[Anonymous]

I make my kids lunches... all are in elementary school.

My Mom made my school lunch maybe one time a year. Other than that, she told me: "If you want a lunch from home, make it yourself." We were on the "free lunch" plan, due to income guidelines, so it was easier for her to let my sibling and me eat that.... she knew we'd be fed either way.

Looking back on it though, she'd tell me to "make it yourself" when she was sitting on the couch relaxing. Not that she didn't deserve to relax, but I really wanted her to help me out (I was elementary school age), and she just would not. On the rare occasion when she did, I was so happy the next day to eat what my Mom made for me.

I guess that's why I make my kids lunches, but I doubt they appreciate it the way I did. I just know they don't care for what the school serves, so I give them healthy food they like.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure what you mean by pack lunch. My kids are 8 and 9 and we have their have their lunch laid out in the refrigerator. However, since my youngest was in kindergarten they were responsible for packing their own lunch in the morning. I just found the old morning checklist while I was cleaning up. I admit I still wake them up in the morning but they had to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and pack lunch and check it off their list when they were 5 and 6. It was a struggle for a long time getting them to finish the checklist in a timely manner and I had to factor in how long it takes them versus how long it should take in their wakeup time. They mostly do the morning routine without reminders other than brushing teeth.

[Anonymous]

I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

[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.

We do the same. I'm happy to pack my high schoolers' lunches. They're perfectly capable of doing it themselves, but I enjoy it. I'm amazed at some of the people on this thread who feel the need to judge and read more into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

I disagree. I made my child's lunch through high school, did his laundry, etc. He had other chores we expected him to do. He is now a very independent college student, fully capable of doing his own laundry at school and taking care of himself. Different strokes... right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

I disagree. I made my child's lunch through high school, did his laundry, etc. He had other chores we expected him to do. He is now a very independent college student, fully capable of doing his own laundry at school and taking care of himself. Different strokes... right?

Just curious, how did he learn to do those things if you did it for him until the day he left?

[Anonymous]

School is 180 days a year-- if there aren't too many snow days. That means that there's more non-school days than school days. So far I am making my kid's lunch in high school because I know if I don't he'll shortchange it and I don't really think there's that much of a "life lesson" in learning to make your lunch. I am pretty confident he'll learn the lesson on weekends etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

I disagree. I made my child's lunch through high school, did his laundry, etc. He had other chores we expected him to do. He is now a very independent college student, fully capable of doing his own laundry at school and taking care of himself. Different strokes... right?

Just curious, how did he learn to do those things if you did it for him until the day he left?

Not the OP, but my kids know how to do things, and how to make lunches . I just like to do it for them. They certainly have other chores and responsibilities - sorting laundry, bringing it upstairs, walking the dog, etc etc. But just because a Mother likes to do things for her child, does not mean necessarily that the child is an quivering blob unable to perform basic tasks, like making a lunch. Yes they do pick out their own clothes, are in charge of their own homework but really I do not need to justify what my kids do. I like to think of our house as more of a team environment where we help each other out rather than a "each man for himself" place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

I disagree. I made my child's lunch through high school, did his laundry, etc. He had other chores we expected him to do. He is now a very independent college student, fully capable of doing his own laundry at school and taking care of himself. Different strokes... right?

Just curious, how did he learn to do those things if you did it for him until the day he left?

Because obviously I made sure he knew how to make lunches, do laundry, clean bathrooms, etc. He made himself breakfast, lunch, etc. on the weekends. It's really not a big deal to make your kid a lunch for school and in fact, it's something many of us enjoy doing. Imagine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School is 180 days a year-- if there aren't too many snow days. That means that there's more non-school days than school days. So far I am making my kid's lunch in high school because I know if I don't he'll shortchange it and I don't really think there's that much of a "life lesson" in learning to make your lunch. I am pretty confident he'll learn the lesson on weekends etc.

+100

[Anonymous]

3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

We do the same. I'm happy to pack my high schoolers' lunches. They're perfectly capable of doing it themselves, but I enjoy it. I'm amazed at some of the people on this thread who feel the need to judge and read more into it.

Another mom who is packing her high schoolers lunch. He can do it and I actually told him that it was his responsibility. He just started high school this year and so far he has a crazy hectic schedule so it just makes more sense for me to pack it at the same time I'm packing my younger son's lunch. He is fully capable, it just works easier if I do it. Perhaps in a few weeks or so we will settle into our routine a bit more and he can take over, but for now this works best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think moms these days think by doing everything for their kids, they are being "good" moms when actually they are not allowing their kids to learn, make mistakes, guide them but not correct them etc... It is one thing to make lunches for little kids and here and now for older kids. But just the way society is lately. This parenting style of not allowing kids to go anywhere, picking out perfectly matched clothes for them, deciding sports, cleaning for them, doing school projects and yes making all their food, lunches, laundry etc... There is no real life learning going on in their heads. No independence, appreciation, understanding what others do. A lot of selfishness in our younger generations. But really, the parents are to blame.

I disagree. I made my child's lunch through high school, did his laundry, etc. He had other chores we expected him to do. He is now a very independent college student, fully capable of doing his own laundry at school and taking care of himself. Different strokes... right?

Just curious, how did he learn to do those things if you did it for him until the day he left?

Why the dichotomy? It isn't like the only choices are for the parent to make the lunches 100% of the time or for the child to make lunches 100% of the time. There is the wide in-between where we all live. One a week or once a month is more than enough experience for a child to learn how to make and pack a lunch. The learning curve really isn't that great. Most can master it in a week or less.

[Anonymous]

There's a difference between making your lunch and packing your lunch (at least to me.) Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner, so no, my kids don't make their lunch. But they can put it in their lunch box.

The PP with 6 year old packing lunch. Are they making sandwiches themselves (assuming they're not cooking anything)? What do you mean by packing their own lunch?