Anonymous wrote:Much, much more complicated with hot lunches. You have to take boiling hot water and our it into a thermos, let it sit for five minutes, dump it out and then out the kid's very hot main meal into the thermos.

I've been through packing 2 kids' lunches. This isn't complicated. It took a bit of time in the A.M. but I figured out how to do it while having coffee etc. in the morning. Kids packed the rest of it.

My fifth grader and I split packing duties. My jobs are to prep fruit for the week, stock his "lunch drawer" in the fridge with that and refilled water bottles, and the prep his main dish each day (which is typically leftovers in a thermos). I set it on the counter, and he packs it and all the other items.
Works well for us.

Anonymous wrote:Preparing school lunches is my nightmare, I have to admit. I have packed leftovers for the last couple of years.

If your children pack their own lunch, what do they put in it, and how do you help?

Thanks.

My DD prefers leftovers thankfully because I hate making school lunches. I pack her lunch some days, typically when she has heavier homework or if she's out with her dad for dinner. Otherwise, she packs it herself. A tip that helped us was a 3 drawer organizer that I store bars, boxed milk, and fruit cups in. She knows to pack one thing from each level.

My kids do it. They started last year (1st and 3rd). We discuss their menus on the weekend before I go shopping. I buy what they need and they assemble it each morning before school. I allow them one unhealthy item, like cheetos or a slice of pound cake. It actually works really well. My 1st grader became a huge fan of noodles and pasta sauce for lunch and if she makes them, she gets them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. Wow, I'm so impressed by your kiddos!
It never occurred to me before that I could ask mine to pack their own lunches.

One other question -
If these foods are packed the night before, which containers do you use to keep the food tasting fresh?
And doesn't the sandwich get soggy?

You don't ask, you tell. You are the parent. You are the person in charge.

I hate statements like these - so condescending.

But true. Parents need to be parents.

Parents are still parents when they pack their kids' lunches. Different parenting styles exist. I don't know why this forum has to be so nasty.

We also use those Sistema containers. They always seem to have them at Marshall's.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. Wow, I'm so impressed by your kiddos!
It never occurred to me before that I could ask mine to pack their own lunches.

One other question -
If these foods are packed the night before, which containers do you use to keep the food tasting fresh?
And doesn't the sandwich get soggy?

You don't ask, you tell. You are the parent. You are the person in charge.

I hate statements like these - so condescending.

But true. Parents need to be parents.

My kids are 10 and 7 and I have finally gotten them to be mostly responsible for packing their own lunches this summer (with nagging). What has helped most is having a lot of pre-packaged items that they can grab and stuff into their lunch boxes without a lot of prep involved. I buy the pre-packaged apple slices and carrots, baked chips, goldfish, granola bars, fig bars, cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, etc. All that stuff is a little more expensive than packing it up myself, but it is worth it for my sanity and nerves. If I have time or there are leftovers, DH or I will put those in a thermos in the morning. Otherwise, they make themselves a sandwich. I set out guidelines for what must be in the box and that helps them stay focused. This summer in camp, they have to have 2 snacks and a substantial lunch. More than during the school year because they are much more physically active. They are allowed 2 carbs (other than whatever the main "entree" is), at least one fruit, a veg, and a dairy. We can get lunches packed in about 5 minutes with this system.

If you don't slather on tons of condiments, a cold cut sandwich can be made ahead of time. My DH and I often make sandwiches for the week on Sunday night. We found that making it a weekly chore was easier than having it be an annoying thing to do every night or morning. And the effort to make 5 sandwiches isn't that much more than making 1, once you have all the stuff out on the counter.

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. Wow, I'm so impressed by your kiddos!
It never occurred to me before that I could ask mine to pack their own lunches.

One other question -
If these foods are packed the night before, which containers do you use to keep the food tasting fresh?
And doesn't the sandwich get soggy?

Then it really didn't occur to you to TELL them to do it. Why would they do for themselves when you'll do it all for them?

Anonymous wrote:I found this post to be SO HELPFUL.

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2012/08/teaching-kids-to-pack-their-own-lunches.html

This post is sponsored (ugh) but gives good ideas.

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2014/08/how-to-get-kids-to-pack-their-own.html

Ugh, I hate that woman.

I found this post to be SO HELPFUL.

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2012/08/teaching-kids-to-pack-their-own-lunches.html

This post is sponsored (ugh) but gives good ideas.

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2014/08/how-to-get-kids-to-pack-their-own.html