Trying to prepare a nutrionally balanced, exciting and edible lunch box can cause tears, tantrums and that’s just from the adults!
Ah, the dreaded lunch box.
The bane of existence for Mum’s, Dad’s, Grandma’s and all carer’s.
And teachers!!!!
I know that when my not so little ones started ‘big school’ I tried to fit as much goodness in their little lunch box as I could.
Of course, not thinking that I was in fact packing enough for them and that if no one else in their primary school (this at a time when they went to a 300 + student’s city school) brought lunch in that day, their goodies could keep the whole school satisfied, including the teachers.
Lunch for 1…thousand
When the lunch boxes returned home day after day with only a small portion eaten I realised that I had forgotten some fundamental things of being at big school for the first time.
The children are four, five or six. They only have little tummies, and a limited amount of time to eat. They actually don’t need a chicken and salad wrap, a wholemeal cheese and vegemite sandwich, a sesame roll with last night’s lamb roast leftovers carefully arranged inside of it, as well as a container of watermelon, a banana, two apples, three carrot sticks, four pieces of celery, two yoghurts, a box of sultanas and a cheese stick. And that’s just morning tea.
Seriously – for a five year old or a 25 year old?
There are so many things to do at break time. They want to run and jump and use the skipping ropes, and play chasings with their mates, and use the play equipment and play with their buddies.
They don’t want to remember Mummy (or whoever) saying when she kissed them goodbye that they must eat everything in their lunchbox.
Seriously- for a child???
Ensure they have a healthy breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day, I believe, and little minds (and big ones) can’t work effectiveloy if they have not been refulled).
Most primary schools now have a fruit break/crunch and sip time mid morning so they can munch on some fruit or vegies and keep their energy levels up. And sorry, roll ups DO NOT constitute a piece of fruit.
Again, don’t make it hard. I love mangoes but seeing a five year old trying to eat a mango on the floor whilst listening to a story then going to continue some word work does NOT work. If you desperately want to give them a mango, cut it up and put it in a container (Which you have labelled).
A morning snack. Perhaps a yoghurt, more fruit, a protein bar, some cheese and biscuits or a little pack of biscuits. Or, or, or. Not and, and, and. Don’t make them so hard the kids can’t open them.
Yes, when teachers are doing playground duty, their time should be spent on focussing on the student’s welfare and safety, not trying to open eighty five packets of chips. I used to cut a snip off the packets then it was easy for little hands to open.
Don’t send messy foods. I wish I had a dollar for every bag I have had to clean when a yoghurt has spilt in it. Buy them in the tubes, or put them in a container. PLEASE!
Make sure your child likes the food you are giving them. Only the other day I had to rifle through a garbage bin at school (yes, who doesn’t love that part as a teacher) trying to find a toy that an inconsolable child had inadvertently dropped in there.
I could not believe the amount of food that had not even been TOUCHED that had been thrown in the bin. Of course, there was half eaten sandwiches, over ripe bananas (why send something you wouldn’t eat) but also a beautiful array of salads, chicken, unopened packets of cheese and savoury snacks.
I for one, don’t want to see my hard earned money that I spend on groceries be thrown in the bin because I continue to send items my children don’t like in their lunchboxes.
A Five Year old could handle this
Ask your children what they like. If you cope with it, take them to the supermarket with you (maybe not EVERY time) and talk to them about the different types of foods.
Try and mix it up a bit for a bit of interest but I can tell you, I am not a parent who uses cookie cutters to cut cute shapes out of their sandwiches!!!! Looks great on pinterest but I don’t have the time!
Cookie Cutter Shaped Sambo’s (not by me!)
Do your children have any favourites for their lunchbox? I’d love to hear about them.
Schoolopoly 