Make Your Life Easier: Teach Your Child to Make Their Lunch BY PAM MOLNAR
I am the kind of mean mom who made her kids pack their lunch when they were in first grade. Yes, you read that right. First grade. I let a seven-year-old decide what she was taking to school in her lunchbox. And you know what, it turned out to be one of my best parenting ideas. When I was a kid, my mom packed my lunch. Peanut butter sandwich. Chips. Apple. Not only was it boring, but it was seldom eaten. I am not a fan of sandwiches and I would have preferred cut-up veggies to an apple. But that was our routine, so I never told my mom any different. My friends with older kids complained all the time about how much they dreaded making their kids’ lunch. They too slipped into a routine of the same old menu. I wonder if they ever questioned why the same apple went back and forth all week without being eaten. I was determined not to do that with my kids and a few days before the first day of school, we did a few dry runs. This is what I did to make things easier: PROVIDE A VARIETY OF CONTAINERS There are so many fun lunchbox accessories available. We use a thermos to keep mac and cheese warm, bento boxes with separate compartments, screw-on lid containers for easy opening and closing, and zipper snack bags to help with portion control. Lunch box-sized ice packs are also a good idea. Just remind your child to put
them back in the freezer when they get home so they are good to go in the morning. PICK A CONSISTENT TIME FOR PACKING LUNCH My kids are all early risers, so they usually make their lunches in the morning. That way, they can pack their lunch and put it right into their backpacks without worrying about forgetting to pull it out of the refrigerator. However, if you know your child would do better in the evening, set a consistent time—after practice or dinner—so they are not rushing in the morning. MAKE A LIST OF OPTIONS When my daughter first started making lunch, we talked about nutrition on her level. We made a small poster with pictures under categories like proteins, starches, dairy and fruits, and vegetables. I am a big believer in everything in moderation, so they did have a category for less healthy snacks. If nothing else, they were good for Kids are natural snackers so we keep a snack drawer full of grab-and-go items like prebagged fruits and veggies, dry cereal, cut-up cheese, pretzels, etc. (This is a great idea for adults, too.) We fill small containers with ranch dressing, hummus, or ketchup. I also buy single serving items lunchroom trades. PREBAG SNACKS
like yogurt and granola bars. It gives the kids the option to do for themselves without asking a parent to come in and pour, scoop, or chop. PROVIDE PLANNED LEFTOVERS Who doesn’t love a meal that is ready to go? We often cook extra meat or used leftovers from restaurants so that lunch is easy to put together. My kids love to grab leftover grilled chicken to dip in ketchup or ranch dressing. Leftover pizza, pasta, and even breakfast items like pancakes with Nutella are a big hit. LET THEM PICK ITEMS FROM THE GROCERY STORE Every week, I would ask the kids what they wanted for lunch. I knew the staples— fruit, yogurt, cracker snacks, lunchmeat, and cheese—but they often came home with ideas from their friend’s lunches, which we would try out ourselves. It is always nice to try new things like a smoothie in a thermos or a new flavor of chips. While I don’t remember exactly what my daughter made for herself on the first day of school, I do remember how proud she was that she did it herself. Making her lunch not only gave my daughter the ability to make her own decisions, but it also taught her life skills about nutrition, responsibility, and time management.
34 AUGUST 2025 | BRPARENTS.COM
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