As a kid I had to make lunches and I never liked it. Now as a mom to 3 school aged kids I like it even less. Who likes what, who won’t eat what, who drinks what, same snacks, same sandwiches – or worse, they won’t eat sandwiches! What is there to love about making school lunches?
Routine, Routine, Routine.
I love routines. Teach kids how to do something and what is expected and watch them thrive. Each school morning we have steps – get dressed, brush hair, practice music, eat breakfast, brush teeth – same routine every morning. For young ones I made a picture chart so they knew what order to do things in, for older ones a ‘Checklist’ chart helps them remember.
Start Young
Kindergarten I focused on their personal goals of getting dressed and making their own breakfast, helping them learn to be independent. As they get older I added more ‘items’ making sure to not label them as chores or treat it as a punishment, but rather another step in their independence and being a bigger help to our family.
Some ideas that worked for us:
Gr. 1 empty top rack of the dishwasher and put out everyone’s vitamins
Gr. 2 & 3 fill water bottles, milk containers and empty the bottom rack of the dishwasher
Gr. 4 & 5 Snacks into snack containers, yogurt into yogurt containers and picking out a healthy treat.
Gr. 6 Cutting up fruit and making the sandwiches or even cooking a pizza for our own version of pizza day.
I keep it as simple as possible for them by setting up breakfast cereals in the pantry beside their bowls, plates, cups and cutlery so they can help themselves. We use the same containers for each item in their lunch and they take the same food groups each day to establish the routine but also making sure we mix up flavours and fruits to keep it interesting! It becomes a bit of an assembly line but that also helps it become a familiar pattern.
Let the kids make the list of acceptable fruit, favorite sandwiches and yogurt flavours they like best and have them help with finding recipes for healthy snacks and doing some baking. You have a huge opportunity to teach the kids about nutrition and making healthy choices by having them be a part of the lunch making process, and if you play your cards right, they may make your lunch too!
Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs on many websites about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. To read more articles and see her favorite healthy recipes that she promises even your kids will love, visit her websites www.iron-kids.com & www.adultessentials.com or visit her on Twitter @KidsGummyMum or Facebook at IronKids.Health and Adult
