Making School Lunches

I have written school lunches in the past and you can click here to read!

If you involve your children in making their own lunches, it teaches them several things. First of all, they learn that it takes work to prepare them for school each day. They will begin to see all that you do for them. Secondly, it allows your child to make smart food choices! If you set guidelines for them, then they will be more excited to eat their Clementine, plum, or carrots. I have been amazed at the wise choices our four have made when I let them pack their lunches! Another lesson it teaches is to plan ahead. By making their lunch the night before the next school day, they do not have to rush around unprepared the next morning! What great lessons can be learned simply by letting your children make their own lunches! I always check the lunches after they finish... and often sneak in a lunchbox note!

Lunchbox notes

Children are very important, and they need to know how important they are to us and how much we love them. We show our love to them by feeding them, bathing them, and putting them to bed. We also show our love by attending and actively watching their sporting events, recitals, classes, and school performances. Another simple way to show our love is to send notes in their lunch box! Children just beam to have a handwritten note or silly picture from their mother or father. I always wished my Mama would decorate my lunch bag. She was and is an excellent mother, but I longed for the fancy letters & cute pictures on my brown bag. Therefore, I try to write at least one note a week to our children. I don't do it everyday at this point because I don't want it to be expected, or for the world to fall apart if I can't send one for some reason. I read a book about lunchbox notes, and the author wrote a note every single day. Her children testified how much the notes meant to them. Another child called & asked if she'd write her a note one day, and then said she was welcome to write another note whenever she had time. We may find the notes to be silly or cumbersome, but they mean the world to our children! I think I'll send one tomorrow!

Use for leftover cocktail napkins

I have an array of cocktail napkins from various occasions. While unpacking and putting things in our new kitchen, I was tempted to throw them away! Then, I realized that they are PERFECT for putting in our children's lunch boxes. It has been fun to make their lunch boxes just a little bit happier with the different napkins!

Lunch Box ideas!

It's always difficult to think of what to put in those lunchboxes!  I fill four a day, and still have to make baby AH her lunch too, so here are some ideas:

-traditional pb or pb&j sandwich if no nut allergies

-turkey & cheese sandwich (can use ham, roast beef, or chicken)

-turkey & cheese roll up (in a tortilla) (can use ham, roast beef, or chicken)

-cheese stick & crackers

-pieces of cheddar cheese & crackers

-soup or ravioli in a thermos

-spread veggie cream cheese on a tortilla, layer w/ turkey, put another tortilla on top & cut like a pizza.  Fun triangles to eat!

-peanut butter on saltines little sandwiches

-pimiento cheese sandwiches

-cream cheese on raisin bread sandwich (can also use peanut butter)

-cream cheese w/ fresh dill on bread sandwich

-mini bagel & cream cheese

-carrot sticks

-raisins

-all fruit... we do strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas, plums, peaches, apples, orange slices, watermelon, etc.

-craisins

-salad w/ dressing on the side

-broccoli w/ ranch dressing

-crackers

-Pirate's Booty or natural cheetos

-frozen gogurt or stonyfield farm tube of yogurt

-cookie or treat

-a mint

-recently I bought a bag of gummies & gave them each a few

-pickles

-celery w/ peanut butter, pimiento cheese, or cream cheese... can even add raisins

-LOTS of water!!!

Try to include a little note when you can!