In passing, the 10-year-old spending the afternoon at our house slipped into the conversation, “when I pack my lunch.” I had to ask, does she packs her own lunch every day? The answer was yes.
Her mom told me their kids starting being responsible for packing their own lunches when they started going to school. Her daughter, and her teenage son, also take weekly turns doing the family’s laundry.
Errrk. Hold up! What am I doing wrong over here????
Both parents in their household work, the mom travels a lot, and so the kids naturally fend for themselves more often. And in this case, I think it’s a really good thing.
Thinking about this, I realized I do way too much for my children. I know from the Montessori standpoint what children can do for themselves, starting as toddlers. But I must admit – It takes SOOOO much longer that way. And the younger the children, the more steps you have to take to prepare the environment for small children to successfully do things themselves.
In the long run I know it is better this way.
That’s why in our new kitchen the girls will be packing their own lunches, the night before school, just after dinner.
My 8 year old was so excited Sunday night that she had her lunch packed before I finished my dinner. She packed her favorite hummus wraps, whole wheat flat bagels with cream cheese, and grapes. She asked me if that was a healthy lunch. We talked about having a grain, a protein, a fruit and a vegetable. Per our short conversation, she wrote her own guide on how to pack a good lunch and made a note to include carrots next time.
My 6 year old was eager to pack her lunch too. I stood by, making sure she was using the knife properly to cut the seeds out of the grapes, and that she was able to maneuver the apple cutter.
My 3 year old helped too, because she will not miss an opportunity to spread sunflower seed butter (it’s a nut free class due to allergies) on bread.
Adding to the fun of packing their lunches, was the excitement of being in our new kitchen – that we officially moved into this weekend. Consider the photo a sneak peek!
I know every night won’t be that easy, or fun. And we’ll have to bump up our dinnertime, to make time for lunch packing in order to keep a decent bedtime. But I think this new chore is worth it.
And I should admit, packing three lunches a day is not a chore I like doing. So bring on the helpers!
My 10 year old has been packing her own lunch for a few years now, although not always exclusively without my help. We do keep a “snack area” in the cabinet that’s low to the ground so it’s easily accessible for her. It’s filled with healthy snacks so it’s easy for her to take what she wanted for the next day.
So great to get your kids involved in preparing their lunches. I need think about doing this someday too because I end up making different lunches for all the kids.
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