Ahhh, school is back in session which means, moms and dads around the country are making at max for one child, 5 lunches per week, or about 217 lunches per school year. If you have three children, you are making 15 lunches a week, or about 651 lunches a year. What we don’t want to do in the morning is rush to get everyone’s lunches made because if your family is anything like ours, you are rushing and will usually forget something or just shove something into the lunch box just so they have something to eat.
We have found three excellent tools that can be helpful to you and your family as you prepare to make a bunch of school lunches this year.
Kids love to eat creative foods. We found these sandwich cutters that make a variety of different shapes and designs, so if your little one (or big one) doesn’t like to eat the crust, this is a super fun way to get them to eat up their lunches. Boys can create a sky with airplanes, or a car, while girls can have fun with their princess crown and flower garden.
The Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters are made available at Pottery Barn Kids and retail for $14 for a girl set, or boy set.
For those that need a little more of an incentive to eat their veggies and will only do so with a touch of ranch or peanut butter, how about giving the Spencer Chip & Dip Container a try. This handy little container comes with a center compartment just for dips, dressing and spreads. Send your child off to school with cucumbers and ranch or even a nicely arranged salad with their favorite salad dressing.
You can pick from four different lid colors allowing each child to select their color so there is no confusion as to who gets what in the lunch making rush. Each container retails for $10 and is available at Pottery Barn Kids.
Every child loves a routine, it’s bee proven, hasn’t it? So why not create a lunch menu for your child/ren so that he/she knows exactly what they will be getting for lunch on different days of the week? It will make shopping, planning and preparation a snap for mom and dad, and will create balance and consistency with your child.
They can be easily placed on the refrigerator or you can create a special menu in any Word program, print it out and adhere it to cardboard, and place on a small easel on your kitchen counter to serve as a constant reminder of what is to come.
What are some of the ways you make school lunches easier to make and create? Do you have any quick tips that have helped you and your family out? We’d love to hear from you.
