How To Get Your Kids Making Their Own Lunches!

School is just on the horizon and that means we will soon be doing the most tedious task of all, each and every day. Packing lunches, but what if I told you, you didn’t have to make another lunch ever again? That all your weeks lunch work can be done in one day of prep and never looked at again? What if I told you doing this little bit of prep is exactly how to get your kids making their own lunches?!

I know it sounds like a dream come true, but trust us we have a system that equals minimal work for you with the maximum payoff: freedom from packing lunches.

Cooking Sunday

Every Sunday is when I do all the cooking prep that my kids will need throughout their week of school. This is when I make all the muffins, cookies and any hot lunch food prep like corn dog muffins or macaroni cups that my kids love. This makes it easy for me to think about in advance and I am not having to rush and get up super early in the morning to cook something I need for that day at school. This is also when I take the time to cut up all the fruits and veggies that will be needed over the week as well.

Baskets Are Your Friends

Having smaller baskets inside your fridge are always a brilliant way to help you save space in the fridge while helping your little ones easily put together their lunches. Putting bags of portioned out food in each designated fridge basket makes lunch prep super easy for your little ones do to all on their own in the morning. Which brings us to…

Portioning

Portioning out your snacks and meal items into ready-to-go bags are a brilliant way to help your little ones get all the food they need with ease. Doing this will limit frustrations and even gives your little ones a sense of freedom and responsibility as its is them making their lunch food choices all on their own. Making really healthy, easy to grab options for them to put into their lunch bags is a great way to ensure they want to eat all those good healthy fruits and vegetables you’ve prepped.

Take Them Shopping

Sometimes our little ones may not be too keen on the ideas of change that we have in mind for them. So to help with that transition I think it is important to get them involved in more than just the back-to-school shopping but also the weekly grocery shop. If you are giving them independence you need to also give them the freedom to choose which items they want in those lunches – within reason. We can use this time to guide our kids to make better food choices and talk to them about why some things look great but may not be great for them. Use this time to give them the education they need to make the best decisions they can for themselves on their own.

Be Encouraging

For many of us letting go and sitting back while we let our little ones take the reins can be a really hard thing for many of us to do. It is important to do our best to not micro-manage how they are doing things. It is our job to guide them lovingly and without judgement. If they try to go for more cookies than fruits a kind reminder: “Don’t you want those apricots you picked out at the store?” may be the better option to: “NO! NO MORE COOKIES!” Be kind in how you guide them it can make or break your morning and your day.

With these tips we hope your little ones will be making their lunches each morning with ease. Here’s hoping you get to finish that cup of coffee while it is still hot before school drop off, you deserve it!

Do your kids make their own lunches yet?

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