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The Kitchn: 5 tips to help your kids pack their own school lunches

By Anne Wolfe Postic on

TheKitchn.com

Do you remember the first lunch you made for your child? Maybe it was bittersweet. You pictured them eating the sandwich you lovingly prepared and reading the sweet note you wrote, and you smiled. But you knew that eating away from home meant they were growing up, and the opportunities to do things for them would be fewer and farther between. Independence was around the corner, and you wanted to hang on for a few more minutes.

But after a few months of lunches, you were over it. There are plenty of ways to show your love other than putting together a dang sandwich when you're ready to go to bed, or before you have your coffee (if you're a procrastinator like I am). The time has come for DIY lunches. The kids will love the newfound freedom, and you'll love the extra few minutes of sleep.

Confession time: My husband likes making the kids' lunches, and he usually does it. He makes great sandwiches (or artfully packaged leftovers, or other transportable main courses), and they enjoy them. So how do I know the kids are capable? Because when he's out of town or leaves too early to get the job done, I don't make those lunches. The boys put them together like champs or, you know, like the reasonably competent human beings they are.

If you're like me, and you'd rather get in bed a little earlier at night or get out a little later in the morning, here's how you can get your children to DIY school lunches.

1. Talk to them about food.

 

I'm willing to bet most foodies with kids do talk about food with them: what tastes good, what's healthy, what herbs and spices are best used in homemade vinaigrette. You know, the usual stuff. The sooner they know how to build a healthy meal, the better.

Bonus: Once they can make their own lunches, they're only a year or two away from getting dinner on the table for the whole family!

2. Have them help as soon as possible.

Kids can start learning their way around the kitchen as soon as they can walk. "Can you choose a piece of fruit?" "Please go to the fridge and pick turkey or ham for your sandwich." "Can you pass me the bread, please, and get out a knife for the mustard?" You're doing this already, right? They're clearing dishes, cleaning their rooms and feeding the family dog. Familiarizing children with routines makes the transition to doing it themselves easier. This is why we let them help, because goodness knows a 3-year-old is never as much help as you'd like them to be.

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