Love it or hate it...school lunches are a reality, and making lunches can be a headache, even when the kids make their own lunch.  What to put in the lunch, having the food available, getting creative, and motivating the lunch packers can be overwhelming and get tiresome very quickly.  We went to the lunch packing experts, parents in the southeast, and got some suggestions and tips on how to make lunch making an easier task.

Communication is a good way to ensure that the essentials make it into the lunch bag.  Trish suggested a list highlighting what goes in their lunch, for example, 1 sandwich or wrap, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 yogurt or cheese, and 1 snack.  

Timing is key.  Set a time to make lunches when you're not rushed, making lunches at 8 AM, can prove to be a difficult experience for everyone involved.  Chelsea suggests making lunches the night before to avoid chaos and frustration.  Or when they come home after school, pull the lunch box out of the backpack and make it for the next day.  Trish has her kids make their lunches during supper prep and when supper is finished, the kitchen is closed for the night.  That is getting it done! 

Preparation is important.  Dawn-Alison makes subs in advance and freezes them.  Her kids grab them in the morning and the subs are defrosted by lunch.  A multi-purpose lunch...food AND a home-made ice pack!  

Be organized.  Krystal uses a bucket system where food is sorted into categories like fruits/vegetables, dairy, snacks, and she keeps them in an accessible spot so the kids can pick and pack their own lunches. Shannon uses the two drawers in her fridge for snacks for each lunch in the week. She pre-packs snacks like veggies, crackers, cheese to help make the packing process easier.

Teach your kids.  Kids are already in the learning mode with school, so why not teach them to make their lunches!  Irina has her kids make their own lunches.  She starts by making their lunches with them watching to see how to make it and what should be packed and then hands off the task to them to complete.

Making lunches, or supervising the making of lunches might not be our favourite task as parents, but we can be thankful that we aren't having to supervise all the at-home learning like we did earlier this year!  Happy lunch making!