We leave the house at 730 and it's a struggle so this is just too much effort for me - I can make a sandwich in 30 seconds. My daughter picks out her snacks for the week on a Sunday and leaves them on a specific part of the counter. So she pops in two things in the morning, DH or I makes a sandwich and we fill in whatever is needed. They get like 10 minutes to eat so fresh fruit and veg isn't happening, we just need to fill her up quickly. Kids get free lunches for the first 3 years so will just need a snack and water bottle for my son and we'll just do it honestly, it's not worth the hassle.
I keep thinking this is something I should push and then I remember how the mornings work and give up.
My mom packed my lunch until I was 17. I’ll show myself out.
I pack my boys and they are 14 and 12. lol
I honestly don't mind doing though, I pack my own at the same time. They do prepare their own lunches at home on weekends and vacation so they are capable.
I started packing my own lunch in 1st grade after I told my mom what she packed was yucky.
DD has access to a microwave at school and takes lots of dinner leftovers. I package up the leftovers and she just tosses a container into her lunchbox so not really packing a lunch. Since COVID she has been at my office building doing school and I just packed us both lunch and put it into one cooler/bag. This works well until DD is in a cranky mood and hates everything I have at the office to eat. She pissed me off so bad a few weeks ago over food that I won't put anything in the cooler for her to eat and if she wants to eat she has to pack it herself. We've had huge blow ups about this.
DD doesn't want to eat in the cafeteria with other kids with out distance or masks so right now she plans on not eating until she gets home from school. We still have 4 weeks until school starts. If she can't use a microwave I have no clue what she would eat for lunch. School lunches are free but are not very appetizing.
1. Hos old were your kid(s) when they started packing their own lunch? She's helped since kinder, but started doing it herself in 2nd. 2. How did you start the process/ transfer or responsibility? (they immediate did all of it? Some? Part?) She always helped by picking out what she wanted and packing what she could (we use a Bentgo). Things like sandwiches that needed help or apples that needed to be cut, I did at first, but as she's gotten better with a knife she was able to take over. 3. Other advice /thoughts/suggestions? I love love love Bentgo or other sectioned off containers to help with the decision paralysis. She knows in general what can go in each section and when we go grocery shopping she keeps that in mind.