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0I don’t know about you…but I’m SOOOOO ready for school to start!
The fighting and lack of a schedule has made me crazy (and horribly unproductive). I need a routine!
I started thinking about all the drama that comes with school and making lunches every day for 3 kids is quite a task. Here are some of my lunch box must haves as well as some Back to School tips from some of my friends!
Lunch Box Must Haves
1. A Plan – The most important thing I do to make our school mornings easier is to have a plan. Usually I have made the lunches the night before (or had the kids make them) so there’s no scrambling in the morning. If the kids are making them, I use this Do It Yourself Lunch Choices Printable to help them know what needs to go in their lunches. I sit with each kid to make a list of 3 options for each section of things they like to eat. Then they use this to make their own lunches!
2. Lunch Box Containers – We use these daily. They help to keep the lunch box clean-ish and cut down on the trash. I’ve learned – the hard way – if you give them things that must be thrown away along with things that should not be thrown away (silverware, drinks, reuseable baggies), then they’ll throw away everything in the box. So by using these containers, we cut down on losing household items. Be sure to buy enough to make it through at least 3 days for all your kids – just in case you run behind on dishes.
3. Water Bottle – We have gone through tons of water bottles. They leave them at school, drop them and break them, chew the straws off…or they just plain get nasty. We recently switched to these Contigo Trekker Kids Water Bottle and love them. They do have a bit of a learning curve – you have to push in on that front button while drinking, but they have lasted much longer than the average water bottle. Check out my post about Kidecal Waterproof Labels for these too.
4. Healthy Foods – And of course it’s important to stay on top of going to the store and having their favorite healthy snacks (click the links below for ideas of what to put in lunches). I’ve also found it really helpful to have a back up plan of having a few Go Picnic lunches on hand just in case I run out of time or supplies.
More Lunch Box Ideas:
What’s your biggest struggle with school lunches?
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Great lunch box tips! I have those divided containers too and we love them!
I am about to hit the world of school packed lunches in September for the first time. EEP. Thanks so much for sharing with the #pinitparty. Have pinned x
Hi! I wish it was so easy to pack a lunch! I have 3 kiddos – the oldest is ADHD and needs a higher protein diet (very athletic and active); the middle one doesn’t like anything except PBJ – she refused turkey & ham today and went hungry at lunch, finally talked her into a cheese sandwich for snack; the youngest at 19 months wants what we have but she’s GF. I’m out of ideas and I love making fun bento meals but it never fails 1 or more of them need to complain about it and get sent from the table! Grrr!
Great post though…. I enjoyed it!
These are amazing lunch box tips and I love the printable! Thank you for sharing this at the #SmallVictoriesSundayLinkup!
These are awesome lunch tips. My biggest struggle is getting the kids to eat them. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday:-)
Love your new site. I’m so ready for BTS too and I’m already preparing for it. Thanks for sharing this on MM.
I really love the idea of giving your child a “menu” of items that they can choose from. It certainly does save you from packing food that will never get eaten. Thanks for sharing your post at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.
I am so NOT ready for school to start (I’m a teacher!), but these are great ideas for lunch! Thanks for linking up to Blogger Brags. I’ve pinned your post to the Blogger Brags Pinterest board.
These are such awesome lunch box tips! Thank you for linking up at “A Little Bird Told Me” Wednesday link party! You have been featured at Mama’s Happy Hive blog. 🙂
These are great lunch box tips! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight Party. Shared.
Fun ideas!
My kids love shaped sandwiches!
The menu idea is great- I have different cravings on different days so this is nice!
Thanks!
Michelle
Great list! Very true on all points.
I love the inspiration for lunch boxes, watch for a feature this week on #OMHGFF.
You also might like to know, I followed you on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and had to hunt for you on FB as the link goes to error.But I found you and liked your page.
Hope you have a lovely day!
Thank you so much for letting me know! FB told me they wouldn’t change my url when I changed the name of my blog a year ago…at some point they must have done it! I will fix that broken link! Have a great day!