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Do your kids pack or buy lunch?

lmccandless

lmccandless

The Force is strong with this one.
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Mar 9, 2009
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This is always a fun issue at my house. DD#1 has Celiac disease so she prefers to pack because the school's GF options are limited and fairly ridiculous. DD#2 is having a love affair with the IDEA of buying her lunch, but not so much with the actual food they serve. I think she's buying but not eating because on those days, she comes home hungry. So, she's packing some of the time now too.

What do your kids do? Do you plan it out a week ahead or...?
 
My twin boys just started K and they are there all day with an after school program. I pack lunches and so far they don't care that it's mostly the same things everyday.
 
For the most part my son is not picky at all. There are about 5 meals on the rotating menu that he doesn't care too much for so he packs lunch on those days. I prefer not to pack lunch because he is not a sandwich kid (other than PB & J) so it's not fun trying to figure out what to pack.
 
my middle schooler buys. they have options if he doesn't like the main meal.
my elementary boy buys most days - but doesn't like the pizza and a few other meals - those days he brings.
 
Up until this year, they bought lunch no matter what.

This year, now that my youngest is in 2nd grade, I told them they can pack if they want, with the following rules:

-they have to pack it themselves
-they're responsible for remembering it, I'm not bringing it up there if they forget
-it has to be packed the night before, so there's no morning fiasco
-and they can take a sandwich, a fruit, a drink, and a snack. No lunchboxes full of cookies. lol

Am I mean? lol
 
My son bought his lunch everyday starting in middle school, never packed one after elementary school. I have been known to take his ID to him if he forgot it so that he could have lunch. I think I might have done it 3 or 4 times in all of his later school years.

Now it's his job to make sure there is lunch food in the house because he takes his lunch to college two days a week as he only has a 15 minute break.
 
My kids go to a small school. Once a month some ladies organize a hot lunch - other than that, the only option for us is to pack a lunch!
 
Angie4b1g said:
Up until this year, they bought lunch no matter what.

This year, now that my youngest is in 2nd grade, I told them they can pack if they want, with the following rules:

-they have to pack it themselves
-they're responsible for remembering it, I'm not bringing it up there if they forget
-it has to be packed the night before, so there's no morning fiasco
-and they can take a sandwich, a fruit, a drink, and a snack. No lunchboxes full of cookies. lol

Am I mean? lol
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Heck no! It's great for them to start being responsible :) I would do the same thing!
My kids buy but I keep thinking I need them to bring it instead. The lunch choices are pathetic!!!
 
my kids are young (preschool and K) - so the only options for them are packed lunch ... (i think my oldest will have the option later in the year to buy - but i'm not sure if i'll have her do it b/c i think she'll only eat junk (chix nuggets, etc)) ... they get a sandwich, fruit, raw veggies and some sort of cracker (goldfish/pretzels/pita chips/etc) every day - i need to start mixing it up a bit though ...
 
Just for the record, they always have money in their lunch accounts, so if they forget to take their lunch, they can still eat, they just have to eat whatever the hot lunch is that day.

Re-reading my post, it sounds like I just make them go without food if they forget. LOL
 
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I used to pack a lunch for my son, but he is super picky and won't eat sandwiches so that made it tricky. I've found he actually likes the school food better, so he's been buying it everyday this year.
 
DS is in 8th grade and always buys. DD is in 5th grade. She has always been a picky eater, which makes lunches a challenge, whether she brings or buys. Lately though she's been expanding quite a bit on what she will eat from the school menu, so she's buying more often. I only had to pack her lunch 4 times this month. We print out the monthly calendar and she circles the days she wants to buy. (And then I try to talk her into more; I hate packing lunches. :giggle )

Angie, your system sounds terrific! I wish I could get DD to pack her own lunches. She moves through life in slow motion though, and just getting her homework done, showered, fed, and into bed at a reasonable time is often a battle. Mornings to get her out to the bus on time are even worse. I'm already often pulling my hair out over her pace; I think I would end up completely insane (and bald) if I had to wait for her to pack her lunch too.
 
Mine do a little of both. My daughter usually loves the school lunch but my son not so much. My goal for each week is to look at the menu for the week and plan which days they buy and which days they take. I like when they buy because I hate trying to figure out what to pack for my 2 very picky kids.
 
adejong said:
My kids go to a small school. Once a month some ladies organize a hot lunch - other than that, the only option for us is to pack a lunch!
Click to expand...

Same with us. I find packing a lunch difficult - my boys will like something one week and not the next. They are quite picky eaters. Maybe I should get them to pack it the night before - would save me headaches figuring out what they can take (no nuts allowed, so no peanut butter - iSigh).
 
mine pack or get it packed (well, you know back when...). they are "allowed" to buy a couple of times a month, though - momma needs a break and that's worth it.
 
My youngest is in first grade and is enamored at the thought of being able to buy lunch at the cafeteria. He buys almost everyday.

My fourth grader buys about half of the time. He is a sandwich lover so he prefers a packed lunch some of the time.
 
Our school lunch is pretty pricey in my opinion for pretty crappy food. so DD7 gets a lunch packed most days. However, I try and give her a reward day once a week where she can pick a meal she wants to eat. Also, if I just plain run out of time in the mornings I also send her to school with money to eat. This year has become a bit of an issue with her eating hot lunch though because she keeps forgetting to get her milk, and they won't let her get back in line for it. So she has to pay extra for either water or flavored milk. I'm not happy that we are racking up charges because of this. : (
 
I pack for all 4 of them. The babies don't have the option to buy and my older 2...well the food at their school, while ok, just isn't up to par (imo). My oldest has a weight problem that we monitor very carefully so I don't keep money in his account and he just gets what I pack him. It really breaks my heart though because I know he would (and I would love for him to) love to be able to just go buy a snack. The thing is he won't buy 1, he will buy 3. :(
 
My kids don't have the option, the only thing the school offers is Pizza day every wednesday (which Logan get's, Mystaya hates pizza)
I pack their lunches everyday.
 
emmasmom said:
I pack for all 4 of them. The babies don't have the option to buy and my older 2...well the food at their school, while ok, just isn't up to par (imo). My oldest has a weight problem that we monitor very carefully so I don't keep money in his account and he just gets what I pack him. It really breaks my heart though because I know he would (and I would love for him to) love to be able to just go buy a snack. The thing is he won't buy 1, he will buy 3. :(
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Will the lunch ladies monitor it? My daughter used to spend all her money on desserts, but then I told the ladies in the cafeteria she was allowed ONE dessert on TUESDAY and they kinda policed her for me. lol
 
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