Double Bonus

Often what one starts out doing for one reason turns out to have unintended consequences. When you are lucky, those unintended consequences are positive. I think this is a case where the fallout is going to be positive – at least in the long run!

In my attempt to create a space for me to have more time for myself and my new endeavors I told the kids that this year they would be making their own lunches. I worked with the kids to come up a list of foods which would be acceptable lunch foods for them. They divided them into five categories:

Entrees
Vegetables
Fruits
Snack
Desserts

I am pleased to report that not only was there a great deal of variety in the lists they produced but that the shortest list was the dessert list (but that may be just because they listed “cookie” instead of every kind of cookie which they would eat.)

I then printed out blank calendars for each month. Working together they will need to fill out the calendar to create a menu for their school lunches. The rules are that they must include at least one item from each of the first four categories and they must agree on the menu for each day (unless one of them wishes to buy lunch through the school on a given day.)

We will all go over the menu together and once it is finalized I will make sure that we have the ingredients for these items in the house. I will help them make the foods necessary and they will then pack up their lunches. Lunch making begins in October.

While my true motivation for doing this was to free up my time and brain space I now realize how important a step this is in raising my children. Giving them the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills to take this on is a great way to foster the independence I want them to have.

And who knows…maybe by spring they will be making dinner every now and then.