School Lunch Journal

One day I calculated that so far in my life as Mother I have prepared, packed and sent off approximately 7300 school lunches in the past 11 1/2 years. You would think I have nothing better to do, than to sit down and calculate how many school lunches I have packed? Don't worry, I am sane. And hopefully I will stay that way (fingers crossed!)

I also calculated that between now and the time my youngest has finished grade 12, I will be packing and sending off another 4200 school lunches. That means that sending 5 kids to school from grades 1-12 adds to a total of 11500 lunches!

No wonder I have been sweating bullets some mornings.

What I am hoping is that somehow my years of experience can find a way to unload smoothly onto this blog to provide help to other parents who struggle to get a healthy, interesting school lunch packed every day for each of their children. Equally important, is that I will also have a quick and easy reference for myself to use on those mornings when everything I've learned seems to have fled from my brain and I find myself once again wondering,
"What on earth will I put into the school lunches today?"

Believe me, that still happens. Actually, one of the things we've learned is to pack lunches the night before. And yes, I get the children involved. But, as you know, life is not as easy to schedule as we wish. Some nights some kids work. Some go to sports. You get busy. You're lucky sometimes to get everyone in bed on time, and then you're bushed. You can't wait to hit the sack. I don't blame you. Sometimes I make myself stay up to do lunches and sometimes I just go to bed.

I am hoping many people find this blog and leave their comments and ideas. We have so much to learn from each other. Everyone has found their own answers-- and some are still searching-- about packing lunch every day for your family. It would be wonderful to share.