Who packs your teenagers lunch for school

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Teenagers and Older children

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

Who packs your teenager their school lunch

I do

13%

[ 9 ]

My child

70%

[ 46 ]

My dh

[ 0 ]

School provides lunch

12%

[ 8 ]

My teen goes out to buy food or orders Uber eats

[ 2 ]

Total Votes : 65

amother

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 6:10 am

Who passed your teenagers Lunch every day

seeker

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 6:26 am

My 12 year old was responsible for packing her own lunch but I did it sometimes as a favor. I'm all for responsibility and independence but people who love each other help each other out and do nice things for each other.

But after a year of this she decided she had enough and asked me to sign her up for school lunch and she'll just try to be less picky. I agreed on condition that she at least tries the main foods and doesn't just take the bread. Not paying $800 for bread.

She's still in Jr high, I don't think high school offers hot lunch so we'll have to go back to last year's arrangement.

amother

Midnight

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 6:30 am

It's a mutual effort.
I'll take out pretzels, whole wheat bread, regular bread, various spreads, granola bars, cookies, chips, apples, etc.. and put it on the counter.
They grab from whichever piles they want. I put away the leftovers for the next day.

amother

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 7:28 am

I sit and make all my kids much they all want different things. I have one teen who will mostly pack without me and another teen who will take only junk if I don’t pack which leads to crazy moody hungry coming home. I Sometimes wonder if I’m Enabling laziness or just being a good parent who make sure all kids have food. Also basically no one wants sandwiches

amother

DarkKhaki

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 7:29 am

All options but DH.
Sometimes I packed, sometimes she packed, sometimes one sister packed for both. Sometimes she bought school food and very rarely she got from local establishments.

She was given a certain amount of $ to use as she pleased.)

amother

Maple

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 7:35 am

I really wanted to pack my kid‘s lunch but I always fail. I wish I did. She does it herself

shira143

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 7:40 am

Don’t have a teenager just yet but my 11 and soon to be 13 year old have been packing their lunch since post Covid school lol. Probably before then. On very rare occasions I may make them a special sandwich or something. Other than that I’m focused on my 6yo.

imanotmommy

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 8:55 am

Two separate issues with mom packing: 1. extra work for her 2. less responsibility for teens

For the first one: It's your choice.
If it's the second issue: maybe you can prepare components and containers that they have to put together. ex: yogurts, and some granola/fruits cut. quinoa/pasta and some roasted veggies. lettuce/veggies and chicken/turkey pieces.
You'll still have the work, but they'll have the responsibility of being on top of taking what they want and packing it.

amother

Mimosa

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 9:16 am

When my oldest were in high school, I was busy every morning preparing lunch for the younger ones and would pack for them too. It was the same lunch for every one and was quite elaborateI must say. My girls would get up early and we would shmooze as I would do the lunch and they would eat breakfast and help out with their younger sibs. My oldest remininded me recently of those mornings and she seems to have such fond memories.
Fast forward a few years, I no longer pack anyone lunches and cant even understand how I did it all these years. My teens get up 5 minutes before their bus and grab whatever from the freezer. No breakfast other than coffee. And no time to shmooze (we do that at night, after midnight of course). Tongue Out

amother

Latte

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 9:39 am

My teens girls do it themselves, but they do occasionally ask me for suggestions of what they should take as a "main" and I do keep the fridge and freezer well stocked. I help with ideas, but don't do any of the actual packing. They make a lot of salads and sometimes they put together one for me too, to take to work, which is a nice treat. Smile

amother

Arcticblue

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 1:28 pm

I used to because I wanted them to have balanced meals. In contrast, I've been packing my own since seventh grade.

ra_mom

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 2:07 pm

I cook and prepare elements on Sunday evening (plain pasta, dressings, salmon, etc), and teens put together their own lunch evening before.
When I see lunch wasn't prepared, I jump in and do it before I go to bed because I realized that sending a kid out without food no matter what the age, is not worthwhile (even if they grabbed yogurt and pretzels on the way out the door, and they weren't empty handed, they came home famished speaking of a hard day and I decided there were no lessons to be taught). Telling them I made lunch for you because I didn't want you to be hungry, is lesson enough. They are BH grateful and try to do it on their own at least 3/4 times during each week.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 3:27 pm

Mine do their own.
I actually had one grill a package of minute steak this week and make steak salads every day to try to add in protein.
My kids are not always conventional but they're definitely resourceful.

Sometimes they'll offer to make me a salad too and it's much appreciated on my end!

nicole81

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 3:44 pm

They pack it but I have one teen who used uber eats a lot on hs, too. With her money.

amother

Oatmeal

Fri, Sep 08 2023, 4:20 pm

My mom used to pack mine. I don’t have teens yet, but I pack for them.

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