Kids Packing Own Lunches

Not that my daughter's are not capable but I pack their lunch in the morning so it is as fresh as can be. Additionally, they don't have extra time in the morning and I don't mind doing it for them. They are in 10th and 5th grade.

My mom packed my lunch until I went to college. I have no plans to stop packing my son's lunch. He is 8.

Honestly, growing up I never packed my own lunch and I have never thought of having my kids pack theirs. They would be capable of doing it but we pack ours in the morning so things like sandwiches ect are freshest and I don't want to get them up earlier so they can do it themselves.

They do get dressed on their own and get their own breakfast while I make lunches. I will let them choose from a few available options while packing so they have a say in what they eat.

It works for us and I don't think I'll change it anytime soon.

mine are 4, 8, and 11... I plan to pack their lunches til they don't go to school anymore :) if they NEEDED to pack their lunches, could they figure it out? I'm sure they could... but I enjoy doing stuff like that for them.

Unless my kids really want to some day or something, they will never make their own lunches until they're adults. I just take the view a kid's job is to do well in school and extra curriculars and be a kid. Making lunch, dinner etc is the parent's job. That's how my mom did things and I still appreciate it. I work FT so can see someday thinking "make your own lunch!" but honestly don't think I would enforce that bc of how I was raised... If a SAHM has her kids make their own lunches unless they want to, I don't get it. Why? And I didn't turn out lazy with a disaster of a house btw. Very well educated, hard working and my house is probably the neatest in the neighborhood...

Dad makes lunch for him and our 2 school-aged children every morning. Our kids are 8 & 5.

My mom made mine until I went to college--'mom' lunches always tasted better:)

8, no direction. They know what they like and they know what is allowed.

My kids, ages 5, 8 and 9 pack their own lunches...on Sunday nights I pre-bag fruits/veggies and put them in the fridge... I do the same with the "dry goods" snacks (popcorn, pretzels, cliff bars, applesauce etc.) and put them in a big basket in the pantry. There are also cheese cubes or string cheese and they know that if they take those they have to put an ice pack in their lunch. They are to take 3-4 items, 2 have to be fruit/veggie and the have to rinse and fill their water bottles. If they want a sandwich instead of something that is in the basket they have to make it. They pack them the night before. They all do very well and makes my life easier. :)

6 I had them choose their applesauce, raisin's etc, or put a handful of pretzels or cheezits in a bag. by 7 I watched while they spread pb on the sandwich, and supervised the squeeze jelly. now at 10 they do everything except cut the apple slices although they could.

Older kids can do it themselves.
Yours are older?

Of course you give them parameters on it. After all, you don't want them to just pack candy or junk. Which some kids, will do. I see it. I work at an Elementary school. Grades Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Some parents don't even know what their kid is putting in their bag.
A couple of kids, even brought a can of Coke, for home lunch. Soda, is not allowed, at school. They know it. They STILL do it. Or kids pack nuts or things with nuts in it. That is also not allowed at school. They know it. They STILL do it. So then they have nothing, to eat. Or, some kids will put just ONE yogurt cup in their bag. That's it. They "think" that is "lunch."
Or, one kid, had a fish dish in his bag. It was just in a plastic grocery bag, with NO ICE PACK, in it. Good grief. Oh, but his Mom packed that. The Mom did not even bother putting it in an insulated bag, with an ice-pack in it. We could not let him eat it, it was probably spoiled and rotten. It is seafood and perishable. The bag was also leaking. And that is all he had in his bag. No utensils. No water bottle or drink. Nothing. The Teacher had to tell the Mom.

So of course, you give your kids parameters on it.
AND depending on how handy they are in the kitchen, and if they know how to organize themselves, they can do it.

And, some parents don't even "know" how to pack their kids home lunch bag either. I see it. Some only put in a bun, chips, canned tea. And the kid says "I can't eat...." because it is not "lunch" food.
So, although a kid may be older and should be able to do it, just keep in mind... that there are many kids out there at school, with insufficient "lunches" in their bags... but the parent packed it.
So, keep your expectations... in line with what your kids know, their age, or what they are able to do, or not. Per making their own food or home lunches and food choices.
If you want them to know how to pack a home lunch, so that they are self-sufficient, then teach them how, if need be.
Don't "expect" it to be great, unless you know they know how.
It is not something that is common sense.

I'm not sure of the age. When they are physically capable of making a sandwich I suppose. Oh, and can clean up the mess! That is even more important. Can't clean up after yourself, stay outta my kitchen.

My kids want to make their own lunch for at home sometimes, but I always pack the lunches for school.

It's part of our morning routine. My kids are are on different school schedules, so one is up and gone before the other is awake. I pack lunch while they eat breakfast and have some 1-on-1 chat time with them.

My 14 and 11 year old's make the lunches for themselves and their younger brother almost every evening.
We pack 4 items every night, so its easy for them to do:
A sandwich
a bag of chips
a healthy item (string cheese, Gogurt, applesauce, etc)
a treat (Little Debbie, Hostess, fruit snacks, etc)
Drink is a refilled water bottle.
Keeping it simple and the same helps them be able to do it with very little supervision. They have been helping for several years.

I'm in the camp of "I don't mind doing it" and I'd rather they get the extra few minutes to sleep. They are out the door for the bus stop before 6:45 and every few minutes matters when their body clocks are telling them they should still be asleep for another 4 hours (teens, lol).

My daughter does her own breakfast, whatever she prefers.. and she knows what is acceptable and what is not. I pack her lunch. She is 7th grade, very mature and capable... but I don't need her to do it. She could, but I do it for her. She makes her own lunch on the weekends.
For my son (10th grade), I make his breakfast.. mostly as a time thing. He likes oatmeal and he showers in the mornings. So I prepare it while he showers so it is ready when he gets out. He also "can" do it... but he needs the sleep more than he needs to make his own oatmeal.

He eats the lunch at school. He grabs his own V8 to take, and bottle of water, and peanut butter pouch for after wrestling practice, his wrestling gear (gym bag, shoes, clothes, towel for showering after, head gear, etc), and all his school stuff. He also makes his own lunch whenever we are home.

And they actual make a lunch... slice grilled chicken and make nachos or burritos with whatever is in the fridge. Or heat up turkey and make a toasted turkey sandwich, or make a grilled cheese sandwich. They are pretty handy in the kitchen...

But in the mornings, I take care of their food for the day. I just see it as part of my job taking care of them and getting them off to school. They wouldn't starve if I didn't do it. And they'd probably pack fairly healthfully. But I do it b/c I like doing it for them.
Their job is to empty it out when they get home and wash the water bottle, etc. Lunchbox for her, gym bag for him. ;)

As far as directions... no "meal" is complete without protein. So every lunch for my daughter includes nuts, peanut butter, yogurt, or some sort of grilled meat and sometimes a zone bar. Then a veggie or fruit on the side, and some chips or crackers of some sort (she likes pretzels with her peanut butter). And a "fun" item... small pack of gummy fruit or a granola bar, etc. And water.

When she is feeling like a cold might be coming on, she gets a juice box, too. :)

By middle school. They help choose things in the grocery store and then they pack a reasonable lunch the night before. My DD is 5 and already knows the basics of a reasonable lunch. She helps me choose things like crackers or pretzles and her drink. She tells me if she wants fresh fruit or dried fruit (raisins, apricots, etc.) and cheese or yogurt, etc. She often eats the same things so it doesn't take too long. By MS, I expect her to do it for herself most of the time, perhaps earlier.

I always have a few things pre-packed in containers. I try NOT to use baggies (so sad---litter). My kids can choose from a few healthy things I have packed. Then, they pack the rest !

Age 7 or 8 is good to start. Make a few lunches together the very first week. Then, let the child do it. If the lunch isn't made one day...It will be (by the child) the next day. This is a natural consequence. It teaches responsibility !!!!

If a kid is not a morning kid, then, s/he should empty the lunchbox, wash the containers and wash the reusable water bottle w/ warm soapy water !
This teaches responsibility, too.

I have 3 cousins who work FT. All of their kids make their owns lunches. It is expected because they all leave the house at 7:30 am. If one of them forgets their lunch...S/he does not forget it the next day ! They all started in 1st grade...

All of my friends - except one-- who are stay at home moms, pack lunches for the kids.

I have my kids help me pack things so they have input. My kids are 9 & 6.

So My 6 year old is in Kindergarten and she often packs her own lunch. She has decided to take on the responsibility herself. I do check it though to make sure it is balanced. She LOVES fruits and veggies and sometimes that is all she will put in. ie a banana, apple, apple sauce, orange, carrots and tomatoes. She does not care for meat sandwiches at school but she can make her own PB&J (sometimes she comes to me with her sandwich and a cookie cutter for assistance). Sometimes my kids like to mix it up and take magic toast (as my dad called it but is french toast) which I make and cut into stix for them. But my 8 year old has been packing her lunch for about 2 years, but I check hers too. She seems to have the opposite problem choosing mostly carbs/snacks ie chips, crackers, another kind of crackers, cookies. So we usually go for up to 2 of one kind of thing. I will help her with slicing cheese for sandwiches or crackers but she mostly does it on her own.

I would say 12 is probably old enough so they know what to pack.
Give some direction at first.
Oversee or check to ensure they don't pack junk & go hungry.

My kids are 6, 8, and 10. Last year when they were 5, 7, and 9 they were doing it. So really around kindergarten or first they started. They have tons of easy grab options and they know they have to take a protein and a fruit/veggie. Other things are optional. So sometimes they will take a protein bar and an apple - their choice. Other days they will make a ham or PB&J sandwich, a bag of chips, a fruit and/or veggie, and a dessert. They know what they will eat and what they won't eat. Our morning sitter helps them sometimes depending on what they want to bring.

My kids started making their lunch around 1st grade with my supervision. They took something like a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a snack like maybe granola or fruit snax

I was prepared to let her any time she asked, but she never did take it over. She is not a morning person.. Food in the morning always made her nauseous, still does and she is in her 20's..

We did always discuss what she would be taking for the week and what she wanted for breakfast for the week.

When my son starts to complain about his lunch, he can make it himself. He's six and usually takes a half-sandwich and some fruit or yogurt, some nuts and some almond milk in a thermos.

When he's old enough, he has to choose:
1-2 proteins (cheese, hard-boiled egg, tofurkey/lunchmeat slices, depending on quantity)
1 bread/cracker choice or a small yogurt
1 fruit choice or 1 veg choice
thermos-- herbal tea of some sort, water or almond milk

We don't need to pack a lunch as we homeschool but my 10 & almost 13 year old can make lunch for the family without little to no supervision. I would assume if I needed them to pack a lunch to take with they would be able to do it just well. Not sure my 4 year old is quite there yet but she knows what a balanced meal needs at least.