Do your childsren bring there lunch to school??

Question

My daughter is starting school and i dont know if she should bring her lunch or just buy it there what do your children do??

Answer 1

I hated getting school lunch, we would only get a half hour and it would take 25 minutes to get your food and another 2 to find a seat...waste of time and money, make the food it will be much healthier and less stressful.

Answer 2

When I went to school people still packed lunches, but now that's really rare. I teach elementary school and probably in a whole school year I have about 10-15 packed lunches total. No one packs anymore it seems. If I were you I'd let your daughter buy lunch for at least the first week so she can learn how it's done with the other children. That way if she becomes a packer, but had to buy lunch one day, she wouldn't feel scared or stupid. After the first week, let her decide what she wants. I definitely would be sure she becomes familiar with buying, though.

Answer 3

When my older children were younger, it was fun to make their lunches in the morning. But, as the school year went on - and fundraisers, bake sales, PTA stuff grew and grew...and my own life got busy...I found it really time consuming to keep making their lunches.

After having 5 children, I did the math. Even for one child, it's cheaper just to have them have a hot lunch than take one to school. Not just by a couple bucks, but by a lot. Not only that, but school lunches are programmed to be healthy. And, the menu is of things that my children would be eating normally anyways. I haven't seen liver & onions or a "surprise" anything yet! My children only bring a lunch now, when there's a field trip, and this keeps it a special event. Not to mention I don't have to scurry so much in the morning!

Your best bet - and I know this from having a super picky child - is to go over the school lunch menu, and let your daugher decide if she would rather have a hot or cold lunch. My bet will be on the fact that she'll like a lot of things that will be on the menu.

Answer 4

When they get into junior high and high school especially they will want to buy lunch. My daughter is in grade school right now but she's a packer. She always brings her lunch to school. The reason is because she has allergies to certain foods and no one can be sure of what she might be getting from the caf. This way I know what shes getting and can have and it's safer all ways round. It's also good when their younger as a way of connecting with your child while your away from them. Starting school can be really hard when their little. If they know Mom or Dad packed their lunch for them, its like a part of you is there with them at school. Especially if your like me and leave notes in the lunchbox to remind them of how special they are.

Answer 5

In Australia all kids bring their lunch unless the school has a canteen (and most parents allow a canteen lunch once a week). Ours doesn't so all kids bring lunch from home. Every second monday is special lunch day where you can buy lunch that day that the parents organise, make and deliver to the classroom. Salad rolls, pies,quiche, sausage roll etc.
With the rate of childhood obesity i would recommend make it at home and pack a healthy lunch and snack with 2 pieces of fruit and allow 1 bought lunch a week

Answer 6

Both.

We get the menu ahead of time and plan what my son wants. Each Friday he brings home the menu for the next week or I can usually look up a months worth of school menus on the school website. He picks which days he wants a hot lunch and which days he wants me to pack his lunch. He's pretty picky so I'd say he brings lunch from home at least 75% of the time.

Answer 7

My child brings his lunch, but has money on his school 'card' to buy lunch if he likes it. Don't assume that there will be lunch available from day 1, because most schools send home a calendar of food for each day and a form to send back a check to get the lunches.

Answer 8

I have 2 kids in elementary school and they are given a choice about what they want, one brings lunch and one buys, most of the time. My suggestion, send her with a lunch and the option to buy at least until she find out what she like and what she doesn't. School lunch is not moms cooking and she may find she doesnt like some of it.

Answer 9

I have 3 in elementary school this year. Last year with 2 in school, I pack a lunch nearly every day. I plan to do so this year, too. A lot of the kids at our school bring their lunches, as well. I like being able to know exactly what my kids are having each day and what is really in what they are eating. We are lucky, too at our school to have several microwave ovens to heat up thing that I send.

Thermoses are great for sending soups, spaghetti, and other hot dishes.

Answer 10

My kids go to a small school where you have to bring your lunch. I wish they had a choice because you run out of ideas.Since they can do both, let them choose according to the menu of the day.
If anyone has some great lunch ideas that are healthy and good...please post!

Answer 11

I would suggest packing a lunch from home. That way, you know what your daughter is eating and you can make sure that it's healthy. Plus, if she is a picky eater, you can make sure that she has plenty of the foods that she likes to eat.

I teach in the local school system here, and I know that school lunches aren't that great. If you want to be sure that she is getting the nutrients that she needs, you should pack a lunch from home.