This post will allow you to rethink HOW to handle the organization and dispersal of the items necessary for kids lunches in your home. Other great “how to help your kids” ideas can be found here. I recently presented a “Organize your Home Spaces” workshop. One of the class attendees, Brea Mefford of Highland, a sweet young mother of 6 (VERY IMPRESSIVE!) was motivated to fine-tune the system she used for kids lunches in her home. I asked her to email me the photos and information so you too can consider using the kids lunch system she has set in place. I found it to be very creative. Here are Brea’s suggestions:

_ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ Vicki did a workshop on Organizing Home Spaces for my church’s womens group. The small project that I fine-tuned after attending was to better organize my kids’ lunches.  With 6 kids to feed, I’m always trying to cut costs.  So, I set my budget at $.50 each for kids lunches and made a list of the things my kids will eat and what would fit within my allotted budget.  Because I’m a busy mom I needed to delegate the task of fixing lunches to my children, but I struggled with hoping they would remember to pack a FULL (complete) lunch.  Here’s what I did to overcome my concerns: In our extra refrigerator located in the garage, I cleared out 2 shelves. I used plastic shoe boxes to organize foods into 4 categories:

1. Main
2. Snack
3. Fruit/Veggie &
4. Treat

I have a total of 8 shoe boxes full of these foods. (Some of the items don’t need to be refrigerated, but I keep them all in the refrigerator because, like Vicki, I believe in storing things where I use them.) The boxes are color coded and the kids have instructions to take one item from each color.  They just grab and go!! At the beginning of every week, I restock the fridge boxes. My kids like this system because they get lots of variety and don’t have to figure out what to make.  AND I like the system because I know they are getting nutritious food, with little time and effort from me.  And yes, I’m staying under my budget of $.50 per lunch!!    Way to go Brea!  She understands that when a good organization system is put in place it is simple to maintain. She has delegated to her children the art of assembling lunches. This is one of their daily chores. Because she delegated, trained well, THEN stepped back, she no longer needs to worry about packing the lunches on a daily basis. All Brea does for kids lunches is shop then restock the bins. Her kids do the rest. Bravo! Remember, other great “how to help your kids” ideas can be found here.

One Response to “For Kids Lunches”

1. Agustin Hunnewell Says:
   August 23rd, 2011 at 8:10 pm

   I have no extra fridge, but will try the idea on a shelf in my fridge and a shelf in my pantry. Thanks to you and the young mom who drafted the idea.

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