In an earlier blog, I mentioned that I have the hardest time getting myself, my kids and mySELF (it is worth saying twice, I think) ready in the morning without something falling through the cracks AND arriving on time.
Well, thanks to some ideas provided by Michele over at Sqwahr.com, I am able to keep my head afloat.
One of the ideas was to be willing to make the kids' lunches the night before. I originally resisted this idea thanks to my very own issues with soggy bread (BLECH), but my kids don't seem to care, and it gets them out the door with lunches in hand... SO... who am I to point out the grossy-grossness that is soggy bread. After all, I'm not eating it.
I was also one of those parents that REFUSED to try a bite of baby food (Double BLECH).
As I enter my kitchen to make lunches for my kids, I realize that I can't find BoopaLoop's Princess lunchbox. No matter, I have brown paper bags for such an event. I'm in the process of making her lunch when LittleMan comes in to watch me.
LittleMan - Are you giving me a paper bag?
Me - No, that's for BoopaLoop.
LittleMan - Oh, good! I don't like the paper bag.
Me - (Surprised) Really?! Why is that?
LittleMan - It makes me sad to throw them away.
Me - (WHAT?!) Oh, I'm sorry. Why does it make you sad?
LittleMan - Because you put 'Love' on the bag, and I don't want to throw it away.
Me - (Tearing up a little.)
I had NO IDEA he even knew what I was writing on the bags! He is a beginning reader, so I wanted to put something on the bag to help foster his interest in reading. I'd put his name, a heart and something like "Love, Mommy". That's about it... but apparently my son was understanding the message more than I did.
Thank you, LittleMan, for reminding me that even the little things matter in life... now, get over yourself and throw the bag away.
7 comments:
Awwww, that's sooo cute! :)
I "LOVE" that story!
What if you tore a few comics strips out of last night's paper and put them in along with his soggy sandwich? It would encourage him to read, and would reduce his attachement to an unadorned bag.
And don't write anything mushy on the comic strips, or you'll be pulling them out of his pockets at laundry time.
Here's another tip to try (something we do with our kids): lunch meat. Our girls love ham and salami all by itself, no bread. We just put some in a baggie or small tupperware and make sure they have an ice pack. Quick and easy.
As for the paper bags - do your kids like decorating their own bags? They can decorate a new bag everyday, so throwing away the old one is OK! Or encourage recycling and let them use the same bag for a few days. Never too early to save the environment!
Way back when, in the 80's, our son Alex was in 3rd grade. He loved, loved, loved hot dogs. So I put hot water in a thermos (remember those??) with the hot dog, a bun in a baggie, and condiments in something, but I have forgotten. He liked hot dogs sooo much, he started to want them everyday. He had them, everyday, for his entire third grade year. Just a funny story about lunches. Thas same Alex is also the one who commented today on your blog.
DJ & Lorraine = I genuinely had NO IDEA LittleMan felt this way about these lunch bags. I was so choked up by what he said that I didn't help him get over himself. I guess he'll never throw them away!
Don = HAHAHAHAHA! Comic strips? Where did you come up with that idea?! I'm am both frightened and in awe with how your brain works.
Alex and Michele = Both are excellent suggestions. I really should find a way to encourage the teachers to allow him to keep the bags. That would solve a whole host of problems.
Wow...squeezed Grandma's heart.
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