Making children's meals...

FrankieM

Ok, so I do main evening meals, but....

When my children have reached High School it's become their responsibility to get themselves breakfast and make their own lunch....I'm now starting to wonder how money saving that is or how good for them. My original thinking was that as they get older they need to know how to look after themselves.

My problem is, some of my children manage it and some don't....

Do you think it would be more money saving and better for them if I were to make them breakfast and make them sit down and eat it and make them lunch, whether that be just sandwiches and they do the rest or the whole thing??
What do you do...?

sooz

What do they have for breakfast?
My 6 year old gets his own breakfast most mornings, & gets it for his little brother too. He has a choice of (low sugar) cereals, all of which we've put in low cupboards. Once I saw at nursery that they were being taught to help themselves to cereal aged 2, I never looked back

As for packed lunches, he's still too little to make them entirely on his own, although he can make a mean sandwich if I get everything out of the fridge (sometimes, he'll use a chair and tell me he doesn't need my help )

We make packed lunches the night before (mostly) as I hate the morning rush.

FrankieM

DD2 (13) will make herself toast. The other 3 will grab a yogurt if I mention it/ they remember or eat nothing...
Lunch...DD2 usually makes hers the night before so does DD3 (10). The other 2..well, I think they make themselves a sandwich but thats it, usually..I get the impression there is not much time to eat in High School...maybe I'm trying to be too 'Brady Bunch'?

sooz

You want them to eat breakfast before they go to school, especially if you think they don't have time for lunch.

But at their ages, I don't think you should have to make it for them. Perhaps a little encouragement....can they lay the table for breakfast the night before, with bowls, plates, knives, spoons & cereals put out? Then in the morning they can get milk, butter & jam/marmite etc, whilst you fling toast at them

By the sounds of it they can do it, they just don't want to (like most children) Maybe they can have a rota, so one evening one child makes sandwiches for all the others for the following day?

HariboJunkie

Erm... Maybe I'll be flamed for this but I really think it's MY responsibility to make sure my kids are being well fed.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and I make sure my kids have something warm and filling in the morning on school days. As regards the lunches I wouldn't be happy with a 10 year old making her own. If your high school age children aren't having time to eat lunch at school and are "maybe" getting a yoghurt for breakfast, that's really not enough to keep a growing child healthy.
Don't get me wong, I'm all for them lending a hand and pulling their weight but I want to make sure they are fed sensibly.

Penelope_Penguin

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Erm... Maybe I'll be flamed for this but I really think it's MY responsibility to make sure my kids are being well fed.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and I make sure my kids have something warm and filling in the morning on school days. As regards the lunches I wouldn't be happy with a 10 year old making her own. If your high school age children aren't having time to eat lunch at school and are "maybe" getting a yoghurt for breakfast, that's really not enough to keep a growing child healthy.
Don't get me wong, I'm all for them lending a hand and pulling their weight but I want to make sure they are fed sensibly.

:T You won't be flamed by me When DD started high school, I had loads of good intentions (she'd make her own breakfast and pack-ups, she'd cook a main meal once a week, she'd iron her school uniform). It didn't happen - too much school work, homework, and now she's in Y11, coursework and GCSE revision.

Both children also have full out of school lives. I'd rather they had time to be children while they can. I baked when I was at school, but never cooked a main meal - didn't stop me cooking from scratch as soon as I left home

Having been around me cooking from scratch all their loves, both children are able to cook (though don't actually do it as often as I'd like ). Relax - if they see you and others cooking, they'll come to it, and will pick up more than you think

Penny. x

FrankieM

Thank you HariboJunkie...
So, how do you do it? What kind of breakfasts do you do? Do you do the whole lunch for them?

My concern is that they are buying crisps and other junk or their friends are getting it for them....
I thought if I did breakfast for them (whatever that ends up being!) and made a sandwich and put lunch together for them, then I would know they are eating enough....though what do I do if they eat 'rubbish' as well?

Also, as this is going to be a 'new thing', how do I broach it with them?

lamplady

For my teens I have a little chart on the wall of sandwich fillings and other items for lunchboxes - in columns and they can choose one thing from each (fruit, savoury snack, sweet snack, dairy item). I keep the extras in 3 tupperware boxes either on the counter or fridge, so they just have to grab what they want, and I try to buy or make things that come under 10p a portion, so I keep reigns on cost. On Friday, my teens all get £1 for chips as their Friday treat - which I think keeps control while allowing them some freedom.

I think teens will eatsome rubbish whatever plans you put in place - banning it will only make them rebel in other ways or later, so all you can do is offer a good choice and keep the lines of communication open enough that they respect what you have to say.

HariboJunkie

FrankieM wrote: »

Thank you HariboJunkie...
So, how do you do it? What kind of breakfasts do you do? Do you do the whole lunch for them?

My concern is that they are buying crisps and other junk or their friends are getting it for them....
I thought if I did breakfast for them (whatever that ends up being!) and made a sandwich and put lunch together for them, then I would know they are eating enough....though what do I do if they eat 'rubbish' as well?

Also, as this is going to be a 'new thing', how do I broach it with them?

Breakfast is porridge which I soak in milk the night before so it just needs nuked for 4 minutes in the morning. The fruit bowl is on the table and they're encouraged to help themselves. I'll also offer them toast and HM jam. Alternativley I will make pancakes the night before and heat them through or do a quick scrambled egg on toast (again, prepped the night before).

I make lunches the night before and atm (my girls are 7) I do it for them. As they get older I will get more help from them. They already help me make yoghurt, jelly, fruit salad and the baking that they have in their pack ups.

As for broaching the subject I'm sure they'll be more than happy not to bother themselves. But keep encouraging them to pull their weight and use the opportunity to teach them as much about nutrition as you can and threatening them with talk of spots and fat bums if they eat rubbish behind your back.

sooz

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Breakfast is porridge which I soak in milk the night before so it just needs nuked for 4 minutes in the morning. The fruit bowl is on the table and they're encouraged to help themselves. I'll also offer them toast and HM jam. Alternativley I will make pancakes the night before and heat them through or do a quick scrambled egg on toast (again, prepped the night before).

Good grief you must be perky in the mornings
Currently I still have morning (afternoon and evening) sickness .....at 7 months :mad: .....so any cooking in the mornings is out, even the smell of someone else doing it.
However, even when not pregnant there is no way I could manage this.
Breakfast in our house is cereal, toast, whole fruit from the bowl, tea & juice or milk. That's it. Unless it's a civilised weekend breakfast, at a normal humane time like 10am.

pollys

My 17 year old at College gets her own breakfast, usually cereal. My 12 year old either gets a bowl of cereal but if he wants readybrek I make it along with his 10 year old brothers. Little one (6) has porridge (made by me) or toast also made my me.

They all have school/college dinners except the little one I put him a packed lunch up. If the older ones need a packed lunch for a trip out or something I make it for them.