School Dinners or Packed Lunch...

zippybungle

Hi,

Kids are back at School soon _party_ woo hoo!
My Kids used to have School Dinners, but in the evening they would want a cooked a cooked dinner again, and felt put out if I told them they were having sandwiches because they had already had a dinner! so I cancelled the School Dinners and now they currently they take a packed lunch.

However, I am now working 4 days per week, and often not back in the house till just gone 6pm. As soon as I get in I am pestered for food and can't get the dinner cooked quick enough. By the time dinner is finished it is gone 7pm and then home work and reading books, wash and bedtime. Then I have tidying up to do and if I'm lucky, sit down about 10pm

So, I'm thinking of starting School Dinners again and then sandwiches, Soup, Beans & Toast etc for when they get home. Then me and Hubby having Dinner in evening.

What do your Kids do if they have School Dinners?

EDIT: Should also add that 9 year old son has hollow legs and both Kids actually like School Dinners.

Zippy x

onlyroz

I switched to packed lunches because they are so much cheaper than school dinners. We typically eat at 6:30 - 7pm and I don't get complaints about being hungry (although my son gets a small snack around 4pm). I also think it's important to eat as a family, sitting down at the table together, rather than having staggered meal-times. It's often the only time of the day when the whole family is together to have a chat about their day.

I tend to make up the packed lunches while dinner is cooking.

Sammy85_2

At primary school we had school dinners and we still had a cooked meal for tea at home. It was because mum and dad insisted on a proper family meal, everyone ate the same thing and it was a good chance for a catchup on everyones day.

Secondary school we had a choice between enough money for a school meal or taking our own pack up. I used to have the money, buy chips and cheese for lunch and spend the rest on sweets on the way home from school! We still had an evening meal, good job really! lol

pigpen

Mine stay hot dinners and I usually do a cooked meal for everyone but it does mean I dont have to feel guilty if I give them beans on toast or soup or something lighter for dinner knowing they have had a cooked lunch.. with dessert! Mine also tend to have a sandwich or toast or fruit when they first get in from school.

Id have them stay hot lunches at school.. and do a stew or something in the SC or cook something quick.. pasta bake or pizzas for example.

Threebabes

Mine do both. I do find though when they've had school dinners they are ravenous when they come in from school. When they are on packed lunch they aren't as desperate. The evenings you are in from work could you not have a soup/curry etc ready just to reheat. Or how about a slow cooker.

Sammy85_2

I remember my mums slow cooker. Didnt matter what went in it in the morning, the same stew always came out in the evening. Was very yummy though and the toughest bits of meat always ended up tender and melt in mouth.

adamantine

my son does both. he has school dinners when there is something he likes (we get a terms worth of menus at a time) and when there isnt anything he likes (like today) i give him a packed lunch.

his school also does sandwishes for an option, 2 different fillings of a day.

i have a hot cooked meal everynight too.

how about giving them a snack for after school to tide them over till tea time? small sarnie or bit of fruit or whatever?

zippybungle

They go to an after School Club after School where they get a snack (toast, crumpets,hot dogs etc), but are still begging for food as soon as I pick them up, if I have a bag of shopping I am lucky to get into the kitchen with it before someone has grabbed something.

Zippy x

Sammy85_2

Are you sure they are actually hungry and not just begging for food out of habit?

I would have to question if they are really hungry after having lunch and a snack at afterschool club.

rachbc

My son always needs a snack after school on dinners or packed lunch. He's now on packed unches but even if he wasn't I like us to sit and have a family meal whenever possible. DD starts school in sept and will take packed lunches - when she was at nursery she would have a cooked lunch (often 2 helpings!), puudding, 'tea time' snack (cheese on taost etc) and STILL be ravenous for her evening meal when we go in at 6

Also if you cook twice, evne if one is beans, soup etc its still 2 lots of work and 2 lots of clearing up so I suspect would actually feel like more rather than less work

sooty&sweep

Hi

Both of mine are on school dinners, they have a snack when they get home, something like toast, houmous & pitta etc. I do then cook a meal mainly because I want them to eat what we're eating.

Jen