Lunch Time Prep!

Today is the day the Babywise Friendly Blog Network kicks off our monthly series: Tried + True Tips+Tricks!  Each of us will write a post about a given topic and then pin those post onto our Pinterest page! Also don’t forget to go here to enter the $50 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway 🙂

If you have a post about lunches that you’d like to share then please leave it in the comments section and I will be sure to Pin it on our group Pinterest account 🙂 Also be sure to check out our Lunches board for more lunch ideas!

I’ve done a post before about what I feed my kids for lunch. So today I thought I’d talk about how I go about preparing for those healthy lunches during such a busy time of the day!

Kye is at 4 year old pre-k this year but still gets home in time for lunch and naps. Britt and I spend the morning together just the two of us and go pick up Kye at noon when school gets out. This creates a bit of an issue because ideally my kids would be eating lunch at noon in order to get them in the bed by their 1:00 nap times! It takes a bit of adjusting but here is how I handle lunch time (which, btw, is THE craziest time of my entire day!):

• Britt will do her 30 min of movie time at 11:10
• I will start fixing lunch at 11:20. I have a good system down where I can make any of our lunch options within twenty minutes. If I need to heat something or toast something I do that first and while it’s in the microwave or toaster I fix everything else. I cut up fruit, replenish milk cups from breakfast, unwrap lunch vitamins for Kye, use pre-made vegetables from the fridge with dipping sauce, etc. 
• I also get my own lunch in the “ready to make” mode. I eat an omelet pretty much daily so I put out the eggs and go ahead and spray my egg pan to have it ready to go! I also go ahead and fix my glass of water…basically I have EVERYTHING as ready to eat as possible!
• At 11:40 we walk out the door to pick up Kye
• We get home at 12:20. The kids each grab their silverware, I pop a bib on Britt, Kye says the prayer and they are good to grub! I turn the stovetop on to start my omelet as soon as we walk in the door and I’m able to sit down to eat with them. 
• It’s important to me to enjoy meal times WITH my children. There are some days when it’s too crazy to make it happen but for the most part I eat when they eat. For every meal of the day 🙂
• After lunch I clean up while Kye gets ready for nap and then I clean Britt up and we all go to read stories, say prayers, and get in their beds! 
• Usually I’m a stickler for their schedules. Like down to the minute. However, I don’t want to be in a MAD RUSH right when Kye comes home from school. I don’t want to read so fast to them that my words run together. I don’t want to say a short, quick prayer so they can get in the bed at exactly 1:00. I want to ENJOY my time with them. Even if it’s the craziest time of the day, I still want to savor it as much as I can! So I’ve relaxed a little 🙂 Usually even with our relaxed mode, Kye is still down for nap by 1:15 (Britt is always put down to sleep first!).

I find that by preparing their meals in advance for lunch that everything runs much more smoothly. If we are out and about and won’t be home prior to lunch time then I will feed them something very quick and handy (pre-cut fruit from fridge, cheese stick, pbj, etc). 

I dread the day when Kye starts all day school. I know it’s coming and I just try to push it out of my mind! I know when he does go all day that I will most likely pack his lunch for him and that will be something I probably will do the night prior. Our mornings are already hurried with breakfast time and such and I can’t imagine adding fixing lunch into the mix! I hope when the time comes that I will be able to still give him healthy lunch options, even when at school!