Hate making packed lunches for school...?

[heartbroken22]

Any advice? Child doesn't have school dinners either

I'm sick and tired of stuff not being finished. It makes me feel like a rubbish mother.

What do you usually put in them, and what’s not getting eaten?

How old?

Mine have made their own (under supervision at first) since they were 8/9. So picking from various options each day (sobsandwich/wrap with what filling, what fruit, what salad, what biscuit etc)

I got mine involved. I had tubs of things they could choose from. I was doing 4 kids though, so it was a production line.

The older ones made their own sandwich or took one from the freezer ( no veg- peanut butter, cheese, marmite, ham or whatever).
Then a frozen juice box, a mini cheese/yogurt, piece of fruit, treat item (jelly, raisins, biscuit etc). Little trays of each kind of item and they chose one of each. Soon became an easy routine, and they tended to eat what they had chosen.

Tweak it to suit the age/food requirements of your family.

If it helps the school dinners get binned too a lot of the time

The children are desperate to play and eating gets in the way.

Just make a rota and stick with it. It doesn't need to be different and interesting. Expect the fruit to return each day uneaten. The travelling apple is a well known meme.

I make it as easy as possible.

Always have a box of wrapped cheese sandwiches in the freezer - chuck it in a lunchbox in the morning and it'll be defrosted by lunch. Also homemade mini pizzas (I make a few every time I make pizza!), and carrot + zucchini muffins. Means I don't have to put together the main every day!

Yoghurt tubes, apples, bananas, tangerines, granola bar, Babybells, little soreen loaves, breadsticks, pre-portioned hummus pots, veggie crisps, everything round here is pre-wrapped/ready to go. The mini individually chopped fruits from Tesco (melon/pineapple) do well and are like 50p.

I have a child who has autism and sensory issues around food and who never ever branches out- ever.

He's 14. He gets a white bread ham sandwich every day. Plus a bag of mini cheddars. Plus the famed stunt apple that goes back and forth until DH eats it on Saturday morning before he takes them swimming.

I leave my actual nutrient planning for dinner. For lunch- whatever he eats is Good Enough.

How old is dc? Mine made theirs the night before from about aged 7/8. They refused to have school dinners, so in that case they can make their own. I’d stand and watch them do them do no rubbish went in them.
They’re teens now so either make it in the morning or get something at school, especially if they have lots to carry they’ll have school dinners on that day.

@evhead sometimes it the fruit that's not eaten or the yoghurt or cheese sandwiches. Veg is never eaten (carrots etc).

@TickingAlongNicely she's 7. If I give less she'll eat it but then it's embarrassing giving 3 things and I feel like she'll think she gives me so less