To ask for your advice about making it all fit?!

[StopThatCat]

One DC is in nursery around the corner from my office. Second DC is in school 15 miles away. I leave work at 4.30, pick up small one, then over to pick up big one. By the time we get through the traffic, we don't get home until 6.45pm. Small one eats supper at nursery but big one only has a snack at wrap around care, so is starving by the time we get home. They end up arguing in the back of the car as they are both tired and grumpy, and tbh, I've had enough!

I think I'm going to need to pack a lunch box for them to eat in the car on the way home. I don't like the idea of them eating on the run, but I can't leave work any earlier and the traffic is a nightmare! Big one eats a cooked lunch, so it can be sandwiches etc. But I'm worried about them sitting in a lunch box all day.

Anyone have any suggestions about what I can make that will keep fresh all day? Or another way to make things work? I work in an office but am often out at meetings, so couldn't put anything in the fridge on some days. I can't stop and get anything on the way as timings are tight already and I'm worried about not getting to school before wrap around closes.

The long term plan is to move school but that won't be until Easter, so I need to make things work. The dark nights are going to make it a feel a million times worse!!

Could you put one of those freezer blocks/ice packs in bottom of lunch box.

Pasta or couscous based salads, possibly in a light vinaigrette? Although couscous in the car sounds like a messy nightmare, thinking about it. Crackers and cheese and veg? Use a coolbox in the car?

I send my oldest to college (SN/autism) with her lunch in one of those small insulated lunch bags, with an ice block closed inside a food bag, so nothing gets soggy and it keeps cool for longer. The block is still cold when we get home @ 4.30

Ok first things first- what equipment do you have or are you happy to buy?

For example, do you have ice-blocks, a cooler box, lunch flask (not a "tea flask" but something into which you can put cooked pasta, stew etc.).

I have fond memories of being collected from school by my mum and having dinner en-route (family duties).
She usually had a lovely stew which benefitted from being in a flask with all the ingredients melding together.

Pitta breads, cut in half and they make great little pockets so food doesn’t fall out.

Pieces of chicken or cheese in a tub.

Chopped up strawberries and grapes (obviously cut grapes in half) in a

Some of the healthier versions of biscuits/bars.

A jumbo snack a jack.

These are all great ideas! I was dreading someone telling me my plan was terrible and I was being an awful person for suggesting they eat in the car!

There are not enough hours in the bloody day!!

I have ice blocks but could do with getting new, small insulated lunch bags. Big DC always has cooked lunches, so never really needed one before.

My kids have always loved to have a packed tea in the car. We used to do it once a week to fit in various clubs.

Definitely ice blocks and any variation of sandwiches and anything else they'll eat.

You’re feeding your children. That’s the main thing! Screw what anyone else thinks. So many people are obsessed with a hot meal every day, when all they need is just food. It can be fun for them as they try to guess what’s in their lunch, before opening it up.

You can even buy cheap trays for them.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snack-Baby-Car-Seat-Table-Kids-Play-Travel-Tray-Safety-Waterproof-Drawing-Board/113852558764?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3De09cc27a810f4454928c0b912809cbbf%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D30%26sd%3D263464816024%26itm%3D113852558764%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2385738&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

I know Tesco was doing a whole range of lunch bags, but not sure if they’ve much left.

Make sandwiches the night before, freeze them. They will defrost in time to eat. I used to do this myself.

I'd make flapjacks or banana cake and give them a chunk with a bag or marmite rice cakes or something.

I'm just thinking about all the food that will get dropped and squashed and what is least likely to go mouldy and stink

Peanut butter/jam/ Nutella sandwiches, crackers,fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts depending on older childs age, yoghurt tubes, .. Frozen bottle of fruit shoot water ( or any other drink) in sandwich bag with the food will keep it all cold and be a nice cold drink at the end of the day too.

Great suggestions and I second the ice pack.... but why not pack the extra food (with ice pack) in the big ones snack? So instead of a snack at after school club they get a sandwich etc?

Slightly off track, read a tip the other day. If your kids are eating in the car.
Put a sheet over the seat + floor.
crumb catcher easily washed.

Sometimes I freeze pouches of Capri sun or yogurt tubes and put those in to keep the other food cool, insulated lunch bags, keep in your boot during the day - stays loads cooler than in the car.

Not cocous in the car, I've tried that!
Our school had a little parent area where lots of people fed dc between activities including myself.
Sushi is portable and balanced.
Soup in a flask.
Pittas.
Dahl and flat breads.
Chicken skewers and tomatos
Rice cakes, hummus and carrots
There are lots of possibilities

I had lunch bags that you froze overnight. Fantastic

Freeze frubes and bottles of water, and use them as cool packs.
Also, use a proper cool box/bag in the boot. In winter when it's properly cold it'll keep the food from freezing

Just to come at this from the other angle, is a childminder an option so eldest would get dinner there instead????

Get an insulated lunch bag. Freeze their water bottles or juice boxes and pop them inside, or freeze some Frubes. They’ll keep the bag cool and give them something to drink. Bread sticks, cucumber cut into big chunks rather than sticks, carrots cut into 4 rather than thin sticks, sliced pitta, bags of dry cereal (mine used to think a bag of Cheerios was a treat!), boxes of raisins, a pot of plain cold pasta shapes from last nights dinner), an apple or pear.

I was also going to suggest keeping the packed lunch in your boot. If you have access to a microwave could you warm up pasta before leaving work?

If older DC is in after-school club, is there an option to take a packed tea into school in the morning, for it to be refrigerated during the day and for DC to eat this instead of (or as well as) the snack? Then would be fed by the time you collect at 6.45pm.

Sorry, just reread your OP and realise you get home at 6.45pm not pick up! Anyway, DC would still have plenty of time to eat a packed tea before you arrive.

Fruit too