At what age do you think a child can/should begin making their own packed lunch?

[Earlybird]

Curious to know what others think....

[emkana]

[Northernlurker]

Well my kids take berries in a pot sometimes - but they're picked from Sainsburys and nobody in this house makes sushi! Respect to you barrel - that's hard core hands off lunch making!

[Fennel]

Takver, we have sliced bread for packed lunches and unsliced homemade for home and for me, so tjhere's no problem with slicing bread.

we get through lots of bread with 5 of us including DP who loves cheese sandwiches above all other food.

Mine seem to enjoy making their lunches, the 8yo who does it most is a keen cook and generally interested in food and eating. I don't think they see making their lunch as a burden. The 9 and 8 year old like to make quite a few of their own meals.

[Ixia]

I used to make mine and my Dad's lunch, from when I was about 8. DD is 4 and would love to help, I know I should encourage her, but I'm vile in a morning andd she's not much better - it would be a recipe for disaster.

[pranma]

Should by 14 but can help at any age

[ATortoiseisBetterThanABlackCat]

3 of mine have packed lunches. They help put bits in but it is quicker for me to make the sandwiches while they eat breakfast/get dressed.
DS1 12 has school lunches but i told him if he wanted packed lunch he will have to make his own.

[teameric]

My DS is 10 and has started to make his own packed lunch (although I always check it before he goes to school)
I'm just trying to get him to be a bit more resonsible for when he starts secondary school next year.

[brimfull]

Barrel - blimey!! They make sushi before school !What time to you get up?

[Takver]

I think I would make dd make her own packed lunches if she wanted them - which was always the deal for me as a child. As it is she likes the school lunches & I'm happy to pay for them so its ok. And I don't have to suffer mangled loaves or buy sliced bread. (Or indeed provide nori slices and sushi ingredients - maybe if I did packed lunches would become more attractive . . . )

[thedollshouse]

I think ds is more than capable (5) but we are always stressed and in a rush that letting him do would add to the hassle.

[pigsinmud]

Well I make packed lunches for all 4 of mine plus dh. I have an assembly line going. Would be bloody chaos if I had 4 children trying to assemble their own lunches!

[Barrelofloves]

I can't afford school dinners with 4 children and so we get up at 7.45am, they get the bulk of their lunch box made up the night before but the actual sandwich etc they say tastes soggy unless they make it on the morning.

You get a fair number of nori 'papers' from Sainsbury's for £1.50 and then we cut them into squares for the sandwich box. Wrapped with a squished lump of glutinous rice with tuna mayo inside and dunked in a bit of soya, hey presto! you have a highly delicious sushi roll.

We often make sushi for children's teas and they are always popular with both the children and their mums.