Ahh, lunchtime at school; for some children, it’s the highlight of their day. For other children, it’s the school hour they dread the most. What’s lunch like for your child? Do you know who they sit with and what goes on? Is your child the loner, the victim or the lunchroom bully?
To find out, volunteer for lunchroom duty or talk to your child’s teacher. If your child is the one being left out, here are 3 things you can do to make lunchtime more bearable. You can also pack some love with lunchbox notes. They won’t make lunchtime perfect, but they can still add some sweetness to your child’s day.
1. Give Your Child Options
If your child is in elementary school, her options are more limited, but you can encourage her to look for other children who might be eating alone, or who might be open to her joining them. Encourage her to be proactive; instead of waiting for someone to join her suggest she approach someone.
If she’s allowed to bring a book to lunch, this can at least get her through the meal with a purpose.
If your child is in middle school or high school, perhaps they can spend their lunch hour volunteering for a teacher, and eat their lunch during that time. If they are allowed to leave campus, you can meet them for lunch or suggest nearby cafes or coffee shops where they may want to eat.
2. Make the Meal More Exciting
Even a miserable lunch period is more palatable with fun food. Find out what your child really likes to eat and pack it for him as much as possible. You can also make a sweet treat to help put a smile on your child’s face when they unzip their lunchbox.
3. End the Day with a Smile
Even if you can’t control the lunch hour for your child, you can give them something to look forward to at the end of the day. Before school, talk to your child about something you can plan; go for an ICEE™, run by the bookstore or visit a playground.
If your children are younger, plan an after-school play date with an old friend, or someone they’d like to get to know.
