By: Sandra Ann Harris Founder, ECOlunchboxes July 24th, 2013

When my daughter was seven, I’d start each day optimistically packing her lunch with love and homemade nutrition. And then my bubble would pop when lunch returned home in a jumble with just a few nibbles eaten. These “lunch wars” ensued at our house for a few years, with me insisting she eat her lunch, reminding her that she needed energy to sustain her for the long school day, cajoling her for wasting food, etc. Sound familiar?

Then I got this brilliant idea to quit packing lunches and get out of the lunch business entirely. That would go for my son, three years older, too. So I threw in my lunch-making apron, feeling a little guilty about it at the time since all the other moms seemed to be doing fine with pleasing their little munchkins at lunchtime. But the tug-of-war over lunch at our house was officially over.

I suddenly had time in the morning to shower and do my make-up and actually put on real clothes (instead of just sweatpants) and there was a lot less yelling during the morning routine – and when the kids came home. How did I do it? I taught the kids to pack their own lunches.

Read and download my ten tips for teaching kids to pack there own lunch here.