Lunch controversy

Packed lunch vs. Hot lunch? 

I've always been in favor of packing lunches for my kids.  In my eyes, its healthier, it's fresh, it's also more cost efficient and I know exactly what my little kiddos are eating each and everyday.  On top of that, Thomas has gotten a chance to pick out what he considers to be a cool lunchbox and thermos that he proudly toots to school each day.

 

Over the course of last year, there have been a few times where I have given Thomas lunch money to buy a hot lunch at school (I'm embarrassed to say that one of those times was because I ran out of bread to make a sandwich and I was extremely low on fruit... oops). Each time, he shared with me what he ate, what he liked and what he did not like about buying lunch at school.  It really never seemed to be a big deal at all...until this year.

 

Last week, he forgot to bring his lunch box home from school one day.  The following morning, when I went to pack both his lunch and my lunch, I remembered that he left his at school.  Instead, I left him some lunch money and a love note to bring with him that day.  I'll spare the details, but I will say that he put up more than a fuss with Hannah that morning when he realized there was no packed lunch for him to take.

 

Later that evening, after getting the full report on his fussing and whining, I asked him what was the big deal today with buying a hot lunch.  Let me review his reasons for NOT liking it at all:

• He doesn't like what the choices are.  Apparently he is not impressed with pizza and tater tots.
• More kids bring cold lunch.  Apparently he doesn't want to be singled out or not in the majority.
• When you bring your lunch, you get to go right to the lunch table and start eating whereas the hot lunch kids have to wait in a long line.  Apparently that also means more social time which he has always been in favor of.
• He really likes his cool lunchbox & thermos.
• He likes the surprise of opening his lunch each day to see what I packed him & to see what his note says.

There is however one perk to buying hot lunch - the choice of plain milk or chocolate milk... and he always picks chocolate milk. :)