Easy and Delicious Tips for School Lunches

Preparing school lunches for children can be stressful. As a parent, you probably would love to send a healthy lunch, but you also may have to follow a strict budget. While it may seem cheaper to buy processed foods to throw into the lunch bag, you might be surprised to learn that you can pack a healthy and fulfilling lunch for your children on a very small budget. There are many different lunch ideas, and you can alternate what you provide your children, giving them a great deal of variety.

Fresh Fruit

Fruit is a healthy addition to any lunch, and it is relatively cheap. However, purchasing the fruit cups in syrup is expensive and contains many added sugars that may not be the best choice for your child. Instead, consider cutting up a piece of fresh fruit and placing it in a plastic container.

You can even make your own little fruit salad. This is especially effective if you would like to send apples, since apples brown quite quickly. Add a citrus fruit such as grapefruit or orange to the fruit salad to help prevent this browning.

Fruit Sauces

Many children love applesauce and will welcome its presence in their lunch boxes once in a while. Again, these can be expensive when purchased, but it’s rather simple to make your own. Cut up the fruits you’d like to use, such as apples, strawberries, and peaches, rinse them thoroughly, and throw them all in the blender. Get creative and discover what flavors your children enjoy.

Pasta Salad

You certainly don’t need to go out and buy a pasta salad full of fat and unwanted additives. Instead, you can make a healthy and tasty pasta salad in your own home. Start with whole wheat pasta. While your children may prefer standard pasta, once the salad has been put together, they really won’t notice the difference. After the pasta has been cooked and drained, coat it very lightly with olive oil. Add some basil and two or three fresh vegetables and you have your salad.

The best thing about pasta is that it’s very filling. Pasta salad can be accompanied by a roll and maybe a single cookie for dessert, and your children should find themselves full after lunch. When preparing the pasta salad, make enough to serve for two lunches, but don’t serve the same lunch two days in a row.

Snack Mix

Children love snack mixes. But the ones you buy are very expensive. Save some money and make your own, but make something a little different than what your children are used to. Start with a base of oats and nuts, and whatever else your children might like. Sunflower seeds tend to be quite popular with children, but make sure they’re hulled first.

Don’t add pretzels or cheese puffs or anything else that’s really unhealthy (and expensive). Instead, consider adding a fresh fruit such as a strawberry or peach. If you do want to add a fruit, cut it into bite-sized pieces and make sure it’s a sweeter fruit. Oranges or pineapples probably won’t go well with nuts, seeds, and grains.

Vegetable Salads

Even if your children don’t like the traditional iceberg lettuce and other assorted vegetables, you might be able to come up with a salad they will enjoy. Take a moment to think about what vegetables your children do eat on a regular basis. Do they love tomatoes? Maybe they prefer squash or spinach. Make a list of the vegetables that they will actually eat, and purchase only those vegetables.

Chop or shred the chosen vegetables, mix them gently, and place them in a plastic container. If your children like dressing, make your own with olive oil and some seasonings. If you want to add some protein, chop up some cold chicken to throw on top.

Wraps

Most children love wraps. And they’re so easy to include in a lunch. You can put anything you like in these wraps. Try chicken salad, sliced turkey, bacon, cheese, vegetables, or any combination you think your children will enjoy. One popular wrap includes cubed chicken, cheese, honey dill sauce, and assorted vegetables.

Leftovers

Did you have a dinner the night before that the children just loved? Is there any left? If so, consider sending it to school as a lunch. If the school provides a microwave, this is even easier, as the children can have a hot lunch. Alternatively, invest in a couple of high-quality thermoses. The best ones will keep the food warm until lunch.

If they don’t have access to a microwave, get creative and find ways to serve dinner cold. Slice up yesterday’s roast beef for sandwich meat. Chop up chicken to add to a pasta or vegetable salad.

Bagged lunches don’t have to be boring, and they don’t have to cost a lot of money. Use leftovers, look for healthy ingredients on sale, and try pack something different every day. Get the children involved in making their own lunches and they’ll be more likely to want what they find in their lunch bag.

How to Attach Gloves to a Child's Jacket

Children are notorious for loosing things. Their minds are moving so quickly from one thing to another that they simply cannot keep track of all their own possessions. This seems especially true of mitts and gloves. As a parent, you will have to find some way of helping your child to not loose his or her mitts, or you’ll be replacing them throughout the winter.

Luckily, there are several ways in which you can simply attach your child’s gloves or mitts to their jacket without much fuss. Usually, the age of your child will determine which method you use. For babies and toddlers, a permanent solution might be the best idea. You can actually sew a pair of mitts onto the child’s jacket. This method allows you to not only ensure your little one doesn’t lose their mitts, but that they cannot even take them off. This is particularly useful for children who often remove their mitts even in the coldest weather.

You can sew the gloves onto the sleeves of the coat by hand or by machine. Most sewing machines can handle heavier fabrics, including those used to make jackets and mitts. Alternatively, you can take the gloves and jacket to a seamstress or tailor and have them attached for you. Most shops will be more than happy to do so.

As your child grows older, you’ll want them to be able to remove their mitts, but still keep them attached to the jacket. An easy option is to sew the mitts onto strings which can be threaded through the sleeves and across the shoulders. This simple method allows the mitts to be removed completely from the jacket when necessary, and if you don’t like to sew, mitts can be purchased that already have a string attached.

However, keep in mind that a busy child may pull the string out of the back of their jacket and possibly wrap it around their own neck, presenting a strangulation hazard. When using this method, supervise your child constantly to ensure this does not happen.

For children of all ages, consider glove or mitt clips. These are inexpensive and sold at most retailers, usually alongside children’s gloves and mitts. Directions for attaching these items are usually included, but they are rather self-explanatory, even without instruction. They function very much like safely pins, opening and clipping onto the jacket at one end, the glove at the other. However, they are much safer than safety pins, and so are a better option. As they come in many different styles, you can allow older children to choose which style appeals to them.

When choosing a method for attaching mitts to a jacket, keep in mind both the age and needs of your child. While mitt clips may be the best option for many families, they are not appropriate for everyone. Use your own judgment when deciding which method to use for your own family.

Holiday Party Games for Children

At many holiday parties, there are children. These children need to be entertained as much as their parents do, but it’s not always an easy task. Instead of the same boring old games, try these exciting diversions to keep the younger crowd happy and amused.

Santa Says: This game is very similar to the traditional ‘Simon Says’. Simply have one player be Santa, and have him or her issue commands. ‘Santa says … sit down.’ ‘Santa says … hop on one foot.’ But if he doesn’t say ‘Santa says’ the children should ignore the command. Sometimes Santa will say ‘Santa says’ and sometimes he won’t, so this game makes children pay attention. The younger crowd really enjoys this game.

Fill the Stocking: Most children love relay races. For this game, the children may have to divide into teams if there aren’t enough stockings to go around. Each child has a stocking at one end of the room and a spoon. At the other end of the room is a bowl of candy. Children must take a spoonful of candy and race across the room, attempting to fill their stockings as quickly as possible. The first one to fill their stocking wins and everyone gets to take their candy home at the end of the party.

Christmas Freeze: This game is easy for even the youngest children. Simply play some Christmas music, have the children move and dance around the room until the music stops, at which point they must ‘freeze’ in the position they happen to be in. This game will result in much merriment and amusement.

Candy Cane Aim: Give each child five candy canes and have everyone gather around the Christmas tree. Taking turns, allow the children to toss their candy canes into the tree. The winner is the child who hooks the most candy canes over branches.

Gift Unwrap Race: Wrap up empty boxes ahead of time. At the party, give each child three boxes to unwrap, and place a garbage can at the other end of the room. The children must unwrap a gift, run to the other side of the room, put the paper in the garbage, and run back to unwrap the next gift. The first child to finish unwrapping all three gifts, and to get all their paper in the garbage, is the winner.

Trim the Tree: Didn’t have time to decorate your tree? Turn it into a fun game for children. The kids will love a chance to show off their creativity, and you’ll be saved the time and effort of decorating your own tree.

Make a Friend: Let the children decorate cookies shaped like people. Gingerbread cookies work well, but any kind of cookie will do. You could even go so far as to offer gingerbread houses for each child to decorate. Try to avoid having all children decorate one house. Small children especially may not be good at sharing.

There are dozens of other games that children would enjoy at any Christmas party. Many typical party games can be adapted for the holidays. The important thing is to relax, get creative, and have fun.

Treating Common Winter Ailments in Children

Kids get sick. It's just a fact of life, and parents just have to deal with it. As upsetting a fever or cough might be, a run to the emergency room or even to your doctor isn't always necessary. Many of the most common symptoms children experience through the winter months can be easily treated at home.

Fever

All kids get fevers. It can sometimes seem like your children have fevers all winter, especially if you have more than one child and they tend to rotate. Children certainly get fevers more often than adults, usually because they have less developed immune systems. If your child has a mild fever, a fever medication such as Tylenol or Motrin (appropriate for your child's age, of course). You can help your child feel better by giving them plenty of fluids and small amounts of easy-to-digest foods. Your child should also get plenty of rest and a humidifier in the bedroom might not be a bad idea.

Take your child's temperature regularly during this time. Taking the temperature orally is safest if your child is over four years of age. Under the arm is better for any child younger than four. If the fever lowering medication doesn't work, the fever persists, or the fever is unusually high, take your child to a doctor immediately.

Colds, Coughs, and the Flu

All kids get colds, most get coughs, and many get the flu (even if they've had the flu shot). These ailments are caused by common viruses, but being common doesn't make them any less irritating. Your child may expereince headaches, sore throat, sneezing, a runny nose, and general aches and pains. Many of these symptoms will abate with a little time, rest, and plenty of fluids. Some parents like to administer a medication designed to relieve these symptoms, but it's not strictly necessary. Keep the kleenex by the bed, serve warm foods that are easy to digest, and just be there. If your child is cold, get a blanket. If they're thirsty, give them ginger ale. In most cases, there aren't a lot of things you can do.

If the symptoms persist or get worse, a visit to the doctor is in order. And if your child is having trouble breathing, get to the emergency room. Breathing problems aren't something you should fool around with.

Though you generally can't prevent all illnesses, you can help your child cope with them. You can also teach your child to wash his or her hands frequently and avoid touching the eyes and nose. These practices will help prevent the spread of illness. Feed your child a decent diet and keep away from others who are ill. Prevention will help keep your child healthy and maybe even stop your child from contracting many of the illnesses floating around this winter.

You might also consider the annual flu shot if your doctor recommends it. My children don't get the shot, and they almost never become ill, but this is a decision for you and your doctor.

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