Do you always put a note in your child's lunchbox? I need some ideas.

[skygoddess]

My kindergartener complained to me the other day that I don't put a note to her in her lunch box. I was surprised -- is this a regular thing in school for moms to do? I don't remember my mother giving me notes.

So I sent one the next day saying something like "Hi, DD, hope you are having a great day. Love you, Mom." Now I'm stumped about what other things to write without repeating endlessly. I'm curious what other moms write and would love some inspiration!

Thanks!

[Jenny_A]

I do, but my child is 3. She goes to preschool twice a week and goes to "lunch bunch". I have a stack of paper that I cut up into small squares and I draw her a picture and stick it in her lunch. I'll draw anything - stick figures of all of us, flowers, sunshine, boats, rainbows, etc... She LOVES it!!

My Mom did notes in my lunches and I kept them all. She would do them on index cards and she would list all the people that loved me (she would then list all our pets and silly things like that). I remember feeling really special and loved just because she did that. In High School she would pack orange tic-tacs because I really liked those or a small candy. Just anything to let me know she thought about me.

Let's see, here are a few more ideas:

a sheet of stickers cut up. Put in one sticker each day.
a Hershey's hug or kiss
Fortune cookie (my Mom did this. You can buy them at the Grocery Store)

That's all I can think of right now. Again, it's more the thought behind it that makes it special!

Jenny

[Jenny_A]

Here's also a list of some things to say on a note:

"Have a great day!"
"You are so loved!"
"I miss you!"
"Eat a good lunch today!"
"I'm thinking about you!"
Get a joke book and write jokes or knock knock jokes
Do a puzzle or riddle


I'll keep thinking.

Jenny

[BaileyBea]

Funny you should mention this. I got in trouble last week by the teacher at my daughter's MDO for not leaving notes. Everyone else gets them but my Daughter. She let me know it. I felt awful and I came home and ordered special stationery for her lunchbox notes. I did send a few previously to mark important days and things we did the day before etc.. I sent her one when Obama was elected. but I haven't sent one in a long long time.

Nancy

[squimp]

Good grief, who needs that guilt trip from a teacher! I think the lovely lunch I made should be a good enough representation of the love I feel for DD. But then my DD couldn't care less - I used to send notes, but she had no interest - she's too busy chatting.

But to the OP, you might ask her a question, like who she sat next to, or what her favorite food was, or the funniest thing that happened. I saw a prepared note in a magazine - must've been WonderTime or Family Fun. I'll try to find it and post the linky.

[MontrealMum]

My mom used to put a note in my lunch every single day. Even through highschool I think. She also puts a note in my luggage. The notes didn't say much, but it always made me feel very special and loved. Sometimes she'd put stickers in too, or a small stuffed toy as a treat. I think I was the only kid with notes in my whole school at the time, maybe that's changed, but I wouldn't feel bad that you're not doing it---I don't think it's the norm. The lunches themselves were the quintessential cruncy-granola-70s variety (my mom was way ahead of her time), so, no candy or anything exciting like that :) The real fun started when my grandma started sending me beefcake postcards and lacy panties in the mail when I was in college...and we all opened our mail in the dining hall in front of everyone!

[kijip]

Ok, I am a delinquent mama I guess. I figured the delish lunches were love enough, LOL.

Excitement in T's lunch is a cookie or Superfood juice instead of milk or water.

That said, notes sound like cute/fun idea.

[Staraglimmer]

I got a note from my grandmother every day. (Yes, she made my lunch, even when I was in college) (She also still makes my dad's...I think it makes her happy :))

Anyway, she always wrote that she loved me. She would draw little pictures. She would also write things like,
"I can't wait until this weekend when we go to the park."
"12 more days until we go to Disney World"
"Last year this time we were in Florida"
"Remember when the swing broke and we all fell down"

Draw and eye, a heart, and the letter u.
Maybe write a joke that she likes?

I know these are mostly for an older kid, but I thought they might help :)

[Wife_and_mommy]

My dd is not reading yet so I started drawing a hand signing "i love you" followed by , ____.

I also use cookie cutters on her sandwich. She's been getting hearts the last couple weeks. She loves that. :)

[urquie]

i use a thick, colored sharpie and draw a picture on dd's paper napkin with a few words. if her napkin comes home with her, and it's clean, she gets the same one next time. :)

- a heart with her name inside.
- a sun with "you are my sunshine"
- a heart with the letter i or an "eye" in front and a letter u or 'you" on the other side
- a sheep with "i love ewe"
- a flower with ??
- what ever she requests... a witch, princess, bunny, frog, butterfly
- or dd draws her own pic :)

[tny915]

Thanks for asking this! I'm bookmarking this post for ideas. DD's in pre-K and gets notes in her lunch whenever she joins the lunch bunch. She's the one who asked us to give her notes, after getting sad seeing other kids with notes. DH is responsible for lunch-making and note-writing, and I think he'll appreciate some new ideas.

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

Ummmm-nope. Never have.

[happymomma]

DS has lunch everyday and I've never sent in a note. I am usually too busy packing his lunch. Plus he usually has a hot lunch so I am busy cooking it in the morning. I don't think the other kids in his class get notes but that really sounds like a cute idea. I think I might do that sometimes to liven up his day. Especially now that he is learning to read it would be great to put in short notes or jokes.

[egoldber]

I do, but I don't particularly enjoy it. But now she expects it and I feel a bit stuck. I started doing it when she started first grade at a new school. I did it 1) to cheer her up because she was having such a hard time and 2) she had an erratic pick up schedule (some days bus, some days parent pick up, some days she stayed after school for a class, etc.) and I used the note to remind her what her to expect at the end of the day.

Her notes are in the vein of....

Have a great Monday!
Have a Terrific Tuesday!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday!......

Obviously I am not very creative but she doesn't seem to care. The few times I have forgotten she was actually a little upset. I have talked to her about not doing the note anymore and she gets upset, so I have nixed that for now.

I have to say that since I stopped trying to be creative and just started scrawling "Have a great Monday! See you at the bus stop! Love, Mom :heartbeat:" I have stopped resenting the note so much.

I just write it on her paper napkin.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Dh liked to write a joke for ds sometimes or cut out the note in a fun shape. We did a note everyday last year but have really slacked off this year.

Beth

[JenaW]

I do (and in DH's lunch too) but certainly NOT every single day! I don't want it to become something they expect (and feel hurt if I "forget" that particular day). I probably end up doing it a few times a month. With DH, it is usually corny - for instance in today's lunch (made last night) I drew a pic of two stick figures in a tree and wrote "K and J sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g!" We were sitting too far apart for our lips to actually be touching, so I made a joke of that too, as we are currently abstaining as I am in my fertile period (sorry if TMI). If I make DH a sandwich, I also take a small bite out of the corner. The first time I did it I put a little sticker on top of the tupperware over where the bite was and wrote "quality control" on it. Now that has become a running joke too and he gets "upset" if I do not taste-test his sandwich. It also makes for interesting conversation at work. "What?!?! YOUR wife DOESN'T taste test your food? How do you know it is safe to eat??"

With the kids, C and M are learning to read so I try to keep it something simple that they can sound out. I also put in stickers and small treats on occasion also.

J

[Ceepa]

There are actually a number books about this, even some that have tear-out notes to use. Good for ideas. Check out your library, too.

I did this when DC started at a new school but don't do it often now.

[Melaine]

It's sad that you would be given a guilt trip about not doing this by a teacher....who knew it was "mandatory"?!

[Corie]

My mom used to leave me notes in my lunchbox. And I do it for my
daughter too.

My notes are more funny. Little inside jokes that we have. No one
else would have any idea what they mean. :)

[ett]

What a cute idea. It's never occurred to me to send notes in DS1's lunchbox. Though not something I think I could do every day. Maybe a couple of time a month. I don't know if other kids get notes. DS1 has never mentioned it to me before - the only thing he's asked me concerning lunch is how come I don't pack cookies for dessert because so and so got one!

[deannanb]

I had bought some lunchbox notes that just needed to be put in DS lunch - I'm not at home now to see if I have any left (to find the name) - buthere are some links for some

the other thing I do is write a bunch at a time on a 3x5 card so they are ready for the lunch - sometimes they say the same thing.

http://www.kidslunchboxcards.com/default.asp?id=638

http://printables.familyeducation.com/forms-and-charts/lunchbox-notes/51404.html

or how about these when you have EXTRA time?? =)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetypejunkie/sets/72157603685330973/

[hellokitty]

For readers, I think it would be fun to include a joke or poem sometimes to mix it up. I remember one of my friends always got little notes from her mom with her lunch and being soooo jealous of her. My mom would never in a million yrs think of doing something like that.

[sste]

Why don't you compromise with a note once a week and an extra-special note on holidays? Parents are busy these days and if you are not one of those people who enjoys note writing (I wouldn't be either) then downsize it. I am sure your child can only benefit from learning to digest on her own four days a week without your written love and positive reinforcement!

[Ladybug47]

My mom used to draw on my lunch napkin every day in grade school. They were plain, white napkins that she'd fold in half and then draw a Snoopy character or cartoon on. I guess she had a few Snoopy cartoon books that she used as her source. It was always very entertaining, and I remember showing them to my teacher every day of first grade, because she got a kick out of them, too.