Summer 2022 has flown by, and we are knocking on the doorstep of the next school year yet again. This isn’t a post to convince you of all the fancy new things you need to buy, because truth be told, none of it really matters. This is meant to show you all the ways that you can prepare you, your child, and your child’s teacher for success this year and beyond. Please note the following suggestions come from my experience as a parent of neurotypical children, and may not be realistic or applicable to neurodivergent children with more complex needs. Consider this a starting off point to build on.
This morning I was just minding my own business, eating my breakfast, trying to encourage my kids to eat a bit quicker than the elderly sloth pace they’re accustomed to, when my 4.5 year old says she’s got something to show me. I tell her to eat her cereal before we’re late for an appointment, but she’s insistent. She whispers, “Mama, wanna see my testicles?” – Naturally, I choke to death on my cheerios and burst a blood vessel in my eye coughing. “Your WHAT?”, I asked her suspiciously. “Look – my testicles”, she says, putting the top of her hand under her chin and wiggling her fingers at me. “I’m an octopus”, she says with a smile.
SUPER grateful she tested that cool trick out on me first before we encountered an unsuspecting male out in public today to witness this.
On a scale of coma to Tom Cruise Couch Yelling, how awake are you when your daughter climbs into bed with you at 1:45am, wiggles her little spoon into your big spoon, gently starts stroking your cheek, and then quietly asks you, “Mommy, when our house burns down, can we buy a farm?”
Answer: Sonic the Hedgehog on speed, awake.
This Bento: Little Lunch Box Co Bento 5
carrots & cucumbers
peanut butter and blackberry sandwich (mom hack: if you’re watching your sugar intake, use fresh blueberries/blackberries/raspberries/strawberries in place of jam in sandwiches – the bit of sugar already in PB and other nut/seed butters softens the tart berries and tastes just as delicious).
apples & plums
hummus with Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joes
Can we just real talk for a hot minute? I was born in the mid 1980’s and grew up in the 1990’s and I have observed something about this certain subsection of adults now that not only applies to me but almost all my similarly aged peers. We all tend to have some really disordered eating habits. The generation whose parents raised us on “no leaving the table until you finish your plate”, and “treats are BAD”, and “if you’re good you can have a cookie” – all while themselves surviving on slim fast bars and meal replacement shakes and chain smoking cigarettes.
THIS. THIS is why I bento box for myself. It’s to combat 30+ years of using food as rewards and punishments, of not listening to my body’s intuitive cues of hunger and satiety, of restricting so severely binges are inevitable, and to silence the critics in my own head.
Bento boxes make me mindful – to choose a variety of healthy(ish) options in a portion controlled size. It helps me see all my food laid out, and take the pedestal off “I deserve this treat” items. It also helps me mirror what healthy eating habits are for my kids. It’s reasonable and sustainable. Can any of you relate to this?
This Bento (for me!): Little Lunch Box Co Bento 3
tortilla chips & homemade guacamole in an avocado shell (topped wih Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joes)
