LO is in Kindergarten this year. He did half day preschool so this is his first experience with eating lunch at school. Any tips for a kid who is easily overwhelmed when eating in a new place, worries that other kids will say his food is gross, etc?
We are doing bento style lunches with his favorites, small portions, and trying to make it fun.
cantaloupe / 6086 posts
I know this is always the answer but for my oldest it was time. She just had trouble eating at school for a while (and she had eaten at preschool 1 day a week). We did the same, bentos with her choice of food and sometimes it barely got eaten. As she came out of her shell and got less anxious in general it just seemed to help (also, I think she started to get more hungry!).
She had this hang up where she would worry that she’d get in trouble if she didn’t eat everything (just in her head, no one had said anything). So small portions definitely a good idea so it feels less overwhelming, or try using fewer of the compartments so the focus is simpler, or put more into packaged snacks for a time to have options against being hungry but not seem like part of the main meal. She would get worried and then end up not eating much at all, but playing with the lunch setup helped. Also we asked her teacher to mention she could just eat what she wanted.
I hope it gets easier soon, you’re doing the right things!
coconut / 8079 posts
@bhbee: thank you for your reply! It helps me to hear things got better with time. It’s hard not to worry when they aren’t eating much!
apricot / 364 posts
My daughter (first grade) has the same issue. She is just not used to eating on such a tight timeline. I give her a simple main (sandwich) and then a variety of other things in containers and reminder her it's most important to eat her sandwich and then pick and choose what she feels like for the other things. She says she doesn't have enough time so standardizing her lunch has helped so she knows what she's getting and doesn't spend time evaluating all of her options.
pomegranate / 3355 posts
I saw a post on a local page prior to school that might help. As pp's said i think it might be a time issue. The post suggested setting the timer at home (for the same amount of time they get at lunch time in school) when LO is eating in order for them to get used to it. It was suggested to practice it at lunches at home prior to school but maybe you could try it now and see if it helps at all.
coconut / 8079 posts
@hilary: we are doing something similar where he knows what to expect in the containers so he doesn’t have to think too much.
@Ajsmommy: I’m not sure if it’s the time limit or not but that’s a good suggestion
pomelo / 5621 posts
DS1 is in grade one and this is his first time eating lunch at school with limited time. I had thought bento style lunch would be easier and quicker to eat but turns out it wasn’t. He’s been doing good with a ham & cheese sandwich every day. Then a veggie or fruit to go with it. For his morning snack he usually has a cheese string and either fruit or a muffin.
Today he only ate half his sandwich but I gave him one extra thing in his lunch and he ate that first.
coconut / 8079 posts
@ALV91711: i wish mine ate sandwiches! today we did yogurt, berries, raisins, goldfish, one mini muffin and he ate almost everything. i think i just need to play around with lots of different options and give it time. i just get worried when he has several days in a row of not eating much. they do a snack but it's in the afternoon, almost right before they come home.
persimmon / 1130 posts
Like others have said, I wonder if it’s a time issue. I really don’t like how rushed kids are at lunch. DD1 is in kindergarten and still adjusting too. She’s gotten in the habit of eating her leftover lunch as a snack after school, either at home or at her sitter’s house, and that’s working. So far we’ve heard no complaints about her being hungry at school.
persimmon / 1479 posts
This was totally me as a kid! It got better with time. One thing I remember my mom doing was talking with my teacher. It was definitely something that I built up in my head.
coconut / 8079 posts
@winter_wonder: thanks for sharing your experience. i think it will just take him time. i may go and have lunch with him one day soon just to get a feel for things.
@LemonJack: that's a good idea to have your DD eat leftover lunch later in the day. i do think lunch time is often rushed in schools, which is of course not healthy. i looked at his schedule and they have 35 minutes for lunch listed on the schedule although I'm sure that may include walking to and from the cafeteria etc. that doesn't seem too bad.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
@jhd: our school gives only 20 minutes for 130-160 students to get in, get served, eat, and leave 
coconut / 8079 posts
@DesertDreams88: that's terrible! and especially when you think there are kids around the country who rely on those meals at school in order to get enough to eat each day. 
persimmon / 1130 posts
@DesertDreams88: Ours is the same. Technically their lunch is listed as 40 minutes, but 20 of that is recess, so they only have 20 to eat.
coconut / 8079 posts
Update: Totally just needed some time. He came running to me off the bus today screaming with excitement that I needed to check his lunch bag right now. He was so proud that he had eaten everything!
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