Dear FlyLady,

One of my biggest challenges with menu planning has been planning and packing lunches for my children (3 DDs, 5, 7 and 9) to take to school. I have tried having them help but in the past ended up doing it myself as we are counting down the last few minutes until the bus comes because we never established a good BBR and I didn’t have easy choices on hand.

I am a teacher so September can be like diving into an inviting lake but getting water up my nose! This September, I decided to add pack lunches as a habit right after dinner. In order to help my children be more independent, I made a quick hand written chart of their choices by nutritional category (grain, protein, dairy, veggie, fruit, etc.) I stuck it in a plastic page protector and hung it on the fridge so I can cross off choices I didn’t shop for on a given week or as they get used up. Then I am able to wipe it clean again each weekend.

We’re still not 100% for getting them made at night, but this simple chart has helped tremendously with my kids’ motivation and independence.

Thanks so much for all your help and ideas!

Fly baby Jen

Welcome to November – the Menu Planning month. All month long, we are going to learn how to plan our menus to save money and feed our families healthy. This will be a fun habit to learn and to practice.

If you have and recipes you would like to share or a testimonial about Menu Planning Let us know! Send an email to FlyLady@flylady.net with Menu Planning in the subject line.

We have everything you need to keep your home shining! Sometimes we need a little motivation. Our efficient tools give us a jump start! They make a tough job fun. If you make it fun; it will get done!

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