My kids can’t seem to agree on anything, let alone what to eat for their meals. As a result, I have given up making one lunch for all three of them. Instead, they each make their own meal. At times they even make their own evening meal when we Yo-Yo (You’re On Your Own) due to my piano-teaching schedule. My six-year-old obviously still needs help with many of her meals, but she is learning quickly, too.

Having the kids be responsible for their own lunches has not only relieved a lot of stress on me, but it has helped them become more independent. They’ve learned to make decisions on their own, to read directions (this, of course, is extremely important in myriad areas of their lives!), as well as the basics of cooking and preparing meals.

Of course one of the first things the kids learned to make was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (we switched from using grape jelly to grape jam to make the spreading easier for the kids). Then from there they moved on to deli-meat sandwiches. Since then, they’ve really branched out and are now quite comfortable in the kitchen at lunchtime. Beyond sandwiches, here are some of the things they do to prepare their lunches (and sometime Yo-Yo breakfasts or dinners).

I’d love to hear if—and how—your kids participate in their own meal preparation. Are there any special meals your kids particularly like to prepare? Leave a comment and let me know. My kids, I’m sure, would love to experiment with new dishes!

For more kitchen tips, vist Tammy’s Recipes.

**Make sure to enter our “Troublesome Turkey Tales†contest for your chance at winning some fabulous prizes.

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