The K5 - elementary education for parents

After a decade working in public schools, I have seen a variety of cafeteria scenarios, none of them a calm, relaxing space in which a child can eat their lunch.  So your son is not alone. The extremes are children who are told either told they cannot talk or it’s so noisy no one can think, let alone eat.  Then there are shifts of kids funneled through the cafeteria in which there are a limited number of minutes to eat, clean up and get out so the next group of kids can sit down.  And that’s not to blame the good people who work in the lunchroom. It’s a flawed system, at best.

Usually kids have about 10-15 minutes to eat lunch. It isn’t a lot of time, but it is a reality in many schools, both public and private, so this is what I would do to help prepare your child, whether they are 4, 5, 6 or older.

• Make it easy for them.  If you pack your child a lunch, make sure it is well organized and food is not going to be easily crushed, mashed or slimy when they open their lunch. This includes having a good lunchbox or bag. Click here for some ideas.
• Accidents happen.  Make sure they have a napkin (ideally cloth so it is reusable) so they can clean up any messes that occur.

• Practice.  This is important, especially if your child is having a hard time getting through their lunch or if they have never eaten in a school cafeteria.  On a non-school day, pack them a lunch. Then, eat together, either at home or have a picnic. Teach them the following: 

1.      How to unpack the lunch

2.     What to do when they are done with particular items

3.     How to open and close a juice box or thermos

4.     What to keep and what to throw away or recycle.

I hope this makes the cafeteria experience manageable.  As your child gets used to eating in a crowded intense situation, if they are able, it can become a comfortable and pleasurable time of the day if you teach them the skills listed above.