Before Caleb arrived, I was already feeling the need to make my kitchen a little more efficient. It's pretty efficient when I'm in it (I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm kind of a whirling dervish when the need arises), but my kids getting to the age and our family is getting to the size that they are going to need to be a little more self-reliant and less expectant that I wait on them.
Snack time is when I saw this in particular. Coming off teaching, chasing kids into the dining room, pulling things out of cupboards, finding an alternative for the inevitable kid who doesn't like what everyone else is getting (or dealing with the pouts because they won't be catered for)...ugh. They would be more than happy to help themselves, of course, but between the horrible mess they'd leave behind and the knowledge that most of my kids are not graced with much self-control (dreadful gluttons, all of them), I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
I truly think my solution must have been a divinely-inspired, and so I thank God for The Snack Bucket.
I got a bunch of snack bags and put a different type of snack in each: raisins, goldfish crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, cashews, etc. Then I found an empty 5L ice cream tub, labelled it, filled it with snack pouches and stuck it in the pantry.
Now, when it's snack time, one kid runs and gets the bucket, they pass it round the table and each take their pick of what's available, and back it goes. Everyone gets what they want (within reason) and we reuse and refill the empty bags for next time.
It's such a little thing, but this has been so helpful! I reckon it could easily be adapted for the fridge to store sliced fruit, yogurt, and applesauce cups. Even my husband, who has endured many of my weird-and-wonderful schemes, has complimented me on my excellent idea. :)
What's a good snack I can add to my bucket? What does snack time look like at your house?
2 comments:
We usually do a mix of pretzels, raisins, and chocolate chips. While eating their snacks we listen to our Classical conversations cd. The boys have started preparing the snacks, or at least getting out all the bowls/snack items, but I really like your idea!
This sounds almost exactly like we've done when properly prepped (ie done the necessary shopping).
Joel packed about 10 snack bags each of Cheezits, goldfish, pretzels, and chips so that he has a variety to choose for his daily lunch. Sarah filled little portable lidded cups with applesauce, mandarin oranges, and Greek yogurt .It works so well and mom isn't micromanaging all the decisions that, in the course of a day--applesauce or oranges?--just don't matter enough to make a stink about!
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