Graphic by Camila Solorzano
While this may lose me some coolness points, my parents still pack my lunch. Since I was young, it has been routine for my parents to pack a PB&J, and even now the routine persists.
A parent’s instinct to provide for their child is expressed in many ways, one being the preparation of food. Many parents pack lunches throughout their child’s elementary and middle school years. The question is, when, if ever is an appropriate time for a kid to start packing their own lunch?
Some parents believe a child packing their own lunch will encourage responsibility and maturity. Other parents may take pleasure in packing their child’s lunch, and mediating the food being packed. Development into an independent adult is not hindered by having a parent pack your lunch, and there are many other ways to exercise responsibility.
Having parents available to pack my lunch on days that I’m not eating out is convenient for many reasons. I get to sleep in, and save my money by not eating out every day. High School is about the transition from childhood to early adulthood, and having a parent pack your lunch may appear as a setback in maturity. But a family is about mutual care and acts of affection.
So while admitting that your parents pack your lunch isn’t exactly the coolest statement, it is not a luxury I’m willing to give up, just yet, for the sake of feeling independent. So when should parents stop packing their child’s lunches? I say as long as parents are willing, milk it for as long as you can.
