Ten questions to ask when you visit a preschool
Group size, a typical day, toilets, pickups and how teachers handle tears: what to look and listen for on a visit.
Healthy lunch boxes that come back empty
Small portions, familiar food and finger-friendly shapes work best.
Half-eaten lunch boxes are a common worry among our parents. After years of watching what comes back empty, our teachers and cook have a few suggestions.
Pack small portions. A preschooler’s stomach is roughly the size of their fist. A small box that is finished feels like success; a large one feels like a task.
Send food they already eat at home. School is not the place to try something new. Idli, small dosas, chapati rolls, curd rice or upma all travel well.
Make it easy to eat. Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces, roll chapatis, and avoid anything that needs two hands or a lot of chewing. Children have about twenty minutes and a lot to talk about.
Add one fruit or vegetable they like, such as cucumber sticks, banana or grapes cut lengthwise.
Skip packaged snacks and juices. Water is best in the bottle.
If a box keeps coming back full, tell us. Teachers often know the reason, from a friend who eats fast to a container lid that is hard to open.
