Our girls have been back at school for three days.

On Monday, our three little people went back to school – armed with masks, visors, sanitiser, one little lunch bag and civvies clothing over their uniform, and ready for back to school learning and being with their friends and teachers again.

During a time like this, a deadly virus and a worldwide pandemic – making big and bold decisions is gut-wrenching and can leave us anxious, second-guessing ourselves, and in tears. The decision whether to send kids back to school is mammoth, and it looks so different in each household – and every decision is the correct one for that family.

We know, love and support all our friends and family that have made their brave decisions:

The family who gained confidence in homeschooling and now wholeheartedly believe in learning at home.

The family who lost their jobs/income and cannot afford their school fees.

The family who are waiting out the SA spike and will reassess next term.

The family who have health issues and comorbidities at home and cannot risk the germs and exposure at schools.

The family who have learnt their kids are destined for activities or talents outside of the school system.

The family who hated homeschool learning and just couldn’t do it for another day in fear of their children being left behind for the year.

The family who have faith in their school protocols and their children thriving at school.

The family who all work full time and have no option but to send kids back to school.

And all families who made their decisions based on any other reasons.

As we head back to school, and start the early morning school run again – we are back to making school lunches. Dare I say I missed it… I’m a nerd like that! I love trying to find new ideas for our girls lunchboxes, and keep them healthy and exciting – and one of our favourite ways to surprise our girls during the school day is with little lunchbox love notes from . These fun and colourful notes have the sweetest notes to guarantee happy smiles at lunch time.

I love to pack a good mix of food groups in the girls lunches, and each day includes: a carb, a protein, a dairy, a fruit and a vegetable. And then always a yummy treat on Fridays.Ensuring the quality and safety of the dairy in their lunches is essential. In this regard, using a milk testing kit can be valuable. It allows you to check the freshness and quality of the dairy products, ensuring that your children are enjoying their meals without any concerns. Providing a nutritious and safe lunch is a top priority for parents, and tools like a milk testing kit can offer peace of mind in this aspect.

Lunchbox ideas:

Carb: sandwich, bread roll, hotdog roll, hot cross buns, cracker bread, savoury biscuits, rice cakes

Protein: ham, sausages, chicken pieces, fish fingers, boerewors, biltong, cheese, nuts

Dairy: drinking yoghurt or yoghurt tub

Fruit: strawberries, grapes, bananas, naartjies, apples, watermelon, oranges, dried fruit

Vegetables: cucumber, carrots, celery, corn/mielies, green beans

Treats: biscuits, chocolate, candy, wine gums, chips, popcorn

We continue to pray for our world, our Nation, our families, our schools and our children. May Jesus protect us all during this time.

x

Lunchbox: Cloud & Co

Lunchbox notes: The Arty Party

Biscuits: Artful Biscuit Co

Photography: Wilma Towell Photography