It’s the night before the first day of school in our house and I am sitting with my swollen foot up (ladder issue still…who knew it was broken all that time!) and my kids are making their own lunches.  Can I just tell you how hard this is for me?!?!

When I was in high school and you asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would have said “be a mom.”  I like making cookies for my kids, I enjoy cooking them good food, I like searching Pinterest for cool ideas, and I generally like them – especially on “first days.”  (First day of school, and I am crying and can’t believe how old they are getting.  First day of summer and we are going to have all the fun!  Don’t ask about the last days…that’s a whole different story!)

I have always taken great care in packing those first day of school lunches, complete with a note.  (I like sticking notes in every once in a while…I don’t do it every day though…especially toward those last days.)  I like making sure they have enough protein and some fruit and veggies and its full of things they will actually eat.  So sitting while they did it themselves was hard.  I mean, really hard.  Those voices come in that say I don’t really care about them; that I am a horrible mother and their whole school year is going to be ruined now because I didn’t make their lunch.

See the lies creeping in there?  See how I have built up the Pinterest mom in my mind?  See how jacked my thinking can be sometimes?  Sheesh!

The flip side of this is that my kids wanted to pack their lunches.  They were excited about it!  It was exciting for them and that’s what matters.  My kids are growing up and they are able to do more on their own and I need to let them, especially when they want to!  And I am making this about me instead of them, what expectations I have for myself vs. what is fun for them.  We’ve watched a lot of Master Chef Jr. this summer and they want to make their own food.  Why is it so hard for me to get out-of-the-way and let them?!?

Bottom line, their school year isn’t going to be ruined because I didn’t pack their lunch on the first day.  It’s a memory for them, and one for me as well.  And I’m pretty sure they still love me and have never expected the Pinterest lunch box, ever.  I have 2 pretty great humans whom I love more than anything, especially when they pack their own lunch! 😉

So happy lunch packing, friends!!  Here’s to a great school year where we cut ourselves some slack and just enjoy all the things.