a little something.
When I was growing up my mom would get up long before the rest of us and make us a warm breakfast before school (and in high school, before early morning seminary).
I remember her with oatmeal cooking on the stove, pancakes going, and homemade maple syrup bubbling on the burner. Spread out around all that she would have our lunches lined up in a row as she would make an assembly line of sandwiches, putting carrots in baggies, and the occasional treat.
And everyday at school I would sit down at the lunch room table surrounded by my friends and there inside my lunch bag was always a love note tucked inside. Even when I was a senior in high school.
I loved those notes and the reminder that someone today: loved me, thought of me, no matter what was happening that day.
So now, although I don’t get up as early as my mom did and make a warm breakfast complete with french toast and strawberries, I try not to let a day go by, without including some kind of note in my own kids’ lunches.
Some Love Note Ideas:
*Quote movies. In our family, we all love Nacho Libre, Napoleon Dynamite, School of Rock. They all have some awesomely quoteable lines in them. So I’ll pick a quote and then sign it. I think it’s hilarious and so do they…
*Thank them for something they did to be helpful.
*Tell them one of your favorite things about them, their personality, helpfulness, ability to share, nurture, the way they like to learn, how curious their mind is, how much they like to cuddle, etc.
*Share a laffy taffy joke.
*If it’s going to be a tough day include a scripture or uplifting quote.
*Give a coupon: Today after school just you and I are going for a walk together.
*Write a coded message that feels like it’s for a spy. Write everything backwards or give each letter of the alphabet a number.
*Remind them of a great memory you’ve had together.
*Quote words of their (or your) favorite song.
I love writing little notes to my kids. I just use post it notes but if you’d like something extra fun, Jamie Schultz created some lunch box notes (I’ll be switching to these!) just for readers of A Year at the Yellow House. You can download them here.
And as an extra bonus Jamie also made this little poster [a free download from Jamie of This Lunch Rox] that can either be placed in an 8×10 frame w/a 5×7 matted opening or cut to fit in a 5×7 frame.
I love the quote on this sweet little poster:
“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up, to big differences that we often cannot see.” -Marian Write Edelman.
(Thank you, Jamie!!)
What kinds of things do you include in lunch box love notes?
Happy Love Note Writing,
Davina
**More LOVE 15 contest fun coming today. Yay! Make sure to come back here today for more prizes and giveaways.
7 Comments
I love leaving notes in my kids’ lunch bags! Always nice to have fresh ideas for those, too.
I know these are often more a burden than anything, but I gave you a blog award today on my site, Davina. I love your blog and wanted to share it with others. 🙂
Thank you so much, Wombat! How wonderful! You’re right, some mornings I feel like I’m picking my brain after the harvest of strawberries has long since been over…not a scrap of juicy-ness to give. I need to keep this list next to my own notes so I can remember them at 6:50am. 🙂
Hi Davina!! So glad you are doing this!! How inspiring!! I’ve left sweet comments on all facebook pages of your friends above!! Thank you for introducing them to me!!! Much appreciated!!!
You’re welcome, Charlcy. Thank *you* so much for participating and sharing LOVE 15 with everyone. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you liked best about your LOVE 15 Free day(s)! 🙂
I remember asking my mom to put notes in my lunch… I was so jealous of my friends who always seemed to have them. So she didn’t do it very often, but she definitely made more of an attempt after I brought it up, and I loved it. 🙂 I try to leave notes for the girls, too, but I’m thankful for this reminder because it has been a little while since I’ve done it.
And your mom sounds awesome. 🙂
Amy, I love that once you said something to your mom she really tried to give you notes so that you would know that she heard you and loved you. 🙂
Hello, I post new free printable lunch notes every day on my site, littlelunchnotes.com. Please take a look.