Bagged Lunches

[Mouse House Mama]

I make my DS a lunch to take to school most days. He decided this year that a lunch box (soft sided one like an adult would take to work) was too much work for him to bring home. So, we're using brown bags.

So, my creative Mommy gene comes out, and I started drawing something under his name each day to denote the season. Now, I'm not much of an artist, but I can draw simple things. Plus, inside his bag, his sandwiches have been in themed baggies. I find those at The Christmas Tree Shop.

He'll be 16 next month and he comes home all the time telling me how embarassing it is when his friends see his lunch bags. Never once has he asked me to stop, though.

I think he likes the attention, but he also likes that his friends know that his mother makes his lunch for him and that I think enough of him to try to make it special.
Today's bag had kisses drawn on it. His name was written in blue. The kisses were pink.

I bolded. So the rest of us who don't paint a Monet on our child's lunch don't thing enough of our kids? Really? Hmmmm.....I think based on that right there that you are doing this for you and not for him. YOU like that someone notices. He has told you according to your post that he is embarrassed by the lunch art. So cut it out! My kids are not even remotely close to that age and would be horrified if I was swirly lovey dooing their lunches like that! Now I do put notes in them occassionally but that is it. I do however think my children are very special and think more of them than anyone in this world.
Your son may not tell you directly to cut it out but it seems like he doesn't enjoy it. Hey look, we have all at one time or another thought we were doing something that our kids liked only to find out that they didn't want to hurt our feelings. I think that is what is going on here. He knows it is important to you and doesn't want you to feel bad. He is 16 not 6. You can still tell/show your child you love them in a million ways without them being mortified.

 

[ThePetLady7]

I can't for the life of me figure out why a mother would continue to do something her child has told her embarassess him unless it was absolutely necessary. Pink kisses?

 

[joviroxx]

OP, whatever my opinion might be, can you clear something up for me? What was the purpose of your post? To show excitement that your son lets you do this? To ask for advice because he might be embarrassed? Im not quite sure what your point was so I dont want to give an answer as I dont know what question or point you were trying to make

 

[msjprincess]

I make my DS a lunch to take to school most days. He decided this year that a lunch box (soft sided one like an adult would take to work) was too much work for him to bring home. So, we're using brown bags.

So, my creative Mommy gene comes out, and I started drawing something under his name each day to denote the season. Now, I'm not much of an artist, but I can draw simple things. Plus, inside his bag, his sandwiches have been in themed baggies. I find those at The Christmas Tree Shop.

He'll be 16 next month and he comes home all the time telling me how embarassing it is when his friends see his lunch bags. Never once has he asked me to stop, though.

I think he likes the attention, but he also likes that his friends know that his mother makes his lunch for him and that I think enough of him to try to make it special.

Today's bag had kisses drawn on it. His name was written in blue. The kisses were pink.

Yeah I'm sure his friends are saying, Wow, I wish my mom cared about me that much.

 

[Alesia]

So it would be okay if it was a 17yo girl? Is this the real fear - that she's somehow making a sissy out of her son?

No, it wouldn't. It has nothing to do with turning a boy into a "sissy" and everything to with not treating near adults like small children.

I'm fairly artistic, and I adore my husband, but I would never dream of drawing pink kisses on his lunch bag for everyone in his office to see; it would be embarrassing and unprofessional. I wouldn't be very pleased if he did that to me, either.

 

[Hannathy]

Yeah I'm sure his friends are saying, Wow, I wish my mom cared about me that much.

yeah me to I would be pretty willing to bet a lot that what they are saying wouldn't make it past the censors on the Dis board.


(let alone what the 16 yr old girls are laughing-oops meant saying!)

 

[Rora]

To me this screams sweet kid who doesn't want to hurt mom's feelings, but is desperately hinting for her to stop decorating his lunch bag like he was in kindergarten, because it is humiliating.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

 

[monkeybug]

My dad used to doodle on our lunch bags. Even in High School. *gasp*
He drew weird things though. Like robot dogs and hobbits. He was, and still is a huge nerd, but I love my nerdy dad, and those lunches are still a fond memory. I'm sure I got some good natured ribbing from my friends, but not enough that I stopped bringing my weird dad lunches. My brothers liked them too, and we still laugh about some of the more random ones.
Pink kisses on a 16 year old lunch do seem a bit like material for embarrassment, but at 16 if the kid didn't want them, he'd find a way around them. I mean he's 16! If he can't figure out an alternative to moms mortifying lunch bags (if they do indeed mortify him) with out Mom finding out, then he's got more trouble than pink kissy lips!
And who here wasn't mortified at some point by their parents?
Oh GAWD! I remember so, so many moments where I just wanted to dig a hole and hide for a month thanks to something my parents did.
My mom made me get that awful Dorothy Hammil cut!! The wedge!! I still cringe when I see photos!
They drove old cars. Old UGLY cars. Pea green volvo anyone?
My Dad would pull up to pick us up with the Moody Blues blasting. THE MOODY BLUES!! Oh Lordy!
My Brothers and I managed to survive their cruelty and go on to be some pretty darn confident people. In fact I wonder if them being who they were despite how "uncool" it was is part of why we are so confident.
Now we laugh until we cry when we remember Dad's bat man utility belt and pocket protector, and Mom's macramé purse. I'm so glad I had crazy embarrassing parents!

 

[justanotherdiser]

Is this another one of those dissertation 'research' threads?

But, if not, you are kinda coming across as the one who enjoys the attention, even if it is negative. After all, you started this thread to tell everyone what you do. Reminds me of my mom (and I'm definitely an adult). I drop hints, even outright ask her, to please stop doing certain things (super silly nicknames, baby talking to my 10yo DD, bringing up certain topics of discussion that are sensitive to me), and she just lets it go in one ear and out the other. Because it is was she wants to do. She doesn't put any importance on what I say b/c, after all, I am her child. Albeit adult child.

 

[goofy!]

OP, I am not being judgemental, but I'm just curious.

You stated that he doesn't want an insulated reuseable lunch bag because it's too much trouble for him to put away. Is it really that hard for him to put his bag away? It takes 5 seconds, tops

not if you have to trek across a large high school to get to your locker to put the bag away before your next class.

My kids always wanted/want brown bags just for that reason. Everything disposable so they could just dump it in the trash and not have to make an extra trip back to their locker.

Every last minute of free time counts whether it is for studying or just down time with your friends.

 

[Cinderella94]

not if you have to trek across a large high school to get to your locker to put the bag away before your next class.

My kids always wanted/want brown bags just for that reason. Everything disposable so they could just dump it in the trash and not have to make an extra trip back to their locker.

Every last minute of free time counts whether it is for studying or just down time with your friends.

I haven't used a lunch box since elementary school (I'm a senior in HS now). It's much easier to just throw a lunch bag away in the cafeteria than 1) carry the lunch box around all morning and 2) try to get to your locker after lunch.

 

[DisneyScraps]

So he's too old for a lunch box but not too old for little drawings on his lunch bag. I am sure they are all sitting around the lunch table making fun of the drawings. I can't believe that a 16 year old boy would like that.

Lisa

 

[scrapquitler]

He'll be 16 next month and he comes home all the time telling me how embarassing it is when his friends see his lunch bags. Never once has he asked me to stop, though.

I think he likes the attention, but he also likes that his friends know that his mother makes his lunch for him and that I think enough of him to try to make it special.

Today's bag had kisses drawn on it. His name was written in blue. The kisses were pink.

I used to do this for my daughter, but when she was in third grade she asked me to stop, which I did.

Forget the decorating the bag, I can't get over the fact that you don't have your 16 year old make his own lunch, or that he's even willing to BRING his lunch to school. (I don't know any high school students who would even be seen bringing lunch to school).

 

[tlbwriter]

You stated that he doesn't want an insulated reuseable lunch bag because it's too much trouble for him to put away. Is it really that hard for him to put his bag away? It takes 5 seconds, tops

I wouldn't make that assumption. Students at my daughter's school are not allowed to carry backpacks during the school day, so if your locker was on the opposite end of the building, you'd have to trek all the way over there and then to your next class, or else carry it with you.

 

[tlbwriter]

Forget the decorating the bag, I can't get over the fact that you don't have your 16 year old make his own lunch, or that he's even willing to BRING his lunch to school. (I don't know any high school students who would even be seen bringing lunch to school).

That might be a regional thing. Around here, bringing your lunch is a step above eating the cafeteria food (and a step below going off-campus for lunch). But we don't have the mall-style food courts in our schools.

 

[wvjules]

I used to do this for my daughter, but when she was in third grade she asked me to stop, which I did.

Forget the decorating the bag, I can't get over the fact that you don't have your 16 year old make his own lunch, or that he's even willing to BRING his lunch to school. (I don't know any high school students who would even be seen bringing lunch to school).

What do they eat? Our school has a closed campus and my daughter refuses to eat school lunches. All of her friends bring lunch. None of them buy lunch. Weird how it is so different.

 

[Cinderella94]

What do they eat? Our school has a closed campus and my daughter refuses to eat school lunches. All of her friends bring lunch. None of them buy lunch. Weird how it is so different.

Same here. We (me and my friends) would much rather bring something than have to wait in line for 10 minutes just to eat the unhealthy grease that passes as our district's school lunches. But that's another thread.

 

[BeefJerky]

Drawing on his lunch bag is pretty humiliating, if you need to send him a sweet message just write on his napkin or something.

 

[LisaR]

My dad used to doodle on our lunch bags. Even in High School. *gasp*
He drew weird things though. Like robot dogs and hobbits. He was, and still is a huge nerd, but I love my nerdy dad, and those lunches are still a fond memory. I'm sure I got some good natured ribbing from my friends, but not enough that I stopped bringing my weird dad lunches. My brothers liked them too, and we still laugh about some of the more random ones.
Pink kisses on a 16 year old lunch do seem a bit like material for embarrassment, but at 16 if the kid didn't want them, he'd find a way around them. I mean he's 16! If he can't figure out an alternative to moms mortifying lunch bags (if they do indeed mortify him) with out Mom finding out, then he's got more trouble than pink kissy lips!
And who here wasn't mortified at some point by their parents?
Oh GAWD! I remember so, so many moments where I just wanted to dig a hole and hide for a month thanks to something my parents did.
My mom made me get that awful Dorothy Hammil cut!! The wedge!! I still cringe when I see photos!
They drove old cars. Old UGLY cars. Pea green volvo anyone?
My Dad would pull up to pick us up with the Moody Blues blasting. THE MOODY BLUES!! Oh Lordy!
My Brothers and I managed to survive their cruelty and go on to be some pretty darn confident people. In fact I wonder if them being who they were despite how "uncool" it was is part of why we are so confident.
Now we laugh until we cry when we remember Dad's bat man utility belt and pocket protector, and Mom's macramé purse. I'm so glad I had crazy embarrassing parents!

I don't disagree with you at all. My parents embarrassed me all the time and I return the favor for my kids. For the poster that said it is cruel to embarrass your teens; come on! What the heck is the point of having kids if you can't embarrass them when they are teenagers. I take great pleasure in it!

I would absolutely put pink kisses on my kids lunch bag ONCE, as a joke, for the sole purpose of embarrassing them. We (the kids included) joke around like that often. However, the OP is not doing this as a joke. She is doing it with all sincerity. I think there is something very off about a mother that would do this to her 16 y/o son when he has specifically said it embarrasses him and you continue to do it because it makes you feel like a caring parent.

 

[scrapquitler]

What do they eat? Our school has a closed campus and my daughter refuses to eat school lunches. All of her friends bring lunch. None of them buy lunch. Weird how it is so different.

Closed campus at our high school, too. They buy stuff in the cafeteria. my daughter tells me that she usually gets either cookies, french fries or a smoothie unless they have pizza. Of course she eats lunch at 10:30 am, so she's not particularly hungry at that point. She eats an actual lunch at 2:10 when she gets home.