Lunch Lessons

Several years ago, I read in the Ensign a great idea! The author of the brief article described how there are a few minutes of complete child attention at lunch time (while they are eating), and how she used it to teach a small gospel centered message. Thus: Lunch Lessons!
Well, we have been doing Lunch Lessons ever since. We mostly use a picture from the Gospel Art Kit, but we have also shared a story from the friend, mom's personal experiences or other as it seemed apropos.
When my oldest kids started having lunch at school I bought the miniature artwork by Greg Olsen, Simon Dewey, Liz Lemon Swindle and others, laminated them and stuck one in the kid's packed lunch with a message written on a post it note. I usually write the notes as I make the lunches, but sometimes Dad writes them, and when Grandparents are in town, I have them write them! (It's so fun for my kids to find a note from Grandpa or Grandma in their lunch.)
I was asking Mc about lunch lessons last year to see if she was still reading them, and she said that her friends always asked what was on her lunch lesson everyday. Hmmm. Neat.
I have probably about 50+ artwork cards and 35+ scripture cards, but bought more this year, for variety---as there are 180 days of school and we've been doing this for years. But the hand written note is key. I know moms who write love notes on their kid's napkins in their lunch---it's like that!
If a kiddo is having a hard time, a special day, anxiety or you fill in the blank, you can acknowledge it on their lunch lesson. Truthfully, I hope it comes out like a hug for them in the middle of cafeteria chaos. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Have you been in a cafeteria lately?? Textbook for chaos--Sheesh!
Now I have a little box full of lunch lesson memos that we have written, in various handwriting from people who love my kids. It's good to have a team! I'm going to put a smattering of them on a scrapbook page for a taste of history and happy moments. Lissa and Mc have written love notes and a few lunch lessons for Dad's lunch too. Ahhh cute.
Bear asks me for 2-3 lunch lessons everyday. (I try to keep it only to 2, otherwise I don't eat lunch, but there are worse things I guess.)
Now, so maybe this is a mother of the year type of idea, but really, it's what my kids have learned that counts. Here's the clincher story of lunch lessons in my book...
When Bear was one, he had a week in which he had the flu. Yuckiness everywhere, constant clean up, holding, cuddling and etc. Well, by the end of the week, Lissa was feeling deprived of mom's attention and rightfully so. Finally, one day I had Bear down for a nap----PHEW--- and I looked at my little Lissa and said "I know---let's have lunch under the trampoline--just you and me!" Well that was just the right idea for her---her face lit up and suddenly mom was back! But over the next 1/2 hour as I was rushing around trying to put the house back together I saw how far I was behind in life. So I hedged the subject with Lissa. "Hey, how about we just have lunch in here today and..." , but I got no further as her face had fallen so dramatically, I knew I better keep my promise!
Well we had a perfect little kid lunch of open faced peanut butter and sugar sandwiches (yeah, not healthy, but FUN!) and big ol strawberries. When we were finally under the trampoline on our big red picnic blanket, I said "Oh I forgot the Lunch Lesson" and little Lissa piped up saying "mom, can you teach me about the two women with Jesus..." It was if time stopped for that moment and I knew Lissa was talking about the picture of Mary and Martha with Christ, we had actually recently had that one for a lesson. I knew in that moment that heaven was teaching me through my young child. Ahh the dilemma of Martha and Mary. Lissa was prepped through lunch lessons, but I was the one who was taught...