If you have more than one child, you may be facing the same problem I’ve been having. I buy a package of snacks, and before I know it, it’s empty. One of the children, at least one, will exclaim that she did not get any of the snacks or treats. With four kids, it’s tricky keeping snacks in the house, let alone making sure they get divided up evenly.
Then one day, I was inspired. Actually, I was half-joking when I said I was going to purchase each child her own container and label them then divide the snacks and treats up between their containers. I laughed as I said, “And, remember, you’ll only be allowed to get into your own container. No snagging stuff from your sisters’ boxes!”
As we joked about it and the kids invented crazy schemes for how they would raid their sisters’ stashes, it hit me that it would really be a good idea to do just what I had stated.
There are some great containers available too. Tupperware, Rubbermaid, and several other brand names come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, and there are plenty of inexpensive generic options available as well.
So, if you have ever had the great snack dilemma in your home, you might also want to consider setting up snack packs for your kids. Let each child label and decorate his or her container, put it where your child can reach it (or not, depending on how tempted your child might be to snack between meals) and fill it up with good snacks and a few treats.
This is not only a good way to keep goodies organized, and to keep them divided up evenly, it’s also a great way to get your kids to try healthier snacks. Surprise them with trail mix, yogurt covered raisins, small cups of applesauce or diced peaches, and other items that aren’t quite as loaded with sugar or salt as many of the popular snacks.