How to encourage kids to bring their own baon

Here's an article I wrote for Buhay Pinoy of Philippine Online Chronicles.
 

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Encouraging your kid/kids to bring their own baon to school is one way to help the family save hundreds or thousands of pesos. Here are a number of tips to help you rally your brood to help save money for the family.
 

 

Explain to your kids (no matter how young they are) how bringing their own baon to school can help you and Dad save money. It would also help if you give them concrete examples of where the money the family is able to save can be channeled. An example would be for family bonding like enjoying ice cream on a weekend or going to the movies. This way, even young kids are encouraged to contribute to the achievement of family goals. Thus, the lesson is not only on finances but also on values like cooperation, unity and goal-setting.

 

Invest in quality containers for your kids’ baon. Before thinking about the appearance of your kids’ baon containers, make sure that they are of high quality, durable and safe for children. It might be a bit more expensive in the beginning but you can save in the long term because you will not be buying a new container every time it gets broken or damaged. Teach your kids to be responsible also by reminding them to take care of their lunch boxes/bags or baonan so that they can use them for a long time. Another consideration in deciding what kind of container you should use for your kids’ baon is its ability to keep warm food warm and cold food/drinks cold. Lastly, choose containers that are spill-proof. Otherwise, the baon runs the risk of being wasted. Most of all, this is troubling to a youngster especially if the food or drink spills on his bag, school supplies and uniform. It won’t be surprising if eventually your kid refuses to bring a lunch box to school.

 

Make the packaging and food presentation attractive. You can use containers with images related to your kids’ interests. For example, if they like the movie Cars, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse or Dora, then choose containers with pictures of these characters. That way, they are excited to use these containers and are eager to see their baon. You can factor in the color of the food you pack for your kids’ baon as well.

Take time to plan for your kids’ baon, be it for snacks only or lunch included.

 

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