So, besides finding out that it was important to label every single thing that J brought to school, I have also come to the conclusion that recess can be a real nightmare for the average kid starting school for the first time.
I’d decided very early on that J would bring a packed meal to school. This prevents him from having to spend all his time queuing for food that he is too slow to finish. As a bonus, this would also mean that he not need pocket money this year although I would allow J to bring some emergency money to school.
I figured that a nice sturdy tupperware and leakproof water bottle would suffice.
How wrong I was.
Within the first week of school, his lunchbox and water bottle were battered beyond recognition. On more than one occasion, his water bottle went missing on a hot day, resulting in J coming home with a mild heatstroke.
Now, J is normally a conscientious little boy, and the disappearance of his precious water bottle would upset him to no end. During recess time, the children leave their schoolbags in the classroom and just head to the canteen. If they decide to head to the playground, the kids line up their water bottles and lunchboxes in a corner, leaving them there until the end of recess. These water bottles and lunch boxes would often get kicked around or picked up by the wrong person by accident.
Anyhow, after J lost his water bottle for the third time, it was so badly damaged when he found it again that it leaked water over his schoolbooks.
Needless to say, J was inconsolable and I was livid.
What could I do about this? I decided that J needed something to protect his lunch, and also prevent any errant leaks from spilling all over his things.
J’s lunchbag
After some deliberation, I decided to invest in a decent insulated lunchbag, big enough to contain both a water bottle and snack box, but also trim enough to fit into J’s schoolbag.
I found exactly what I was looking for at a local online retailer, JEDpacks, a neat little bag by Tyrrell Katz with a cute print and a nice strap which J could sling across his body. I bought the bag straightaway, along with a new water bottle to replace the broken one.
The lunchbag was a little bit pricey but it really was worth every cent for the following reasons:
- J loved it instantly so I knew he would carry it around with pride.
- J could bring cold drinks to school without worrying about the condensation ruining his schoolbooks
- No more leaks messing the rest of J’s school stuff
- I didn’t have to worry about food spoiling in the Singapore heat
- J could keep his stuff protected and safe
- J could also carry Important Things around with him at recess time
- J could also use this bag during school excursions when he needed to travel light
- AND…His lunch stuff never went missing again.
Owls Well Recommends: Find a lunchbag with a wipe-clean exterior as it is likely to spend time on the floor and an interior pocket which will come in useful for holding lunch money, an icepack or eating utensils. If you don’t need the insulation, a good quality wet bag will also stop leaks and prevent condensation from cold drinks and food from reaching the other contents of your bag.
Oh, by the way, if you are wondering what sort of Important Things J packs in his lunch bag, here is what is in it today:
- A Sandwich in a tupperware
- A small snack like a bag of crisps or a cereal bar
- A waterbottle with ice-cold water
- A pencil, pen and sketchbook
- His wallet with emergency money and library card
P.S. If you’re looking for a great gift for a school-going kid, JEDpacks is having a massive storewide sale at the moment, and they have a great range of lunchbags and other useful stuff for recess time! Just enter the code ‘XMAS20’ at checkout to receive a generous 20% discount (Code is valid till 24 Dec 2015 with min spend of $30.) You can find JEDpacks here.
Earlier this week, I wrote about 
Owls Well 