WHAT'S IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?

I can't help it. I'm a Wannabe Peeping Tom. Have been for a long time.

Always the curious type, I often wonder what people's houses look like, what's in their handbags, what's in their wardrobes, and now my latest craze: lunchboxes.

You see, this year I've just started this official gig at being a school mum. I've been packing lunches on and off for five years, but now it's every. single. school. day.

Each school morning, I may often be seen dreaming in La La Land while packing my childrens' lunchboxes, wondering what my friends put in their kids' lunchboxes. And because it's now bordering on obsession, I'm going to let you take a sneak peek into mine. (Because I'm dying to see what you put in yours.)

Because I know you're just like me and interested in that sort of thing.

Right?

Kiwi fruit & blueberries | Vegan cream cheese, Sanitarium smoked deli slice & salad sourdough roll |

D'lights in BBQ | Sugar-free afghan biscuit | Chocolate square

Frozen Sanitarium Up & Go in Choc Ice | Vegan cream cheese, tomato and vegemite bagel |

Oat, pecan & manuka honey snack bar | Wholemeal macadamia spinach & lemon pesto pasta |
Apple slices

 Grapes | Tuna, cheese, tomato & organic mayo wrap |

Banana cake mini muffin | Rice snacks in BBQ

Banana | Gluten-free chocolate & almond torte |
Wholemeal sandwich thins with assorted fillings |
Bagelbites with babybel cheese | Dried dates, sultanas & apricots

Grapes | Egg & lettuce bagel | Celebration lemon cupcake | Mini-wheats in blackcurrant

I love my nude lunchboxes from Tupperware. And even thought they're like $30 each, there's a lifetime warranty which means if a lid breaks or chips, hello new part. For the whole of its lunchbox life. Worth every penny I say. I love their sections, but there needs to be little Tupperware tubs that go inside of the sections so I can put in yoghurt and dips.

Nude Food Movers do cool Smash lunchboxes too, with their cool whole apple sections and individual tubs. The best. But their skin is too tight for my preppie to take off, there are too many lids and they break, and their removable sections get lost. I've been a little disappointed. But that's okay. They more than make up with their accessories. You see they do cool ice puks (above) and skins (below) to keep the lunch cool. Top idea! Now, if only I could combine my favourite bits of both brands into the Best Lunchbox Ever! I've now combined the Tupperware with the Smash accessories (the skin fits the Tupperware much better), and I'm almost content.

So there you have it. My name is Kymmie and I'm a lunchbox perve.

How do you do kids' lunchboxes? What lunchboxes do you use? Have you found the perfect one?

THE SCHOOL LEARNING CURVE. FOR PARENTS.

We're into week six of my eldest child's first year of school. And what a learning curve it's been.

So far he's learnt that school is every. single. day. And it goes for a loooong time. Each day we must wear a uniform, pack our bags, brush our teeth, and even put a comb through our hair. There's no time for ABC 4 Kids, and we must eat our breakfast quickly. Every day there is something special happening: PMP programs, French, Art, Library, Sport, Life Education, Cooking. But most of all, we have to remember to be on time, keep quiet when sitting on the mat, hold hands when we go anywhere within the school, put our hands up before talking, ask before going to the toilet, learn the name of our Grade 5 buddy, remember to pack library books and readers... oh, and learn how to read and write.

No wonder my little lad is tired by Tuesday.

While I'm not wanting to take away the huge things my five year old has undertaken in the past few weeks, it's no wonder I'm tired by Tuesday.

The amount of mail that comes home in my child's backpack is enormous. The help required is never-ending. Help at the tuck shop? Support the cooking program? Join the school council? Help read in class (after the required three-day literacy and numeracy training)? Photocopy the school newsletter? Support the maths-a-thon? Bring an egg (or two) for the easter raffle? Attend the teacher/parent meet BBQ? Participate in the school working bee?*

Oh my.

Not that I'm complaining. But I confess I'm w-aaay behind the eight-ball. Hang on. I'm not even sure where the eight-ball is.

So far I've missed the most important assembly for the year, crazy hair day (a fundraiser), and The Teddy Bear's Picnic.

I was feeling like a very bad mummy indeed, because I thought I had read all the memos, the newsletters, the school website, and yet I still managed to miss so much.

Until I spoke to another mum. (At the aforementioned assembly which we happened to stumble upon because we were late to school that day.) Her words will be tattooed inside my brain for years to come:

"In my first daughter's first year of school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. There was so much to learn. And that was just me."

You cannot understand the relief I felt after hearing that.

Not that I was expecting to just drop my kids off and have them babysat by teachers who I have an immense new respect for. I want to be involved in my son's education. I want to be part of the school community.

I just didn't know how involved I needed to be.

It's a massive lesson for my son and I. And while my son will adjust in no time, I suspect it might just take me all year to get into the swing of things.

On the up-side, at least I'm good at packing lunches.

How did you survive your eldest child's first year of school? Did you breeze through, or struggle like me?

* I promise, I'm not exaggerating. Not even a little bit. All this - plus the things I missed - in just five weeks of school. And that's just prep. If my son was in Grade 3, there would also be the Stephanie Alexander cooking program, interschool sports, and the chook program. I'm sure I've missed some things seeing my child is actually not in Grade 3. But I'm taking notes for later.