Found a half-eaten PB&J sandwich and a banana peel that had been sitting in my 6yo's backpack for THREE DAYS. The smell was something else. Also found a note from his teacher saying he's been forgetting his lunch box at school like he's running some kind of operation. Anyway, I'm apparently not as organized as I thought I was.
The teacher note is the real problem tho. If his teacher's already mentioning it, sounds like he's not paying attention to cleanup reminders. Maybe make it a routine - he gets home, backpack empties immediately, you do a 30 second smell check.
This is why I started packing reusable containers that he has to bring home. Told him if I find old food in his backpack, snack privileges disappear. Took like 3 warnings but he actually started emptying it now.
This is a real PSA though. My kid developed an actual phobia about eating lunch at school because his lunchbox sat in there fermenting. Now we have a system where he brings it home every day
The fact that you found it before it started attracting bugs is a win honestly. Some parents don't check for weeks and then wonder why their kid's backpack smells like a dumpster.
Real question - is the teacher saying he's forgetting to EAT or forgetting to BRING HOME the lunchbox? Because those are two different problems. One is about his stomach, one is about responsibility
Three days?? That's rough. But also your 6yo probably just forgot about it. This is more of a 'help your kid develop a system' thing than a kid-failure thing. Mine is the same age and I literally have to remind him to bring the lunchbox home
The forgetting thing is legit concerning though. Is he eating during lunch period? That could explain some behavior stuff if he's going all day hungry
lol same, found a yogurt container in my son's pack two weeks after it should've been thrown away. The smell when I opened it... I'm still recovering. Now I tell him every single day to empty his lunch container.
THREE DAYS??? Dude that's a health hazard. But yeah this is literally every parent with a 6yo. Mine does the same thing - opens backpack once a week to find petrified fruit and mystery cups. Now I do a daily check like he's packing for a camping trip.
My wife got those small mesh bags from IKEA and labeled them for different stuff - lunch container, trash, whatever. Sounds OCD but our 6yo actually uses it now and nothing rots. Might be worth a try?
Oh man I found a yogurt cup from like two weeks back. THE SMELL. Now I do a backpack excavation every Sunday night before school. Game changer
Sign in to join the conversation.
I've started putting a reminder sticker on the lunchbox that says 'BRING ME HOME' and it actually works. Also started spot-checking the backpack midweek. Sounds excessive but beats finding science experiments