Individual Snack Boxes ... it works for me!

Welcome to Day 28 of the 31 Days series It Works for Me!

When you live in a large family, 

one of the most frustrating, disappointing, unhappy things that can happen to you 

is to come to the Wheat Thins box only to find that the other six people living in your house 

have been there before you ...

and left only crumbs.  

This situation has caused great unhappiness in our family.  

Grief.

Strife between the brethren.

Here's the solution that brought peace to all the land ...

Individual Snack Boxes

... the birds sing ... the flowers bloom ... the rainbows appear ...

Each week at the grocery store, I get various treats, 

and everyone starts out the week with about seven items in their box.  

You can eat all your treats by Monday midnight or pace yourself, 

it doesn't matter.  

You know that the treats in your box are all yours, 

and that your provisions will be stocked again in seven days.  

I thought the kids would gorge on their treats and they'd be gone the first day, 

resulting in great pain and suffering until the next grocery run.

I thought there would be taking from boxes not your own.  

But guess what?

Having snack boxes taught the kids to pace themselves, 

and the benefit of moderation. 

They have snacks left over.

I think it's created a feeling of abundance, rather than scarcity,

and a feeling of being in control ... which sometimes in a large family can be a rarity.

There's been no "borrowing" except for my own occasional pilfering.

I've also seen the kids work out a pretty impressive bartering system :o)

Okay, please don't judge me on the heathfulness of my snack provisions ... 

I know in your snack boxes, you have whole wheat muffins that you made from scratch.  

Or fresh picked tomatoes from your own garden.

I promise we have fruits and veggies and protein on the menu!

My eldest once told me the snack boxes were one of the best things I've ever done as a mom.

Clearly ...
my work here is not done.

But if it gets a compliment like that from a teenager ... it works for me!