5 Safer Alternatives to Dangerous Lunchboxes

Are lunchboxes dangerous? And we're not talking about what's in them, although sometimes that can be scary enough! But we're going to assume that you lovingly pack your child’s lunch for school-filling that adorable Hello Kitty or Snoopy lunchbox with healthy items, tasty treats and enough nutrition to get them through the day.  Unfortunately, that adorable lunch box may be poisoning them and actually hindering their learning experience – the exact opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish.  Here are a few safe lunchbox alternatives, lead free and still completely adorable.

Lunch boxes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What makes some lunchboxes dangerous?

In short, recent studies have shown that a large percentage of lunchboxes leach lead.  This means your child may be eating their sandwich you lovingly made that morning and consuming dangerous levels of lead with their PB&J.  The culprits are usually vinyl lunchboxes made by major lunchbox manufacturers and sold at standard retail outlets.  Lead causes behavioral and learning problems and prolonged exposure can lead to cancer and death.  However, this article isn’t designed to scare you, rather to empower you to protect your beautiful children and keep them safe.

5 Safe Alternatives to Dangerous Lunchboxes

1. Reusable bags.  Many manufacturers are making really nice reusable bags designed specifically to carry lunches and smaller items.  Children can find them in their favorite colors and designs and spills are easily cleaned up by tossing them in the washing machine.

2. Recycled plastic.  Several businesses have popped up which produce lunch totes and containers made from recycled plastic bottles.  Not only are you providing your child a safe alternative, you’re being environmentally conscious – something many children are aware of and will be proud to be using an environmentally friendly lunch box.

3. Stainless steel.  Many children are image conscious or prefer to have notable characters on their lunchboxes.  Be it Spiderman, Dora the Explorer or Hello Kitty, they want the image on their lunchbox.  Stainless steel lunchboxes, think the old-fashioned flip top boxes you carried when you were young, are lead and PVC free. 

Small paper bags (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Brown Bag it.  Paper bags are a great way to send your child to school with a personal message written or decorated on the outside.  And for the environmentally conscious, paper bags can be reused many times and you can purchase recycled paper bags or recycle them yourself.  Additionally, those plastic bags collecting in your cupboard from the local market can be reused as lunch bags several times over – they’re not pretty but it’s good to use them and give them a purpose.

5. Make your own.  A trip to the fabric store with your child where you can pick up the supplies can be a fun adventure with your child.  They can help you choose the items and even help make their lunchbox they're carrying with them something they’re proud of each and every day. 

There are many safe lunchbox alternatives.  Talk with your child to find a solution that keeps them safe and makes them happy. 

Kid-Friendly Eco-Décor Ideas

If you are wanting to give your child's bedroom a new look, or if you just want to decorate using kid-friendly décor, you don't have to head to your local retailer and spend a lot of money on mass-produced items. You can go the eco-friendly route and use recyclable materials, used items, and other things to create a kid-friendly atmosphere - and also teach them the value of reusing and recycling. Here are some fun and green ideas.

English: A tie dyed shirt. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Old T-Shirts

Do you have an old tie-dyed t-shirt? Maybe you or your child has a t-shirt that can't be worn anymore but you really don't want to part with it. Why not make a pillow case from an old t-shirt? It's very close to the right shape as it is, and most t-shirts are the right size for a bed pillow. You could also use old t-shirts to make throw pillows. Neither of these projects requires extensive sewing skills.

If you are feeling a bit more ambitious, consider cutting t-shirts into squares and making a quilt or throw blanket for your child's bed. 

Curtains

All sorts of used cloth items can be turned into curtains. Tablecloths are a good option - they often come in lovely designs. Older kids often like an unusual, custom look to their bedrooms, and using tablecloths to make curtains will fit that agenda nicely.

Old sheets make good curtains, too. You can sew a simple edging onto them, like eyelet or lace, or make the sheets colorful with art techniques such as batique or tie-dye.

Pictures

Get together your kids' photographs and frame them. Homemade frames can be made from interesting branches or twigs. Make a multi-opening mat from cardboard and paste the pictures behind the openings. Collages of photos also look nice and can be very artful. You can use these around the house, too, not just in your child's bedroom.

English: Collage Example (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember your kids' art work, too. Rather than sticking paintings and drawings haphazardly all over the refrigerator (where they often get stained and wet), frame them. It's amazing what a frame can do to make a child's picture look like décor-worthy artwork. Kids' artwork can also be arranged in a collage.

Display Collections

Most kids have collections of some sort, often to the frustration of their parents. Collections can be messy, cluttered, and dusty. But displayed properly, collections can lend a kid-friendly yet tasteful air to a room.

Hang objects like toy airplanes from the ceiling. Make an attractive "train table" for cars and trains. Put up simple shelves and arrange collectibles in vertical rows on the wall. Pieces of scrap wood and boards can be used to make these shelves. You need only buy simple shelf brackets to hold them up.