My three-year-old daughter attended her first “Lunch Bunch” at preschool today.  She got to bring a lunch and then stayed for an extra hour to eat with other preschoolers.  She was very proud to bring a lunch box to school with her, just like her big sister does everyday.

When I arrived, all of the other kids were sitting in a circle on the carpet, listening to the teacher read a story.  Then, they sang songs.  I kept looking for my daughter, but I didn’t see her in the group.  Finally, I noticed her sitting by herself at a table in the back, delicately taking tiny bites of the dessert I put in her lunch (a rice krispie treat) to make it last as long as possible.  She was the last kid to leave because she wanted to finish eating and savor every last sip from her juice box.  She had a wonderful time and felt like such a big kid, but her favorite part was clearly the food rather than the social interaction.