The Best Food with the Worst Cleanup | Preschool Adventures

I have been a preschool teacher for about three years, and I have learned a lot during that time. I've worked with all ages, but mainly have worked with ages three to five.

While kids are notorious for being picky eaters, I do want to point out that some kids are pretty good eaters, and like most of the food that they have tried in their lifetime. Now, whether they are picky or not, most like pasta. That is probably the most popular food group that I have seen with the kids that I have been privileged to teach for the past few years.

It is one of the best foods in most kids eyes, and in my eyes as well, but it is also one of the worst cleanups in my eyes.

Imagine this.

You have between four to twenty kids in your room, ranging from one to five years old. They are sitting at the table, enjoying their spaghetti or ravioli. A part of it is going on their face and hands, a part of it is going on their shirts, a part of it is going on the table or floor, and what doesn't end up on any of those services, is going in their stomachs.

They're happy because they like the lunch. You're happy that they are liking the food that is prepared for them.

Then it is time to clean up everything.

You first clean up their faces and hands. The older they are, the easier this gets because they can help you clean up their face and hands. Yet, you still need to help them sometimes. Once you help clean up the many kids in your class, you then have to start with the tables. There is sauce and noodles in various spots. You can tell who the messy eaters are in the class (which is not a bad thing at all).

Once the table is done, you finish with cleaning up the floor. You won't need to do an arm workout at the gym that day because this will be your arm workout. The noodles love the floor. When you are done sweeping and picking noodles up off the floor, you are finally done with lunch for the day.

Don't get me wrong, while I don't like the cleanup process when we have food like spaghetti, alfredo or ravioli, I do think it's one of the best lunches there is at both school and at home. The kids love it, and I love pasta too. I can't say no. It's one of my weakness'.

While I'm not a fan of the cleanup process that pasta brings, I would have to say it's pretty worth it in the end.