This is the most dreaded part I do as a parent — preparing my children’s lunch for school. I easily run out of ideas and more often than not, just give them money for it. And it does get expensive.

The idea of packing lunch for school is to ensure that your children are eating right and not wasting money buying food that may be overpriced. In some schools, lunch are subsidized, hence it is free. But you can’t be sure about it’s nutritional value as well.

So, doing a little bit of what a friend has suggested, I’ve rounded up the kids and discussed with them what they want to bring to school for lunch. This way, I’d eliminate packing them food they won’t end up eating, which means it will just go to waste. Letting them in on the decision also helps to know the kinds of food they’d love eating. During the discussion, as parents, we can also provide inputs like why having fruits is important or why certain foods are better than the ones they actually like to pack.

Have a checklist handy when you’re discussing, so that this becomes your list for when you do the grocery and cook the meal. It should make it easy for mothers who think of what to cook next, when the kids have already said what they really want to eat.

And aside from food and drinks, make sure to also incorporate taking supplements in you kids’ diet. School can be very demanding and they may need lots of vitamins and minerals just to get through the week.

For the mothers who are tied up with blogging, here is your chance to check put your skills and knowledge to the test. And the prize is $100 for one entry. That is something you don’t earn from one blog post!

Travel Mamas is looking for a few good writers for its “So You Think You Can Blog Contest.” The winning blogger will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to Diapers.com, which offers a wide selection of staples like diapers and baby food, plus baby toys, books, strollers, baby carriers, and more – much of which is perfect for traveling with tots. The first-place article will be featured on the Travel Mamas home page, accompanied by a profile story about the winner.

TravelMamas.com launched at the end of March to help parents who want to travel with babies, toddlers, and children of all ages. The site offers travel tips, packing lists, recommended resources and tell-it-like-it-is stories for moms and dads on the go.

Both unpublished and professional writers are encouraged to participate. Submissions must be received by August 31, 2009. Articles should be 500 – 800 words and provide tips on traveling with children. View contest rules at TravelMamas.com.