Your help required - top tips on surviving the school run

We've had a lot of success in the car with the game "next one to speak gets a kick up the bottom".

no one really gets a kick up the bottom bar a comedy one but DSs enjoy squealing should dh or I speak first

If you'd love to have the kids dressed before breakfast but don't because of the porridge-down-uniform risk, try aprons.

Don't just put bags, flute etc by the front door the night before - put them in the car.

Also have a stash of muesli bars / juice cartons / bananas in the glovebox for the really ghastly mornings - even if the kids have had breakfast I can bet you won't have done!

We survive our walk to school by making it as fun and interesting as we can. We collect things for the nature table as we go along, dd spots particular makes and colours of cars, we sing silly songs, we have a competition to see who can spot regular things along the journey (the crossing man/best friend's car/Guide Dog puppy walkers) first, if it's raining she gets to wear her wellies and splash in all the puddles (much to the envy of her friends passing us in their cars).

Yes, I want it to be noted I included 3 tips in one post.

Anyone not dressed and ready by the front door 10 minutes before we have to leave does not get a chocolate coin.

Another tip is don't let them watch the tv in the morning and eat breakfast at the table. Tv is too much of a distraction and it's hard to drag them away. If walking to school and you have a slow walker have mini races with them to get them moving or if you have a child who tantrums use distraction by pointing out things or playing a game like I spy or spelling words out using car number plate as the intitials.
Do pack lunches (if needed) the night before so you aren't rushing about doing it in the morning.

Walk if you can

Can I confirm - each time I post a tip on thie thread, do I get a separate entry into the wii competition? Is it drawn from a hat?)

Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time ( with a little built-in contingency).

For example, I aim to be out of the house by 8.30am, but I can still be on time at school if I leave at 8.40am.

Message withdrawn

As for surviving car travel in general, one thing that works with DS1 (who is 2.9) is to have a laminated sheet of logos of places we're likely to see en route - he loves pointing them out on shops and lorries on the motorway. You can do different models of car as well as different sorts of vehicle on the other side of it too.

No TV (or at least, no TV until everyone is completely dressed and ready to go out).

X-post Hunkermunker.

Make a list of what equipment's needed on which day and pin it up in the hallway near the front door, so you can check you've got everything.

Be prepared - gather all bags and equipment together the night before and put them ready.

Get everything ready the night before (I don't do a school run as such, but I do do three mornings of "get DH and me to work and the boys to their grandparents").

And I really, really want to win a wii