Late again - first day back at school! Suggestions please?

[Inkpen]

I have a nearly-6-year old ds; and a 3 yo dd. Nearly 6 does NOT like school, does not want to go. Neither of them, at the moment, for various reasons, is sleeping well, therefore they're always tired in the mornings. Getting them up is hell; getting them fed and out of the door on time is proving impossible.
Now here's the dilemma - I can't work out how to create a suitably tempting star-chart/reward system that is fair. How do you define which bit of dawdling from which child made us late this morning? Who gets the reward, and who doesn't? They can both be as bad as each other and all too often, when you've hustled one into getting ready just about on time, the other one then throws a spectacular wobbly ... but then again, if the first one had been quicker, there would have been time for no 2 to have the wobbly and still be on time ... Am I making any sense here? Sorry, it was an early start (for me, at least!).
Is it fair to do that old school routine - 'if one of you doesn't own up, you all miss playtime'? Can't see 3 yo dd even understanding that one and she certainly doesn't respond to peer pressure.
So help, suggestions! We cannot go on being late for school every single day and I can't seem to get through to them that being on time (for something you don't even want to go to) is important! Never mind his school report, it's the scary headteacher that's worrying me!

OK - be impressed! We were on time on Friday and he was given huge amounts of praise from the staff, even scary head, plus stickers on his class chart etc. etc. He seemed thrilled and hopefully will be motivated for Monday. However, the fact that I had threatened to remove his Christmas present if he wasn't on time may also have had something to do with it ...

I'm impressed!

Oooh, so am I inkpen!

Well done, hope it continues!

The problem in our house is dh! I have to go to work early (leave the house @ 7:15/7:30), so that I can do the end of the day collection of dds. So that leaves dh in charge, who really hates mornings, especially when it is cold. It makes me really mad that dd1 is late for school (dd2 still at nursery, which starts 15 mins later, so at least she's never late! ) because of her dad. We can't swap, because once he's at work, he "can't" just leave at a set time (although I have to). And if I go on about it too much, then guess what? I'm nagging.
Any ideas?

emsiewill when I take dd to school, I get myself and her ready. We are never late. When dh takes dd to school, he gets himself ready and I still get her ready. He just about wings it on time and also creates a "rushed" atmosphere.
I think the answer is to get new husbands.

Sorry Inkpen - missed your post - well done!!!! What did you do differently? How has he been this week - have you managed to keep it up?

CAM don't you hate that?! How you are still expected to do the usual things and get the kids/house/lunches organised while you try to get yourself ready, and all they have to do is worry about themselves?! Grrr.

emieswill, what about getting the teacher to write your DH a note telling him he MUST be on time?

lol www!!

Thanks Jaybee! Not sure what we did last Friday but we haven't really managed it again this week, except for Monday! I recognise Emsiewill and CAM's problem though. Twice this week, dh took ds to school. Once by arrangement, once because he was so late he decided to wait till the traffic died down. (Not that him doing the school run is unusual or anything, but ds did have to tell him where the classroom was ...) And guess what? I still got ds up, dressed and fed - even got dh's coffee! - while dh just got himself up and STILL only just got ds to school on time. If I had a wifey running round after me getting things ready, I don't think I'd have a problem getting myself and one (dressed and fed) child out of the door! Definitely new husband required.
Actually, I think the real blip this week was dd starting nursery (2 afternoons). This left her so exhausted that getting up the two mornings after was even harder than usual.
Oh well, there's always next week. It gets easier as the mornings get lighter - I keep telling myself this ...

www, in some ways, I wish the school would complain about the lateness, as I think that would shame him into trying a bit harder. However, they are never more than a couple of minutes late, and I know for a fact from the occassional times I take them (we have to sit in the car for 15 mins waiting for nursery to start) that there are some people who are regularly up to 10 minutes late, so I don't suppose a couple of minutes every week or so is something that the school will take action over. But it still gets me and dd1 stressed, and I hate the thought of them all arriving at school stressed and cross with each other - not a good start to the day.

Ok, we are not in the school run thing yet, my ds only goes to preschool two mornings a week, and I don't work. But we only have one car, so I have to drop dh at station first. Can really empathise with those who say that dhs just get themselves up and then are ready to leave. I am pg at moment so takes me a while to get going, also vain so will not leave house without makeup. DH will get up, and unless i have laid out ds's clothes will let him sit downstairs watching cbeebies in pjs, and will just give him a digestive for breakfast.

They say you marry your father... I always remember if it snowed, my dad would get up and breakfast, while the rest of us cleared the drive, scrapped the car, and stood for him to come out of the door. If you hadn't finished clearing the snow from the drive, he would sit in the car reviving the engine to encourage you! heh ho