To all those who scorn and despise people who are always late for school...

[TooTicky]

....how do you do it? I must have inherited a lateness gene. No matter how organised I am or how much I have prepared the night before, we are always late leaving the house. Why is this and how do I achieve perfect punctuality?

Personally I can't abide lateness. My ds started school on Monday and this morning we were the first in the playground!

I just can not be late, simple as that. Some people find it hard though I guess.

I can even manage breakfast, washing up, making beds and applying my make up.

I get up earlier than everyone else, get myself ready and do a few jobs so taht when I get them up everything except them is done.

Gives me plenty of time.

I do the shouting thing too, I'm afraid. Gets better as they get older I find

There's a mum who is almost always lte taking her DS to school (in DS1's class). If I see her go past me in her car (I'm good, I walk) I panic like hell and run the rest of the way thinking I'm late!! She laughs her head off at me and I'm starting to think he's making a concerted effort to get earlier just to make me run!

Get everyone up an hour earlier than normal and leave your house 15 minutes earlier than normal. If you are not ready to go 15 minutes earlier go anyway.

It is not beyond you to be on time.

If someone offered you £1m if you could get to school 10 minutes early every day for a week I'm sure you would be able to. Therefore if you don't get there early/on time, it's beacause you don't think its particularly important.

What do you mean by kids that won't get up Tooticky?
How old are they?15 and 17?

Send 'em to bed earlier that'll sort them.

Rewards, rewards, rewards!

Don't keep shouting, nagging, reminding. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them, and give them as much responsibility as possible. Set them clear, simple targets:

You must get up when your alarm clock goes off.
You must be downstairs, dressed and eating your breakfast by 7.40 am

If they meet their targets they get rewards (stickers, pasta, chocolate, whatever); and also 'good consequences'. Last week the boys were great in the mornings (we allowed extra time), so this week their alarm clock is set for 10 mins later.

If they don't meet their targets they get negative consequences, e.g. earlier bedtimes/lights off times, if they can't get up well in the mornings.

I only do this once a week but I've found that with DD1 (5) a refusal to put on shoes/brush hair/clean teeth is best met with me slumping on the sofa, idly flicking through a magazine and saying in the most off-hand voice I can muster - "I really don't mind what time we get there but I will have to explain to Mrs W. that we are late because you wouldn't clean your teeth and she'll be so disappointed....." Works every time and when it doesn't we really will arrive late and I really will explain to Mrs W....

Useless tactic with DD2(4) because she couldn't give a damn about being late. However turning on Cbeebies reduces her to the kind of catatonic state where it's perfectly possible to dress her etc. without her noticing.

Sorry, I meant that I only get the DDs up, dressed and out to school once a week.

We like to be very early for school, usually get their for 8.10 (start at 8.30).
I love the morning and if I had my way school would start at 7AM.
We are only ever beat by the farmers kids (milk at 5.00am) and the teachers kids.
I think this stems from my mother always being late with us for school and driving the car in her dressing gown..!

I used to make the mistake of letting the boys play if we were ready 5 or 10 minutes early. Now we just leave and walk slowly if we like.

The only time we are late now is if the level crossing is down unexpectedly, or if DS2 has an emergency pooh! Haven't been late for ages, and have been the first in the playground for DS2's 'line' every day this week.

Cfrau, how do you perceive "one of them"?
mousiemousie, for a share of £1m, I'm sure the children would be more cooperative...
Northener, I admire you but find you slightly scary.
sugarfree, they are 10, 7, 4 and 1. A reluctant 7yo in a high bed is v. hard to shift! And much as you can lead a horse to water but not make it drink, you can send a child to bed as early as you like but the rustle of pages and the rattle of playmobil will go on for ages unless you actually stand over them...

I can get LO to school within half an hour of me getting out of bed! (Mind you this is normally on my days off so I come home & have a leisurely breakfast etc afterwards).

All we do the night before are lunchboxes & school bag - I even put the non-refridgerated items in the box the night before.

Wasn't having a go,I've just been 'blessed' with early risers,so the whole concept of kids that won't get up is alien to me.
I have the opposite problem of trying to make them stay there past 7 on a weekend.

Oh, I'm blessed with part-time early risers - Saturday and Sunday no problem!