Your help required - top tips on surviving the school run

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi there,
We've been asked to put together a list of tips on surviving the school run/surviving car travel with the children in general eg how can you save time in the morning, at breakfast, how do you get them to leave the house/ stopping squabbling in the car etc etc

All your wit and wisdom gratefully received plus all who post a tip on this thread will be entered into this week's competition to win a Nintendo Wii games console and game .

Many thanks,
MNHQ

Buy a house 300 mtrs from school so you can leave at the last possible minute.

HAVE A BORING BUT EFFECTIVE ROUTINE

Would reiterate everything others have said. We have to leave house at 8.30 so I call the kids at 7. Make sure all kids know what they have to do. DS1 has to walk the dog before school every day, DD has to do 10 mins piano.

Make sure kids all dressed before feeding them.

Set clothes out for younger ones the night before. Set out bags/kits for everyone the night before

Make lunches the night before and put in fridge.

ALL kids must make their beds before school.

Teeth, hair. NO TV

I wish I could stick to my routine as it would make my life easier

get up very early.
shout a lot.

Bandstand, despite my attempts at routine,thats how most morning are in our house!!

• sod teeth: if it's going to be a fight tell them you don't care if their teeth rot
• ditto coats "fine, be cold" - they'll learn
• Put any child refusing to get dressed in the car naked (or in their pyjamas) as dh did with recalcitrant dd this week. They soon realise you mean it when you say get dressed NOW
• do everything at least 15 minutes before you need to. So if you HAVE to leave by 8am, as I do, then start asking for shoes on at about twenty to eight. You've then got a chance of being in the car at eight

Make sure that you know how long things really take to get done. Don't assume that because the journey takes 8 minutes in the car in the middle of the night without any other traffic that it will take the same at 8:50! Have a realistic timetable.

Don't log onto Mumsnet to see how the chats finished off the night before.

Do make an effort to find a car/walk pool. It amkes such a different to only have to make half (or fewer) journeys yourself, especially if you have little ones.

Always have a spare pair of socks for toddlers in the pram or car so that when they've eaten the first pair, chucked them out of the pram or shoved them down their nappy you may still arrive at the school gate without being reported to ss. A pair of wellies is handy too as one of the shoes generally goes on holiday with the socks too.

Don't get dressed before the kids. Wait til they've thrown up, dribbled milk and porridge and squirted toothpaste before you remove dressing gown. Leave at least half an hour after they are all ready to get dressed and have a coffee. If that time evaporates send dh on the school run.

having just the one Wii is no good to anyone, it will cause too many fights - so please just send it to me and my kids can have one each

I'm only selflessly offering to take it off your hands for the benefit of the current Wii-less mumsnetters - you will thank me for it - really

Make things into a race e.g. who can get dressed quickest. If near Christmas, use related threats to non cooperators and fighting children eg Santa doesn't come to kids who throttle each other and are late for school.
If walking, bribe them with things like "if you hurry up you can post a letter for me"/"who can see a red car first" game etc.
If in car, give them drinks on the way.
Alternatively, pay someone to come to your house and get them ready every morning

Take them to school on Monday morning and don't collect them again till Friday afternoon.

Or use the services of a super-duper childminder (like me!!) so you don't have to do it yourself! (You just lift them out of bed, drop them off at minder's, and let her do the rest).

I want a Wii more than anyone else! As do all the children I collect from school.

Home school. Much easier.

OMG! People actually have routines in the morning??? Am deeply ashamed by my pathetic attempts! However, we are always there on time somehow. I like to do my a own ablutions when I get back from dropping ds at nursery....then I can have a bath, blow dry my hair etc without having to break off to re-couple one of Thomas the Tanks trucks. I only have the one dc so its easier for me but we just seem to putter along in the mornings...watching a bit of thomas the tank, making hot milk (for ds) strong coffee (for me) getting breakfast ready together, eating breakfast etc. If we are ever running really late I just hop in the car (sorry custardo ) but most days we walk. Ds is in love with the lolly pop lady so we always have to cross with her! Am very impressed at those of you who are so organised you get things ready the night before!

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Not looked at the other posts, but I find if we happen to meet one of DD's friends en route, then they run all the way to school!

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Do a homework check the night before then don't have to fit spellings or printing somethign off the internet into the already hectic morning routine.

Get up late - I always get everything done much faster by way of compensation

Have a baby - that way you'll be up at 5am anyway and rearing to go

Persuade husband to work from home to help

Keep extra toothbrushes and toothpaste in the kitchen

Set an egg timer for everyone to beat each morning - chocolate on a Friday if you succeed

If you are pushing a buggy, keep extra make-up in your handbag so that you can lay it out on top of the buggy and apply as you go

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For girls with very long hair: do hair on sunday evening into a tight french plait (whilst wet) and it will still look lovely in the morning, no need to brush! (mondays are always the worse days)

must be some quote of the week on here!
Porridge is a dangerous buisness springsto mind!

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