Talk to Allianz about school run stress and you could win a £250 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

The team at Allianz would like to hear about Mumsnetters' experiences with school run stress,

Here's what Allianz have to say: "The school run is an important component of every day family life and we are keen to help families across the UK make the process as enjoyable as possible."

So, which factors cause the highest stress levels on the school run? Maybe it starts with getting everyone out of bed on time? Or perhaps it's getting everyone out of the house on time?
Do you have any tips for making the school run a smoother and less stressful experience? If a stressful school run is unavoidable, how does it affect the rest of your day?

Whatever your experiences of school run stress, Allianz would love to hear about it.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your comments may be included on Allianz's social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

We are lucky that our school run is much, much better than it was previously.

DS2 now goes to nursery in the morning so is keen to get going compared to before when he would drag his heels and often have to be bundled into the car half dressed.

The afternoon pick up is now a doddle becuase ds1 walks half way home and I meet him there.

My biggest stress at the moment is worrying about whether my daughter has made it to secondary school OK. It is our nearest secondary and she has a 40-minute walk, much of which is off-road. We can't afford the bus (the only provision being a public bus at approximately £2 per day), so I wait around, biting my nails, until I get a text from her to say she has arrived safely (thank goodness for mobile phones). I don't drive and have 3 other children to get to primary school, so, sadly, there is no other option.

To avoid school run stress we bought a house 200 yds from the school. Problem solved.

I read on MN once about a woman who used a timer to get her kids ready. She would set 10 minutes for breakfast - after the buzzer went off, everyone had to drop their breakfast and on to the next 10 minute task - getting g dressed.

I thought that sounded a fun way of getting ready.

PS I haven't read everything here so apologies to that MNNer if she posted here already!

My first morning stress getting ready for the school run is getting my boys, 5 and 7, to brush their teeth properly! Sucking and chewing toothbrushes is a big annoyance in my life.
The next biggest thing is getting them to the childminders. They only have to do it 2 days a week- I think they are pretty lucky as I'm sure there are more and more working mums out there with kids in before and after school care.
I have also noticed on the school run lately the language of some of the parents. In private, swear away- but my blood boils when it's at the school gates.

The stress is to get ready and leave the house on time, especially when my son insists doing everything his way and choosing his own clothes lately (and no he cannot wear the same shark top every single day)

I find the school run far less stressful when i don't have to prepare a lunchbox. It's so much easier when you have to fill a water bottle and go. Simple lunchbox ideas would probably motivate me more but i am tired of packing the same old sarnies and extra in the box!

Also as the school is quite a trek from home, and in a remote place, we have to drive there as does everyone else so trying to find a parking space is extremely stressful and probably the worst bit about the school run for us! xx

The most stressfulvthings are getting them out of the door, resolving any fights between my two boys and making sure ds2 has remembered his show and tell. Making sure the baby stays awake is stressful too! I now get everything ready the night before as I am back at work.

Why are so many children ferried to school in cars anyhow? Less cars = less congestion, less problems with vehicles parked dangerously around school and a generation of young people who seem incapable of walking anywhere.

Sorry, am tired! That last sentence is nonsense- Meant that children need experience of travelling under their own steam.

We make up packed lunches beforehand, putting all non-perishables in the lunch bag itself and leaving everything else in the fridge to be added later. In the morning, we just add the stuff from the fridge as we get out breakfast stuff.

The most stressful thing for our school run is if there is an accident on route. We love rurally and school is 15 miles away!

I get most things ready the night before and just have the packed lunches to do in the morning - one fewer now ds2 is on the free hot dinners (yay!). The boys go to breakfast club so that's also handy.

I get up with time to spare and do lots of yelling. No real stress but the hardest part is getting the boys to get dressed - that's where the yelling comes in.

I find it so stressful getting my son to get dressed and brush his teeth, i sound like a broken record!!

I ban telly and ipads on a morning before school otherwise there are tears and tantrums from the kids! Once I did this I've found they're pretty good at getting sorted. Moving closer to school has definately helped too though!

Our school run is more stressful by the end of the week, my girls are tired and takes so much longer to get them out of there beds. Usually an extra 30 minutes are needed on a Friday. Once out of bed and eventually dressed which also takes longer nearer to the weekend. They come to eat breakfast which can be varied, usually its the daydreaming that we have problems with. Overall its hard work, our eldest daughter also loves to need the toilet before we are due to walk out of the door, this is a daily occurrence. I look forward to weekends and holidays :)

Most stressful part to me is the waiting for the teacher to open the door. Which can happen after the bell. Especially when you need to be off!

Not much stress here to be honest, we almost always have plenty of time to spare. I only have to deal with my 2 year old wanting to go into school with her big brother! She's been known to sneak in and sit at a table ready to be taught

We have everything set out and ready the night before ~ uniform, clean underwear and socks, shoes polished by the door, bags packed etc ... makes it so much less stressful just to have everything there ready.

its just getting out of junctions when people dont indecate and just turn they think you know where they are going if you take a chance and they are going straight on then bump your a stupid blonde . try to go out earlier to avoid it but doesnt always work

Just like parking, they are building this new school but don't include any drop off areas, in the ground of school which would be an excellent idea as it would be safer as well

DH needs to be out of the house by 7.30am leaving me with ds (3) and dd(3 weeks). We alternate shower days and lunch is made the night before with preschool bag packed as well.
When DH has gone, dd has a last minute feed and I coerce dress ds. We're normally out of the house by 7.55am and I drop ds at preschool by 8.10.
The hardest bit is convincing ds to get dressed and out of the house while managing dd at the same time. Then there's the whole taking ds in while carrying dd. sling, car seat or buggy?? Argh!

its ok as long as everyone is up in plenty of time otherwize its hectic, but the main hold up is alway traffic on the main roads, im sure they put cones out only to make room for the winter salt cause theres normally no-one working near them, grrr.

I'm fortunate that both my kids can walk to school by themselves (primary and secondary) but still get hit with the "I need a potato" five minutes before they are due to leave. Am trying to drum into them the need to tell me about these things at least the night before...

The thing that works in our house is routine and bribery - if they get dressed and breakfasted promptly then there is time for a cartoon, otherwise there isn't.