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

Tips: breakfast club. Saves my sanity

I have to say our school run is normally ok, we are lucky to live an easy ten minutes' walk from school and our morning routine is pretty streamlined. The hardest bit is getting DS2 up and dressed - he's just not a morning person. It's not much fun when it's pissing down with rain - luckily that always seems to be on days when I'm working so DH gets to get soaked

The most stressful part of the morning for me is when my 7yo says she's ready and we walk out of the house without drink, lunchbox, bookbag etc. Then it takes her ages to go back in and get it.

So, which factors cause the highest stress levels on the school run?
Getting everybody out of the house on time. The youngest refusing to put shoes on is a daily hell.

Maybe it starts with getting everyone out of bed on time?
Yes, everone up & dressed before they are allowed downstairs, and aim for breakfast at 7.30am

Or perhaps it's getting everyone out of the house on time?
Yes, see above.

Do you have any tips for making the school run a smoother and less stressful experience?
Bags packed and uniforms out the night before. Everyone dressed before coming downstairs. Screentime as reward for getting ready/breakfasted/teeth brushed.
Leave 15 mins to do 5 mins of loo/hair brushing/shoes stuff before going out of the door.

If a stressful school run is unavoidable, how does it affect the rest of your day?
As I walk DCs to school, the stress of getting out of the house is counteracted by the exercise! I do often breathe a sigh of relief once they are both inside the school building and I turn to walk home..

School run is stressful for me - 3 boys (twins and their older brother) who like to fight, argue, race each other on their scooters, fiddle with the res park ticket machines , collect items of interest (junk) en route, and are prone to announcing half way there that they've forgotten their lunchbox/swim kit/jumper/homework...it's a mile walk to school so going back to fetch said items and me still getting to work on time is not an option. The route to school involves lots of roads to cross and getting them on their scooters and me on my bike through quite a busy area.

To survive my rule is a set time to leave the house and start ushering them out of the door ten minutes before then, fully dressed including shoes and socks and teeth brushed before breakfast, lunchboxes and book bags all packed the night before (just fridge items and drinks done in a,m for the lunch boxes), a big blackboard planner on the kitchen wall written up with who has swimming etc.on what days, they all have rucksacks so they carry their own stuff and I'm not laden down like a packhorse.

The other key to my survival is that now they are all old enough to not need me to hand them over to the teacher I just leave them at the lane or playground gate and high tail it to work so I have time for a 20 min coffee before starting work....my little spot of peace and sanity each morning!

It is actually getting out of the house on time. You would think as the routine is the same every day that this would not present a problem. However, invariably 5 minutes before we have to leave ds (11) disappears to the toilet for 10 minutes and, if told we have to leave, shouts back that he cannot possibly stop "mid-operation".

Dd on the otherhand will be downstairs with her shoes on being virtuous. We will finally get ds to the door and the she will remember the thing she just has to have for school and run back upstairs for it.

Dh by now has finally had enough and strops out to the car, often minus a child.

By the time everyone is in the car and ready to go, everyone is so stressed and hardly speaking to each other - except when ds and dd decide to hurl abuse at each other over some imagined slight.

As a family, we get on really well together - just not for that loathsome 20 minutes of the day.

The hardest part is getting the all moving, without being seen as nagging. DC are 9, 7 and 5, and it is trying to juggle what they all need to do next, it seems to be a morning of waking up getting dressed. Waking the 5, 7 and 9 year old up in that order. then going back to the start and helping the 5 year old with anything they need help with, all the time listening to the others shouting what they are missing. (they are all supposed to get their uniform ready the night before)

Then it is breakfast (which DH dishes up) while I am putting the finishing touches to their school bags, fruit and fresh water, Then it is face, teeth and hair and a constant battle to keep the 9 year old down stairs as a huge part of my morning is getting him back to me so I can give him the next task to do.

Then shoes, coats, grab bags (no you can't take your scooter - because you fall off / go to fast / make me push - depending on which child is asking) and out the door somewhere between 8.20 - 8.30. School is a 15 minutes walk away and they can arrive between 8.40 - 8.50 Juniors and 8.50 - 9 Infants.

It's hard to get the balance between keeping them all moving but not nagging, and I refuse to drive even if we are a bit late leaving, they just have to run. It is quicker to walk than drive and have to search for a parking space, the DC don't agree and nag for a lift.

I hate the school run!! Cannot get everyone up in the morning. Typically on a weekday they want to sleep past 8 but guarantee if it's the weekend they'll be up at 7 on the dot!

We leave at 8.40 so half an hour is really tight to have 3 dc washed, teeth brushed, dressed, fed and out the door, including getting myself ready! Then of course I'm not organised enough to have packed lunches ready the day before so it is a big crying match (for me) and mad panic.

Some days I share lifts with another mum - I love these days!!

Who won this one? Has it been drawn yet?