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MNHQ

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

309 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 29/08/2014 12:27

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

OP posts:
ButterflyOfFreedom · 08/09/2014 09:52

I only have to get myself and DS ready (hubby obviously sorts himself out!) but it can get stressful especially as I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant too!
Just knowing we have to be somewhere at a certain time and therefore leave the house at a particular time is stressful!

DS doesn't understand the concept of time and can't understand why he can't have another bowl of cereal or watch another episode of Peppa Pig whilst I'm trying to get his shoes on and brush his hair!!
Sometimes he is very cooperative which obviously helps, but there are some days where there are tears and tantrums (from DS & me!) and it is such hardwork I feel I've done a days work before I've even left the house!

BeCool · 08/09/2014 10:09

I would say my number one tip for getting kids ready to do anything at all, including school run, is absolutely no TV until everything is ready done dusted and ready to walk out the door. Then if there is any time left they can have TV on - usually by then they don't want it on anyway and will happily occupy themselves doing something else.

3bunnies · 08/09/2014 11:24

I have found that the key to reducing the stress is being prepared. Uniforms laid out the night before. Lunches I try to prepare in advance (batch prepare and freeze cakes, sandwiches and jellies so I just have to assemble them). I have started setting an alarm 10mins before we have to leave so that the last minute finding shoes etc are identified earlier. I try not to try to achieve anything else before we leave other than everyone being clean, dressed and fed. Breakfast plates can wait. Fortunately we can walk and usually do. Driving takes just as long and is more stressful and less predictable.

southernsun · 08/09/2014 11:50

Crossing the road is the main issue for me. We have 3 schools just off of the main road we live on so during the school run it is very very busy. Trying to cross a busy road with a 5 year old and a baby in a pushchair when parents have parked all along the road making visibility poor is very stressful.

Melonbelle · 08/09/2014 12:53

Our school runs have only just stared but I'm find preparation is the key, if I've got everything ready the night before it's plain sailing (well almost) if not there is always some important item (namely a shoe) missing that we waste ages looking for, sending my stress levels though the roof.

Other stressful aspects include the walk from where we park (school is ten mins by car so sadly with two under 5s walking wouldn't be viable). Parking is ridiculous, so we walk from the local village shops and ten mins to the school, what with the moaning and mischief I'm ready for bed again by the time me and toddler DD get home.

vixxx666 · 08/09/2014 13:36

I have 2 boys , one at school. Getting them up, fed, washed, dressed and out the house is not a problem! It's that fact we have to cross over 2 main roads. There isn't a "green man" or traffic light, just a basic crossing (yes its definately a crossing - we aren't just running across a road!!) , so sometimes we can be waiting for a long time to cross over as it's very rare for a car to stop to let us across! And then once we've tackled that, there's the cars driving on, and parking on the pavements next to the school!

becky0306 · 08/09/2014 14:29

most school run stress comes from disorganized or disrespectful parents, who seem to try to park their cars closer to the school entrance without realising that they are causing danger to children coming out of school and obstructing pathways...

StainlessSteelCat · 08/09/2014 14:42

So, which factors cause the highest stress levels on the school run?
It's always something that is of no importance until everyone is ready to leave, it then becomes essential. I try and avoid battles, because the tears and grumpiness carries on during the walk to school.

Maybe it starts with getting everyone out of bed on time? Or perhaps it's getting everyone out of the house on time?
Everyone is up in this house - an early rising 2 year old does have that up side. Getting out the house on time is usually OK, the DC don't want to walk into their classrooms late, it's too embarrassing. The time in between is more stressful ...

Do you have any tips for making the school run a smoother and less stressful experience?
Pack bags the night before, spend time going through what they will need the next day and get it ready. Lay out uniform ready. Once they have eaten breakfast they can go and clean up, brush teeth, get dressed ... and once shoes are on and bags by the front door, they can watch TV.

If a stressful school run is unavoidable, how does it affect the rest of your day?
If it's been one of those days, I relax once they've gone into school, and have a coffee and some toddler time with the youngest. I've also learned that even the most stressful, shouty mornings are forgotten (by the DC) at the end of the day, and tomorrow will almost certainly be better.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 08/09/2014 14:53

Our ds's have an inbuilt alarm clock that wakes them at 7am. We don't need to leave until 8.30 so have plenty of time.

We still make sure that bags are ready the night before and DH is in charge of packed lunches as he leaves just as the rest of us are getting up.

Uniform is washed as we go during the week and all ironed in a Sunday evening so there's no worries about running out.

The stress for me is that I go straight to work from school. So if we're late for school I'm also late for work.

mwatmough · 08/09/2014 15:17

Just be well organised the night before and everything should go smoothly in the morning

AndHarry · 08/09/2014 20:10

The most stressful thing for me is being stuck in traffic jams: one on the way to nursery/school so we have to leave at 7.30 for an 8 o'clock drop-off, then another one between nursery/school and work when I have to be there for 8.30. Before anyone starts, I used to walk but my company relocated Wink

It really helps to have everything ready the night before, including my own outfit. It also helps when the school holidays are on and both legs of the trip take 10-15 minutes each!

phillie1 · 08/09/2014 20:21

Get everything ready the night before, and set alarm 15mins before needed, to allow ample time, and hence less stress

VodIsGod · 08/09/2014 23:20

The most stressful thing? Putting all that petty squabbles, nagging and chivvying that happened in the previous 90 minutes to the back of your mind so that you can smile at all the other parents and children in the playground and pretend that everything is JUST FINE and we're a happy skippy fun-loving family...

JoJoBaldwin · 09/09/2014 06:58

Ours is fairly stress-free due to walking the 2.5k there. Though it can get stressful in the winter if i haven't got busfare and it's a howling gale!

Wickeddevil · 09/09/2014 09:25

So a week in to this year and the highest stress area is still shoes. It was DD1 this morning because DH had moved her shoes to wash the floor last night. Meanwhile DD2's new school shoes are a bugger to do up. Small things.

After a week though I have found a really good drop off point for DD1 allowing her to walk the last bit of her journey to school safely and me to turn around to take DD 2 to her school. Another small thing but one that reduces my stress levels. Hurrah.

mumtowoo1 · 09/09/2014 11:51

I don't need to walk my girls to school anymore :( but trying to get two teenage girls out of the house on time is a nightmare. I wake DD1 at six, then have to keep calling her to get up until about quarter pass. I then go up and wake DD2 at 6.30, then I make their breakfast, ready on the table for seven, DD1 has to go by 7.30 to get the bus for college and DD2 has to go by 8.10 to walk to school.

Snapespeare · 09/09/2014 12:28

I've recently returned to the school run as Ds1 (16) has been placed in a specialist provision that is three separate bus journeys taking over an hour to get to. DS1 has Aspergers and cannot cope with public transport on his own, especially complicated journeys or those involving changes. The local authority has been slow to consider the impact this will have on him and I am currently waiting to hear about assisted travel. I'm lucky in that I can work from home for the time being, but fearful of how this will pan out.

The major stress is on waking. Wondering if DS1 will have slept, wondering if he has had nightmares, wondering if this will be a school-refusal day. If it isn't a school refusal day, trying to get him to wash. Trying to get him to eat.
Getting him in the car without incident. The journey itself is fine. Traffic not too bad (school doesn't start until half nine, although the parents in their huge car-trucks dropping off at the primary school opposite can slow down getting out of my drive...)

When DCs wer younger and all at primary, it was very much a question of do what you can the night before; lunches, ironing, school bags ready for the next day, so you have less to do in the morning. That all seems amazingly simple in hindsight!

teddygirlonce · 09/09/2014 13:25

Rather neurotic about the school run - should be an expert at it now after a decade of it Hmm.

Worry that we're all going to oversleep (happens very rarely but still...);
DD always has a meltdown at some point before we set off for school (socks are too scratchy, doesn't want her breakfast, can't find the right skirt/dress/cardigan) so it's like treading on eggshells just waiting for it to happen;
The stress of the flurry of activity which all happens at the same time with four people trying to get washed/dressed/fed and watered within a 45 minute timeframe!
Stress of having to think on the hoof for all the family! So I usually forget to do something for me/my day!

Advice would be to not drink coffee in the morning as it just makes me more stressed. And get enough sleep during the week (and that goes for all the family)!

louiseoc · 09/09/2014 13:46

I have no problem getting my sons Aidan (10) Ben (6) up and ready for school. We always allow plenty of time for breakfast and book bag preparations. What stress's us out is the volume of traffic, we walk to school and the streets are full of irresponsible parents, parking across drives, blocking roads and speeding. It makes it incredibly difficult to cross comfortably. My eldest would like to walk to school alone now he is in Year 6 but I worry about him crossing, we live in a small village with no lollypop lady, zebra crossing or traffic control like sleeping Policeman. The school continuously reminds parents about road safety but sadly it is forgotten about by mid week!

fazkin · 09/09/2014 17:34

My school run consists of driving 25 mins with a hyper toddler in tow. I have to keep him calm throughout and pack different types of snacks to use as bride to get him back into his carseat after dropping daughter at school and doing the return journey.

izzy76 · 09/09/2014 17:58

I dont have any stress in the mornings the kids are up and dressed by 7am and at school by 8am for breakfast club im lucky the nursery and school is just behind my house so no need to drive and so easy all round i dread the walk when they get to the bigger school in a few years time

RUTHIEGEE · 09/09/2014 19:12

I found the school run was less stressful the younger the children were. When you are getting them ready for school, it was easier. The older and they had more to do themselves, it got later and later leaving. Lucky the school has put on a school bus....so the school run is now to the end of the street ! Stress free mothers waving off children !

pfcpompeysarah · 09/09/2014 20:47

The school run stress for me is usually before we even leave the house, my son operates on 'relaxed time' only and despite my usual protestations that he needs to get dressed, he takes his time, and then tells me he needs some book or other just before we open the front door to leave.. grrr!

BigfootFiles · 09/09/2014 21:45

It's getting out the house here. "Okay, shoes on time. What do you mean you can't find your shoes? Why aren't they in the shoe rack? One is, but the other's missing? No, I don't know where the other one is, where did you put it when you got in from school last night? Have you looked under your school bag? Aha, there it is. Right. Put your shoes on please. No, now, shoes on please. What do you mean you need a wee? Fine, just be quick... Can you stop singing the theme from Frozen and hurry up please, we're all waiting. Did you wash? Flush? No? Go back and flush. Now what are you doing? It's time to go. Put the toy down and put your shoes on please. No, you can't finish your game, it's time to go. Will. You. Just. Put. Your. Shoes. On. Now!"

We can be as ahead of schedule as you like, and it all goes pear-shaped at the 'getting out the door' stage. I'm trialling a "picture list" for mornings so everyone can see what stage we are at in the process and what's expected to happen next.

Kangakate · 09/09/2014 21:50

I find trying to get to the school the most stressful, we try to walk, but it's difficult when other mums, park up both sides of the street so it's difficult to see when crossing, we even have to sometimes walk partially in the road as sometimes they park on the curb