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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:
Kem99 · 09/09/2014 22:53

The parents dropping off their kids around the school cause many problems for us. They stop on corners, zig-zags, up on the pavement etc. Many live only 5-10 mins walk away but they can't seem to walk more than the length of their cars!

RocksRCool · 10/09/2014 01:35

It always stressed me out to see parents park on the do not park lines outside the school. It was often the parents who were dressed in their gym stuff. There was plenty of safe parking up a wee hill but the gym bunny parents were too lazy to use it. Weird.

Bubbles85 · 10/09/2014 07:31

DC is not at school yet but I get stuck in the school run traffic taking her out anywhere! It drives me mad so I don't know how I will cope when I have yo get stuck in it every day raking her to school! If only the buses came out to all of the smaller villages.

twinklenic · 10/09/2014 09:24

im disabled so have to drive to school even though it isnt too far away. The stress for me starts by finishing brekki in time to get out of the front door with good time to get to school. I think getting to school early so there isnt the stress of finding somewhere to park is the key .

sofieellis · 10/09/2014 10:58

No matter how organised I tried to be when the oldest two were younger, we were nearly always late! Getting things organised the night before and getting up early were essential, but there would always be a last minute hiccup, such as a missing shoe, or an emergency trip to the toilet!

My youngest is a different matter - he is much more organised and (almost) always ready on time. Mornings are now much less stressful :)

ScouseIrish · 10/09/2014 11:03

Amazing how kids tend to slow down in morning on school day, but are up and buzzing about the place on weekends when you want a lie in

jandoc · 10/09/2014 11:14

when they are in a huff and don't want to move it's a nightmare

scrimper · 10/09/2014 11:43

I find the school run so stressful. We have everything ready the night before and the children are up an hour before we need to leave. I have 2 school age children (year 1 and year 2) and a toddler and baby at home. I struggle because the baby and toddler demand so much of my attention, and the older girls just take so long to do things by themselves. They have an hour to get dressed, do their teeth and eat their breakfast. They also need sun scream applied, which I need to do myself, which can be tricky to fit in between feeding the baby/toddler (9 weeks and 19 months).

I think I am going to have to get an alarm clock and get the girls up half an hour earlier than they are getting up now. But that's half an hour less sleep and we all know how that can effect their Day.

Something that helps me is having all their bookbags/PE kit/Letters/Water bottles etc already loaded onto the buggy the night before.
We also have pegs like they do at school where they can keep their Coats/cardigan etc so it's all ready to go. We have a chest of drawers by the front door that holds all the hats etc so they can be grabbed easily when the weather is hot/very cold.

I wish there was a way to make it easier! If I didn't have younger ones though I can see how it can be much easier. But everybody has different difficulties I guess.

I wish I had a neighbour who we could split school runs with.

HelpMeGetOutOfHere · 10/09/2014 11:52

The hardest part is organisation. I am not the most organised of people and it doesn't come easily to me. Unfortunately this seems to have been passed onto the children as well.

The hardest and most stressful part of the school morning is getting them out of bed. No matter what time they go to sleep they are still difficult to wake up, particularly the 17yr old ds who needs to get up earlier to get to college. Eating breakfast can be painful, ds2 (12) is good about this and he is the most organised, ds1 just doesn't eat breakfast and grabs something at college. Dd can take an hour to eat a small bowl of cereal or fruit and yogurt.

In order to minimise stress on a morning I make sure lunches are packed the night before and in the fridge or lunch money is in purses/wallets and in school bags. Uniform laid out over the bannister, shoes by the front door. Then its a case of me grabbing what they need and putting it in their bags. This doesn't always work though as this morning ds2 left hi phone at home. This isn't a huge issue unless he is late home, he goes to school in a different town and its 2 bus rides and a walk away, so a long way from home if there is an issue.

LizzieMMM · 10/09/2014 14:04

Someone suddenly remembering as we leave something they HAVE to take to school today...

emmav6 · 10/09/2014 17:20

we couldn't get into our local school when we moved, i would love to walk to school & see people driving from near the school we have to go to. much btter for everyone if we all went to our local school!

Annbunce · 10/09/2014 17:55

Stress !!! She is always last minute, forgetting this and that. Then when you get there there is never anywhere nearby to park if you don't get your timings right. My pet hate is parents that park up on the yellow zigzags outside school, no respect for anyone or the dangers that this causes for both the children and other drivers x

addictedtosugar · 10/09/2014 21:04

I very very rarely make it to school.
So I drop both kids at childcare, and they take / collect from school.
Toughest bit is not knowing whats really going on at school, not seeing the other parents, and only seeing the teacher at parents evening.

I'm currently taking DS2 at lunchtime on a wed, as he has preschool hours of wed afternoon, all days thurs and fri. Noone from childcare will take him at lunchtime, so I have to drive 25 miles for the pleasure.

School realising some of us work, FT, and arrangeing things a) with more notice and b) after 3.30 would be good and reduce school stress for me.

pepicola3 · 10/09/2014 21:16

We live just outside of town, so no school run stress for us

FPATEL · 10/09/2014 21:24

My eldest DD has just started school and DD2 started nursery. In the last week I have discovered to be able to have a relatively calm start to the day is to be with and help DD with everything, from brushing her teeth and going to the toilet to having breakfast and getting coat and shoes on. If I leave her to do a task, she will dilly dally, get distracted etc, which will result in me nagging and shouting and the task not getting done and rushing. If I'm rushing then we're bound to forget something and leave with the house in a mess causing me more stress when I return home.
It makes such a difference to have a calm and orderly start to the day, its either that or manic, no in between!

kimnews · 10/09/2014 21:39

We don't do a proper school run as my little boy is just under 2, but getting him to nursery and then myself to work is stressful most mornings! The most stressful part is getting him from the house into the car! He runs off, wants to play, wants to do anything but get into the car!

KateOxford · 10/09/2014 22:16

My biggest stress is getting us out of the door on time due to unpredictable things like youngest child needing nappy change as we are all ready to leave or not getting into the buggy- she resists at times! I also always want to make sure my son has had a good breakfast so he doesn't get too hungry at school. I always get as much ready the night before as I can, clothes for us all laid out and bags packed. I also try my hardest to get the dishwasher emptied the night before as I hate rushing out the door in the morning and leaving dishes on the side. That starts my day off badly if I can't get the morning jobs done before we have to leave. I always try to set off earlier rah we need to so that we can walk slowly and chat to other children and their parents on the way.

cllymrj108 · 10/09/2014 22:37

There is so much to choose from....I don't often take my little man to school because of work but when I do it is literally tactical warfare.

This is in relation to parking. You little have to move like a ninja to gt a good parking space. The road is not particularly wide either and as well as looking out for the normal drivers who are angry at you for driving like a snail, you have the parents who are trying to beat you to the elusive space.

Then, if you are lucky, once you get the space you then have to try and turn around and drive off where by this time it is choas with parents running late watching you like a hawk as they try and take your space.....I can still feel them watching me now as I write this.

mrscumberbatch · 11/09/2014 01:59

The most stressful bit for me is walking the gauntlet to the school.

There's so many people, cars parked on pavements- it's a total nightmare.

And I have to be cheery and friendly to all and sundry- I am not a morning person so this takes superhuman strength on my part!

harryhausen · 11/09/2014 09:16

How to avoid school run stress?

  1. coffee
  2. Don't enter into a discussion on lunchbox contents.
  3. Hair is threatened with pink Alicebands and sparkly bows if it's not brushed with urgency.
4.Book bags, lunchboxes, shoes and car keys live by the front door.
  1. Park at least 3 streets away from school gates and walk (if not walking already).
  2. Try not walk across school playground with skirt inadvertently tucked into knickers. It doesn't do much for your image with alpha-mums (and yes, I speak from experience).
  3. Coffee.
goose1964 · 11/09/2014 09:44

the main problem is getting kids out of the door

Kandboys · 11/09/2014 11:11

Ours has all changed this September. One has gone from primary to middle school, another is still in primary and the other has started pre-school. So it used to be getting 2 to school at the same time to one leaving a lot earlier and then getting the other 2 ready. I find it hard making sure they all need everything they need for that day and I guess my tip is be as organised as you can and do as much as you can the night before

wiganerpie · 11/09/2014 11:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SAV1GARDEN · 11/09/2014 12:46

With my two year old and eight year year old
The stress of the school run starts to unfold

Get ready I shout day after day
2 minutes I will hear them say

half an hour later they are still not dressed
Start to feel myself getting rather stressed!

Breakfast to be made and pack lunch to get ready
Mummy, Mummy I think I lost my teddy

Think we are all ready cant be anything left to do
Oh mummy I think I forgot to do a poo!!!

Finally in the car only 10 minutes late
It feels so good a sigh of relief, we are finally at the gate.

Bye bye baby have a nice day
now the stress of the school run can slowly drift away

Greatgoogleymoogleys · 11/09/2014 13:43

DD started secondary last week and we've introduced a "grown up" independent check list. Everything ticked and packed the night before, lunch prepared in the evening and I wake up 30mins before her and shower and have a cup of tea before I walk her to the bus stop. Don't I don't take her to school anymore, the walk to the bus stop gives us a little precious time together and a goodbye kiss..