Share your school morning hacks with Arla Big Milk – chance to win £300 voucher!NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

Whether you’re celebrating or commiserating, it will soon be time to go back to school. For some, it will be the first time their DCs put on their (slightly too large) school uniforms and head off into primary school. To make the new routine a little easier for first-time school mums, Arla wants to know what clever tricks and hacks you use to make everything run a little smoother during your own school week.

Here’s what Arla has to say: 'Being a parent is often unpredictable and getting your little one the nutrients they need isn’t always easy. That’s why Arla Big Milk has been developed to specifically meet the needs of growing children from ages one to five*, enriched with essential nutrients to help support children’s growth and development as part of their balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Arla Big Milk ‘helping your little ones become big ones’

If your DC is starting school this September, what do you plan to do to prepare them (and yourself!) for the change? Are you going to rehearse the school routine, or the school run? Do you have a plan to cope with your own emotions on their first day?

If you already been there and done it - once that scary first day was out of the way how did you keep the momentum going? Did you turn getting ready for school into a fun challenge, with strict time limits and music? Perhaps you’re a stickler for getting lunches, uniforms and bags prepared and set out the night before, ready for the day ahead? Do you end up resorting to good old bribery to get the kids out of the door on time?

Whatever your tip or hack is, Arla want to hear about it, so post a comment below. Everyone who posts will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will receive a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Insight T&Cs Apply

*The Department of Health recommends that children at the age of one move onto fresh whole cows’ milk and that their diets are supplemented with additional Vitamin, A, D and Iron

Supply teacher - onot a parent.

I put everything by the front door the night before - so bad, craft items etc. Anything I can't put there such as cheesecake I put a post it on the front door to remind me.

I make getting dressed a challenge and tell my daughter she won't win and she gets dressed lightning fast haha. Works every time!

Make sure everything is ready the night before; get the uniforms hung up, lunch boxes packed, shoes by the door. Anything that can be done to save precious time in the morning, do it!

Pack everything the night before, PE kit, books etc and pack lunches in the fridge - I tend to leave PE kits/Book bags by the front door so they won't be forgot if we wake up late and have to make a dash for it.

You can never have too many alarms. Alarms to get you ready to get out of bed, one to get you out of bed, one when you should've finished breakfast, one when you need to be dressed, one when you should be in the car and ready to go.

Do as much as you can the night before. Always check their bag for notes home that need attention.

Have 5 of all school uniform items as it saves searching around in the mornings and means only 1 load of washing needs to be done on a weekend ready to go again on the monday.

Above all - don't get upset if your morning routine isn't all smiles and happiness - Sometimes just getting everyone out the house on time is the biggest achievement you can aim for!

I always make sure I have everything ready the night before and have P.E kit packed at all times. When my daughter gets up breakfast is on the table. TV and ipad is banned until she is ready then if she has a spare 5 minutes she can watch TV until we leave.

On Sunday, I set up as many complete piles of school clothes as I can find (we usually have at least three sets of everything), complete with socks and undies, so that they're ready to grab every morning. I work three days a week so those first three mornings have to be organised. Do as much as you can the night before. We have a reading log we have to fill in EVERY SINGLE DAY for example. Much better to write in it at 11pm than at 8:05.

I make sure all their clothes are redy by their bed, they have to get changed before coming downstairs! Whoever gets ready first gets 20p in their money box, second gets 10p and third gets 5p.

Its about routine and what works for each family i guess, being organised definitely helps us, the more you do tge night before the better, we tend to encourage dd to get it all done straight after school - empty lunch box and make ready, lay out her uniform, we check her bag for any homework etc, so we can then enjoy the rest of the time and she can play and have wind down time before bed

A clear routine and list to work through is important, as others have said.

I think it is also important for children to take charge of the list as they get older and to take on the responsibility for themselves.

The senior school has a policy of refusing any last minute requests to hand over forgotten PE kit, homework etc. It is their way of fostering independence in the children and works well with a system whereby you get your children to take the initiative themselves.

Encourage the children to take part and be responsible for some small tasks in the morning. Have a list of things to remember - PE days on the fridge and get as much done the night before as you can.

Make up the lunches the night before and then in the morning you can grab and go!

Put the whole week's timetable on a chalkboard in a prominent place so you don't forget anything!

I think I may be in the minority but I find mornings easy. I don't think I'm super organised. I do packed lunches the night before out of habit (always have done my work lunch the night before). School events are written on calendar, notes are dealt with when they come home.

Daily list on the blackboard of what everyone needs, everything laid out the night before, photos of each child's timetable on your phone.

Ask them what they want for breakfast the night before and put it in a bowl ready, I can't believe how long my two take to make a decision on what cereal they are having each morning (although perhaps that's my fault for buying more than one cereal at a time!)

be like a scout, be prepared, the night before lay everything out, toothpaste and soap at the ready, shoes polished, bag at the door. packed lunch in the fridge, hairbrush in its place and dont forget the hugs and kisses, you will miss them , really!

everything packed the night before! school notes go on the fridge! everything labeled...everything!! and make sure the kids are up earlier than they should be

Everything ready the night before, but also being aware of what days sports kit is needed or cookery supplies etc so that this can all be planned in advance! A quick round up discussion the night before including interrogating the kids could save alot of stress in the morning!

I got dp to take dd in on the first day as I thought I would be too emotional and that would be unhelpful for her.

It was a good decision!

Talk child through what will happen to the point where they can repeat the plan for the day themselves. This will be reassuring for them as they spend an unfamiliar day.

Get everything prepared the night before, including packed lunches and all their bags etc and uniform!

Get as much prepared as you can the night before, and make sure you are ready to wake your little one early and make sure you have a routine, it is much easier, breakfast by a certain time, dress, brush teeth do hair, that is what I have always done and it works

Get everything ready the night before and put out .

Preparation as much as possible the night before. Bags all ready to go plus kit etc BUT you will still always get caught out when DC announce its 'mufti or fancy dress or whatever.....and I forgot to tell you!!!!! AH!!!!!!!!!