IKEA would like to hear your tips for making the weekday school routine as stress-free as possible

[AbbiCMumsnet]

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Getting your kids out of the door for the morning school run is not for the faint hearted. It’s a task that hardly ever goes to plan, with the potential for things to go wrong always lurking around the corner. With this in mind, IKEA would love to know hear your advice on how you make the weekday school routine as stress-free as possible, and any hacks you might have to make your life easier.

Here’s what IKEA have to say:
“A key way to keeping morning madness to a minimum is involving everyone in the home. When your home is set up so that your little ones don’t need constant help, everyone’s a winner. Put dinnerware and food in places your children can easily reach so they can set the table while you focus on making breakfast. A light step stool can help in the kitchen and bathroom.
In the bedroom, our STUVA range is designed from the ground up ensuring interiors are all easily reachable by little hands, with most parts being adjustable, meaning the furniture can grow your child. But one of the best places to keep well organised is the hallway. A bench with hidden storage will work wonders, just pop their bags inside and add a coat rack at their height nearby to give them a one stop shop before leaving each morning.”

Have you established an efficient system to get your kids out of the door on time? How do you deal with unexpected obstacles that get in your path when trying to leave? Do you prepare meticulously the night before, or do you wing it in the morning and hope for the best - maybe the latter works best for you!

All who share their tips on avoiding the stress of the weekday school run will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win £300 in IKEA vouchers.
Thanks and good luck

MNHQ
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Organisation and routine plus starting to give the child responsibility as early as possible so that they get used to it. (While secretly making sure they're remembering what they're supposed to be responsible for!) Talk about and agree what everyone will do and when they'll do it and then when that fails talk about it again...and again!

Unfortunately the answer is to wake up early and to leave enough time for breakfast and for everyone to get ready.

Hence we all love summer holidays, lie ins and no school runs.

Prep the uniforms and lunches on the night before.

Storage cube and boxes with each kids name on, we fill it the night before with completed homework, clean uniform and anything needed for after school clubs. Packed lunches prepped in the fridge and water bottles next to the sink to be filled up!

Get everything ready the night before so you do not have to rush around looking for things in the morning.

Organisation - is the key! Otherwise everything turns into a shambles..

Make sure everything is prepared the night before; Clothes laid out ready, lunch prepared, bags packed, shoes by the door (no excuses of lost shoes). This also includes me, my stuff is also ready the night before.
I get up before the kids, sort out the dogs and prep breakfast for everyone. I can't stand stressing out on a morning, as it normally sets me up for a bad day!

I always prepare things the night before.

Preparation and planning is my only key. I have a routine and stick to it. We try to leave plenty of time so we don’t feel rushed and my son is able to arrive at school feeling fairly calm! And I drive away satisfied that we are both prepared for the day ahead.

Get Everything ready the night before

Preperation is key! Getting his uniform, packed lunch and school bag ready the night before means that we only have shower and breakfast to contend with in the morning. We're awaiting an assessment for autism for my son and so some school mornings can be tricky when he has meltdowns over his socks or labels on clothes etc - the only way we get through it is by preparing in advance!

I have all uniforms, washed, ironed and hung up the night before, gym kits are in bags if needed, I check the school information page in case of any cooking or extracurricular items are needed that week, home work is completed before dinner and once a month on payday I always make a regular payment to parentpay in case of any trips or other activities come up the money will be there to pay for it so I'm not worrying about finding the money and my kids don't miss out. I can honestly say, our weekday school routine is stress-free!!

Weekday school routine is a military operation! Packed lunches are made the night before, all school bags checked and cleared of unnecessary items and uniforms etc laid out ready for morning.

Even this doesn't stop the inevitable morning requests for PE kit on a different day, extra money for club/sponsorship forms etc and "I can't find my shoe!'

My school routine was very organized it had to be as I was working. I prepared packed lunches the night before. School bags organized with reading books and homework in. School clothes organized in the bedrooms before bed. Shoes cleaned and polished and ready in the hall. I had a time table in the kitchen with what days PE kit was required and also got that ready the night before.

Be completely organised the night before & things will go smoothly, no arguments over missing shoes, frantic search for change for bus money etc

We organise everything the night beforehand, uniforms are out ready, packed lunches made, but the alarm is set 10 minutes earlier than necessary so there isn't any mad panic in getting to the school on time

To make the weekday school routine as stress free as possible:

• I make the packed lunches the night before (accept the Sandwich/wrap/pitta bread because this will go soggy)
• Make sure all books, forms, letters and required equipment are in there school bags the night before
• bags are put by the front door next to there shoes and socks
• School uniform is hung up on there bedroom door so they have it ready to go and in one place
• I ask the children what they want for breakfast the night before so I can have it ready and waiting on the table for them.

the key to keeping things stress free is keeping things organised by laying out school uniform getting packed lunches and school bags prepared the day before then waking up early enough to ensure everyone has breakfast and is ready to go

Get absolutely everything ready the night before. No time wasted looking for shoes etc in the morning !

If it can be prepared the night before, then do it. It's one less job to do in the morning.

It's also good to get started a few days before term starts that way, it's not a huge adjustment on day 1.

Lastly, get some hallway storage with hooks, bench and have a tick list nearby which can be completed before you leave the house.

I try to get as much as possible ready the evening before. I don't like rushing about in the mornings. So in the evenings I lay clothes out for the morning, pack swimming or football bag, sort out reply slips for school and write in my sons reading record. All that needs to be done in the morning is get dressed and have breakfast.

Routines save time, arguments and stress. If children know that when they come home from school they need to change and lay their uniform out for the next day whilst Mum gets a snack they just get on and do it. Before eating their snack they get out their homework, any information from the school or gym kit to be washed. After a short break homework and check the chart on the fridge of next day activities and anything to be packed. Meals are on a two week schedule so everyone knows what to expect. Bed time routines are fixed etc.

My daughter is really good in the morning. I wake her up, give her 10 mins to get out of bed and wake up mentally and then she gets dressed, we have breakfast, brush our teeth then go. Doesn't take long and never have many problems. I always make sure the clothes are ready the night before though.

Bags packed the night before and uniforms hung neatly so they don't need re-ironing.

Sort everything they need out on the night before. Then prey that it all falls into place.

Get everything ready the night before!! that way, there is no last minute panic in the mornings...preparation is key.