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

400 replies

AbbiCMumsnet · 24/07/2019 09:17

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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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IKEA would like to hear your tips for making the weekday school routine as stress-free as possible
OP posts:
Sheppady · 10/08/2019 18:32

We have a points system with rewards. Took a while to get going - but now they are adding their own point suggestions (they are quite inventive!). Now I need to catch-up!

LaaMoii · 10/08/2019 19:48

We have a routine and a little pictorial timetable on the wall to remind us both what we need on which day, it really helps especially as my G loves changing the date and the weather on the picture timetable first.

runkaterun · 10/08/2019 21:52

Everything in its place and preparation

emilygal · 11/08/2019 03:59

Always prepare the night before! No matter how tired you feel - you’ll always feel worse in the morning! This will prevent you from putting cat biscuits instead of cheeselets in a lunchbox when half asleep! (Thankfully I noticed by the time I put the cheeselets in my cats bowl...)

DinosApple · 11/08/2019 09:03

Organisation is key.
For me that means ensuring lunches are made night before, bookbags in the porch ready to go, and in order to stay on time no TV!

sm2012 · 11/08/2019 13:11

Getting things ready the night before so bags packed with everything they need - homework, book, pencil case etc. Packed lunches made and ready to go. Make sure uniform is easily to hand for the morning. I go to work early so it's down to them and their Dad to get out the door on time with all the relevant bits of kit!

vixxx666 · 11/08/2019 13:32

I get everything ready and by the door night before. I keep a note on the fridge that says what is happening what day so I don't forget.

cheryl100 · 11/08/2019 14:29

Prepare the night before, make it fun and remain calm! Try to use humour when persuading children to get ready!

Doodygirl2009 · 11/08/2019 15:43

Prepare everything the night before, I try to make packed lunches except sandwiches the night before I leave in the fridge. Lay everything out ready to wear the next day so everything is ready to go

Sparklepants3 · 11/08/2019 15:54

We make sure that everything is sorted before bed.
That the right books are found, uniform is inspected and made sure its clean and lunch is made the bight before!

rantinggran · 11/08/2019 18:13

Up nice and early so they have time to come around, then strictly adhere to the routine so they know exactly how the morning is going to pan out

leghairdontcare · 11/08/2019 18:27

I have IKEA stuff everywhere but the biggest help is that DH sorts out lunches and I sort out clothes, rather than one person trying to do everything.

suewilly · 11/08/2019 21:20

Right from when they start school, talk to them when they get home and make sure they are happy at school. Listen and ask questions and show them you are enthusiastic about what they get up to at school.
If you can start them in the routine of enjoying school, the morning routing will be so much easier because they don't feel obliged to delay getting there.

becks213 · 11/08/2019 21:41

Make sure you organise everything the night before and make sure you keep school shoes together and create a routine so the children can help you by putting everything they need for school in the right place

buckley1983 · 11/08/2019 23:22

Like many others - I try to have everything prepped the night before & 9 time out of 10 - this works! I sort all uniform for the week on a sunday evening so that's all sorted well in advance. I hang it up each evening on the back of the door for the next day along with pants & socks. It used to be battle, but this has made things much easier!
I also check my son's diary for school events that week - PE, show & tell, etc so I can mark them on the calendar & make sure those little extras are sorted too.
I try to get my son to be part of the organsation & prepping so when he comes in - he checks his bag for notes/forms & then puts these on the fridge. I also ask him to ensure coat, shoes & bag are hung up/put away... he sometimes does this!!
Storage is essential though & this where IKEA comes in handy! I cannot come the number of fabric drawers with have across the 4 Expedit units we have in the house!!

Lydia30 · 12/08/2019 00:17

I used to hate this every morning, we could get up 3 hours before school and still didn't get the children out in time. I resorted to a drastic solution, home educating, now mornings are lovely and relaxed.

This wasn't the only reason we took them out BTW Grin

mishknight · 12/08/2019 08:38

lay out uniform and do packed lunches the night before. Try to get child to take responsibility for organising their own things., like remembering their own PE kit, reply slips ...etc. Leave for school 5 minutes earlier than you need so it's not a mad dash.

matphil · 12/08/2019 09:40

I prepare everything possible the night before. We stick to a routine as it makes things easier and quicker. Mine like to watch a bit of tv before we leave, they are allowed to do this when they are all dressed and ready, so they hurry to get ready so that they can watch something.
We don't have far to walk to school but we usually play a quick game of something like I Spy on the way.

Michellemm · 12/08/2019 11:48

Get prepared the night before, leave out uniform and make lunch ready to grab.

tabbaz123 · 12/08/2019 14:47

Night before - no matter what time, no matter how tired or what type of day you have had - get ready the night before. Be prepared in advance - you can guarantee that the one day you say 'blast I am too tired I will do it in the morning' is the one morning when Chaos will reign supreme

Mudlarker · 12/08/2019 20:05

Review the week ahead sometime on the weekend for longer term planning, get everything ready the night before each day - and get up earlier than seems necessary

littlebitbroken · 12/08/2019 20:13

The actual key for me is that I have arranged life so that I only work two days a week.

Yep we have less money but more time to be together as a family and less opportunity to be stressed out with each other!

clareycat · 12/08/2019 20:22

Routine is key! Everything has a scheduled time including preparing for the next day by packing bags the night before, laying out uniforms/PE kits etc making the mornings a breeze

pinkspideruk · 12/08/2019 21:57

we prepare the night before - clothes laid out, school bag packed and lunches made and ready to go.

we also have a family calendar its huge where everythign is written down so we know in advance whats happening each week

Mariobug25 · 12/08/2019 23:26

Make sure you get everything ready the day before. That’s all the ironing, packed lunches etc. There’s nothing worse then getting up in the morning and trying to do it all. Because sods laws has it that you would wake up late on that morning! Also get intro he routine of doing homework on a saturday morning - not 7pm on a Sunday! Work our a routine that works for you and stick with it. X