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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:
ursuslemonade · 31/07/2019 11:52

Prepare everything the night before.

Make sure you have enough ( and a spare) uniform, socks, tights etc.

Get up on time.

Homework done the night before.

I take a pic of school letters, appointments, set reminders etc.

Would love a bench in the hallway however it's been forever occupied by tools 🤔

Debra74 · 31/07/2019 14:59

My children have lists displayed in their bedrooms of all the things they need to achieve in the morning pre-school, e.g. clean teeth, brush hair, pack bag etc. I have one on my phone :)

Goingovertosusanshouse · 31/07/2019 15:10

I hate routine but it’s the only way school days work. Trying to keep everything the same each day and preparing everything the night before.

BadgerFace · 31/07/2019 20:11

Have children who get up at 5.30am. It is very handy once they start school - lots of time in the mornings to get ready!

Alexapourmeadrink · 01/08/2019 00:08

Flip me, you all need halos! I'm way too tired getting the wee buggers to go to bed to think about the next morning. I hear "hi mum" regularly before midnight and sometimes during the night. But me trying to say "hi" the following morning is greeted with language a mother should never hear. Give me strength! Does Ikea do magic wands?

Brain06626 · 01/08/2019 01:51

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WigglyWong · 01/08/2019 01:57

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Adollop · 01/08/2019 05:39

Planning everything ahead and laying out clothes etc the night before. Placing everything next to the front door ready to leave. Making a packed lunch the night before and keeping it in the fridge. Writing a to do list so that we don't forget anything. Leaving plenty of time to get ready to avoid a mad rush that just causes upset and tension.

MyNameIsJane · 01/08/2019 08:26

I have an alarm on my watch to count down when to leave the house with a leeway of 3 minutes.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 09:59

Ooh...when is this being drawn @AbbiCMumsnet?
(I am not eligible until later in the month)

Cupcakeicecream · 01/08/2019 12:30

Wash and iron all uniforms and hang up for the week. Kids can just grab and go.pe kit swim kit all packed on Sunday ready to go.do the pack lunch the night before. Homework finished and reading complete straight home from school put back in bag left a feint door.basically leave it all at the front door grab and go no rushing around ironing making lunches last minute homework you have that extra time to enjoy with kids instead of stressed.

Banjodancer · 01/08/2019 13:44

I think I need to build a porch for all the stuff that needs to be left "at the front door"!

AbbiCMumsnet · 01/08/2019 13:54

Hi @RageAgainstTheVendingMachine, the prize will be drawn after the thread has closed next Wednesday.

Thanks!

OP posts:
Jengle · 01/08/2019 14:03

I have everything planned! From clothes washed and ironed, laid out in their bedrooms, to setting the table the night before so we can have a leisurely breakfast of homemade pancakes, orange juice or cereal.

It’s important to me that the mornings are a refreshing start to the day, I think a flustered, harassed start is the worse way to send a child to school and expect them to concentrate.

I use the IKEA trofast system so each child has their own box with winter wear- gloves, hats, scarf.
The box underneath has pe kit/pumps.
The box underneath that has their school bag/book bag in.
And shoes underneath.

Everyone know where their items are and for the last 12 years the systems seems to work.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 14:04

Ah well. Another time Abbi. Thanks anyway Wine
when I am back in the UK I am so entering every comp going! One day, MN, one day

MadCatLadypuss · 01/08/2019 15:59

We prepare for the school day by being organised. We all have bags packed the night before. We also have a set routine in the morning so we don't all fight for the bathroom.

pikapikachu · 01/08/2019 16:07

We are not morning people so packing the night before is a must.

My kids are in secondary school and the least organised has like 10 alarms on his phone.

6:30am-watch YouTube
6:50am-snooze time
7:00am- you should have woken 30 mins ago
7:05am - seriously get changed
7:30am- brush your teeth
7:40am- do your hair
7:50am - turn off you tube
(On pe/good tech days) 7:51- pe Kit/food tech ready?
7:52 shoes on!
7:55 go go go!

EastCoastDamsel · 01/08/2019 16:21

We have a large wardrobe in the hall right by the front door. As soon as we get in in the evenings (6pm most days) the children deposit their shoes, blazers, and any bags, sports equiptment or musical instruments not needed for that day's homework in the wardrobe. (They are each supposed to stick to their own side, although that seldom happens)

They then do homework/music practice etc while i finish off dinner. Everything goes back to the wardrobe before they can relax, go upstairs, read, watch telly etc.

I also make sure that any kit that needed to be washed and ready for the following day, is also in the wardrobe.

This simple step means that when we are all under pressure the next day to get out of the house on time (we need to leave at 7:10am at the very latest), we all know where these things are and there isn't a round of recriminations over lost shoes.

(Getting a dog has actually helped us get more organised in the morning as we needed somewhere to store things away from his chewing ways when he was a puppy and the wardrobe has been a saving grace!)

TellMeItsNotTrue · 01/08/2019 16:37

Organisation

  • By the door we have boxes for each DC where pe kits, book bags, shoes etc live.
  • Kits for different activities get washed the night they come home and go straight back in the correct bag and the bag goes in their box
  • While they get changed I look through book bags for any letters/invites etc and fill it in/rsvp and put it back in bags ready for next day

I also keep a calendar by the front door, that's for school reminders (need £1, fancy dress, own clothes etc) and I check that daily so I don't forget, when I'm reading letters etc after school I add notes to this. We have a second one in the kitchen for appointments etc

AnotherBreakfast · 01/08/2019 17:54

Yes to everything ready the night before! Although I do not practice what I preach and am almost always running around trying to find my own work bits before shoving everyone/thing into the car.
We love the IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinet - my eldest knows to get his school shoes out and also put away when he gets in. We also repurposed our magnetic knife rack as a key holder for our hallway after seeing it in an IKEA email. Possibly my favourite house hack as before the keys were in a bowl and hubby was always panic calling me worried he’d take two sets!

wonkylegs · 01/08/2019 20:34

We have a separate low level kitchen cupboard next to the table which has kids bowls, kids plates, cups, cereal & bagels in it so they can come down and sort themselves out in the morning.
As they both get up early anyway, it helps that they can get a head start on the day for themselves.

Vole3 · 01/08/2019 21:46

When DS was in primary school I had a 5 drawer unit in my hall. Each drawer would be loaded on a Sunday evening with a set of undies and uniform for each day and any items he needed for that particular day to save the rush of finding clean clothes each day or PE kit on a Wednesday or Fridays swimming stuff

cannotmakemymindup · 02/08/2019 00:43

Definitely lunches sorted the nighg beford minus chilled items. I am often surprised at home much time it saves. I ask my Dd what she wants before bed and that's what she gets I her lumchbox the next day

sally2489 · 02/08/2019 01:44

I organise as much as possible the day before. Get uniforms laid out ready to wear, breakfast cereals and plates read on the table, school bags ready by the door.
Then a relaxed early bedtime to get them awake in plenty of time to enjoy breakfast and arrive to school laidback rather than stressed.

Alislia17 · 02/08/2019 03:17

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