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When it comes to the school run we can all feel that pressure of getting out of the house on time with everyone looking presentable and ready for the day, ourselves included. But what is it about the school-run mornings that make it such a mad rush? Often we can find ourselves with too much to do in such a short space of time, and with commutes to school and possibly nursery or work, there is a lot to think about.
Here are some tips to help you beat the school run rush.
Tips to help you beat the school run rush
Get up earlier
This tip might be a painful one, but the truth is, if you had more time in the morning it is likely you won’t feel so rushed, and getting up earlier is one way to do it. It doesn’t have to be drastic, even 10-15 minutes earlier can make all of the difference. However, giving yourself half an hour will leave you time to enjoy a morning cup of tea or coffee and get yourself ready without the rush. Then you will have enough time to sort the kids out with everything that needs to be done.
The main issue with mornings is having too much to do, or no time to actually think about your day and start it off in the right way. Why not try 10 minutes earlier and see if you can make it earlier as the weeks go by? It won’t feel like such a huge change then.
Prepare what you can the night before
It may sound obvious, but doing what you can the night before will make a big difference to how your morning goes and once you start to think about it, there are lots of things you can prepare. For starters, set out your kid’s uniforms the night before and pack their bags. Maybe you could start the lunch such as making a sandwich or preparing any fruit or vegetables they might take with them for snacks.
You could also prepare yourself for the next day. Set out what you want to wear, make any lunch you take with you to work, or even write out your to-do list so that it is ready for the next day. The more you prepare, the less you will have to worry about in the morning.
Delegate jobs to your kids
Another great way to save some time in the morning is to delegate jobs for your kids to do themselves. This might be that one child is in charge of the pets, so feeding them and changing their water. Another might unload the dishwasher or restack it after breakfast. Perhaps you can ask them to make their beds once they are ready for school.
It might be small little tasks that they can do that will give you a few minutes of time to focus on other things. They could even earn rewards by doing these daily tasks each day, and it can save you a lot of hassle.
Make the children responsible for themselves
If your children are old enough, then why not make them responsible for themselves? It could be that they get themselves ready in the morning instead of you having to nag them or help them to dress. It could be that they pack their bags themselves or even add to their lunchbox snacks and things out of the cupboards.
Giving them the responsibility of looking after themselves in the morning can make a big difference in how your morning goes. There will be less rush and less hassle with nagging them to do things. Again just as you might with daily tasks, you can reward them with a sticker or a tick towards something they want or pocket money at the end of the week.
Be realistic with what you can do
It is important to be realistic about what you can and can’t do with your time. The mornings are stressful as is without you trying to get washing on, load the dishwasher, or clean the house before you leave. Believe it or not, some people try and do too much and it is unrealistic. Set yourself a few tasks that you know you can get done and build up from there. The more you ask your kids to help, the less stressed you will be in the morning.
Avoid screens where possible
It isn’t easy to ask your kids not to be on their tablets or phones in the morning, but let’s be honest, many of us have been there asking them to put their shoes on or brush their teeth and they ignore you or their face is staring at a screen. Try and have a cut-off point for screens or avoid them altogether.
Have the intention of setting off earlier
Having the intention of setting off earlier means that you can have a little grace period where if you are running a little later then you will still be on time. Give yourself a leaving time of five minutes before you need to, and then work towards that. This way you won’t be early if you do leave on time, but you also have that five-minute period to cover yourself if it is proving difficult to leave the house.
Leave shoes, bags and coats in a place accessible and easy to find
It is important to leave things accessible and easy to find. Think about all of the things that you will need in the morning. School bags and coats, school shoes and lunch boxes. It is also a good idea to go through school bags the night before so you can check for letters or add any permission slips or signed forms into the bag ready for the next day. Leave them at the door, or in a place where you know your kids can find them so when you ask them to get ready to leave there is no sudden panic as to where everything is.
I hope these tips help you to beat the school run rush.
