School run, which is ‘the time when parents drive their children to or from school‘, can be tense due to the amount of preparation required. If just one thing goes wrong, it could spoil the entire trip to school and gets the day off to a bad start. Not to mention you and the kids arguing and getting grumpy, which can ruin the rest of the day.
The time may become even more frustrating because you are preparing not only the children but also yourself if you have to go to work. Without a proper routine and preparation, your school run will never be optimised and may even worsen day by day. Worse, it will leave you feeling rushed and exhausted every school day.
So, if you feel like you’re struggling with rallying your kids getting them ready, and driving them to school, then here are 10 ways that can help you stay organised while ensuring a successful school run.
Organise the Evening or Night Before
Preparing ahead of time will be extremely beneficial to start your school run. This includes packing school bags, laying out uniforms (including socks and shoes), setting out lunch boxes and bottles, and ensuring that children complete their homework. Organising all of the items needed for school the previous evening or night will relieve the stress and anxiety of rushing around to fix everything on the day. Check the school calendar as well, so you don’t miss any special events involving your children at school.
Leave Early to Reach Early
Set a time for you and your children to leave the house and for them to arrive at school. You can also set an alarm to ensure that everyone is on time. Taking unexpected road work, congested traffic around school, and other factors into account, try to leave as early as possible so your children are not late for school. Plus, getting to school early will benefit your children by giving them time to prepare their minds for learning.
Wake Up Before Your Kids
If you wake up after your kids, chances are everyone will be late that day. Make sure you get out of bed at least 30 minutes to an hour before waking your children. It will give you some extra time for yourself before the hectic day begins, as well as plenty of time to get on with tasks like preparing breakfast and packing your kids’ lunches. Because you’ve completed all necessary tasks, you’ll be available to assist your children as they prepare for school.
Keep Calm and Don’t Lose Your Temper
When you’re running late or have had a sleepless night, it’s easy to become irritated with your children, especially when they’re not cooperating. Just keep in mind that you don’t want your children to go to school unhappy and upset—this could interfere with their learning. Just try to stay calm at all times, because when you are calm, your children and everything else will hopefully be in order.
Check Traffic Before the School Run
In some areas, and if there are multiple routes you could take to get your children to school, this will provide you with peace of mind before embarking on that journey. Turn on the GPS to see where the traffic is congested and which route it recommends you take. Being stuck in bad traffic can be inconvenient and depressing, so try to plan ahead of time. You can also do it the old-fashioned way by listening to the traffic report on the radio. What matters is that you are aware of the most recent traffic conditions so that you do not arrive late.
Don’t Rush School Run and Be Safe
Accidents can occur when you rush, whether at home or on the road. If you woke up late, you may be able to tell your children to get ready a little faster than usual, but never rush them. They may slip in the slick bathroom, down the stairs, or injure themselves simply by rushing to get ready. The same is true when driving your children to school; you don’t want to rush and get into an accident. Or worse, cause one! Remember to stay calm and focus on getting your children to school safely.
Teach Kids to Pack Their School Bag
You can train your children to pack their own schoolbags once they can read their schedules properly. You may need to keep an eye on them at first, but once they get used to it, you only need to double-check that all required books are there. After a while, you might not have to check anymore, and they just know how to pack like a pro! Plus, it’s one less thing on your school run checklist—win-win!
Implement a Strict Bedtime Routine
Most children who sleep past their bedtime struggle to get up early to get ready. Even if they do, it will be at a snail’s pace because they are simply tired. Make sure your kids go to bed at the appropriate time so they can wake up feeling refreshed. They are not only energetic in getting ready for school, but they will also be active in class. A strict bedtime routine ensures that your children get enough sleep to wake up early, which is the first step towards a successful school run.
Stick to a School Run Routine
Make a step-by-step plan for your school run to ensure that everything is in order. Share the list with your children so they know what is expected of them every school day. Include the time to do homework, go to bed, wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and leave the house. It may be difficult to adhere to at first, but once everyone is accustomed to the routine, it will be smooth sailing, and your children will reach school on time—or even earlier.
Consider Opting for the School Bus Service
There are times when you just can’t do it all and would benefit from outside assistance. Using a school bus service to transport your children to school means you’ll have one less thing to worry about in the morning. All you have to do is make sure they are ready when the school bus arrives, and off they go to school. You can then go straight to work or finish any tasks that needed to be completed at home.
A Stress-Free School Run Requires Patience and Preparation
Being organised and planning ahead of time usually does the trick in making school run more smoothly. If you feel like your daily task of preparing and sending your kids to school is always chaotic and never satisfactory, it is time to reconsider your routine. Perhaps there is something you can change and try out using the suggestions above to make the time more relaxing for both you and the kids.
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