How to Minimise School Run Drama

I've been doing some reflecting on school mornings, and the drama that can sometimes ensue in getting everyone organised and out the door on time. 

I'm certainly enjoying the slower mornings during the summer holidays!

I thought I'd share my thoughts on how we can minimise school run drama ahead of the schools going back, so that you can think about any changes you'd like to make in advance.

As a single mum, I've not only to get myself showered, dressed and ready... but I also have two kids to organise (oh, and there's the dog too!). It's gotten easier as they're getting older, and I'm now working from home which also helps massively too, but I can still vividly recall the morning madness as I tried to get two toddlers ready for nursery on my own whilst simultaneously getting myself organised to go into the office!

There are some hacks that you can try however to get your mornings from chaos to calm:

• Plan your week on Sunday evening. I like to take an hour to look ahead at the calendar for the week on a Sunday evening. It allows me to address any conflicts before they become issues. This way you can also make sure that you've got time to make any arrangements for the kids if there are particular events at school (last minute World Book Day costume perhaps!).

My journal for my morning routine

• Get up before the kids. This is something I've only been doing in the last couple of years. I used to be a prolific snoozer, and would sometimes hit snooze 6 or 7 times before actually getting up and would typically only get out of bed after the kids woke me! Whereas it's so helpful for my mental wellbeing and readiness to get some time just for me to fill my cup. You can read more about my morning ritual here.

• Lay out clothes the night before, including choosing what you're going to wear. If there is ironing to be done, ensure it's done in advance so you don't have to deal with it in the morning... that always used to catch me out!

• Are there ways that you can use automation? I'm not talking robots, but for instance, I get my milk delivered from a local dairy on a subscription... so I know that I'll always have milk for breakfast. I had seen me in the past frantically texting friends to see if they could drop me off milk at night, or even popping to a neighbour to ask them to fill a jug for me in the morning!

• Wake the kids before they actually need to get out of bed. I've found that rousing the kids around 15-20 minutes before they need to wake is helpful. I go into their rooms, open their curtains to let some light in, and let them know what time it is.

• Put the clock forward. The wall clock in my kitchen has been set 10 minutes ahead of time. It helps keep us on track! The digital clock on the microwave is at the correct time... just to be sure!!

• Have everything you need by the door. I used to have two dedicated hooks by the door for each of the kids school bags, and we've a bench by the door that stores their shoes. We've also got an apothecary set of drawers in the hallway, and each of us has a drawer for our hats, gloves, scarves etc. In one of the drawers I even have a hairbrush with a few hair bobbles wrapped around the handle. This is for any last minute drama from my daughter if she needs to put her hair up! Thankfully it seems we will no longer need the drawer that houses all of our Covid face masks! I've got a dedicated dish where I keep my car & house keys too, so they're always to hand.

• Think about where items are stored in your kitchen. I've got plastic cups for the kids in a cupboard at their height, as well as plastic bowls and the cereal is in a cupboard they can reach. This way they can be taught to make their own breakfast.

• Have a planner/calendar on the wall. For kids that can read, I've found that having a daily planner and/or calendar on the wall that they can consult is helpful. I've got my colour coded time blocked Google calendar, but they obviously don't have access to that. I sometimes forget that unless I put something on the wall they won't know what I've got planned. It's particular useful if there are any changes to the schedule - such as school trips or whatever that might impact the morning routine. My free digital planning templates are available here to download. I use a meal planner (included in my templates), and in the morning I'll consult what we're having for dinner that night and take anything out of the freezer if needed.

Hopefully these ideas will spark some ideas of your own.

I did also ask my nearly 13 year old son if he had anything else to add to the list. This was what he came up with...

• To wake up sleepy pre-teens, you could perhaps suggest that they have a quick shower in the morning. This has been super helpful for my son, and he loves his morning shower with some of his favourite music playing too.

• Stick to a routine. If you follow the same routine every morning, everyone will be used to the order of events and this will also help things go smoothly. 

He then followed his suggestions with the comment 'So do I get any revenue out of this?' 🤣

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Review - Dr Martens Back to School Range

This week the school's go back in Glasgow... the summer (if you can call it that!!) has flown by.

It's time to get organised with uniforms, school shoes, rucksacks for the new term.

We were invited along to Dr Martens to check out their Back to School range for kids. Being completely honest, I had never stepped into a Dr Martens store before (I didn't even realise there was one on Sauchiehall Street, right opposite The Body Shop) and I've never owned (or even tried on for that matter) a pair of Dr Martens myself.

The history of the brand really interested me. Dr Martens air-cushioned sole was designed by German inventor Dr Klaus Maertens and was created to meet the specific need or providing additional support and comfort for his broken foot. The Dr Martens boot with its trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole and heel-loop was manufactured by R Griggs and Co, British boot makers, as a boot for workers and was originally worn by postmen and policemen due to its comfortable, durable and lightweight design. A specific range of "Made in England" products are still manufactured at the Cobbs Lane factory. This is the home of Dr Martens where the first pair rolled off the production line on April 1st, 1960.

In terms of the children's Back to School range, there isn't a huge choice but that perhaps makes our job as parents easier as my little ones couldn't fuss over which ones to pick! I personally love the patent Mary Jane style for girls.

 

We tried a Chelsea boot style for my son (which doesn't appear to be on the website so I can't show you a photo), but it was unfortunately a bit tight around his foot so instead we chose the Velcro shoe, Jerry, which was much more comfortable for him. That's probably the only downside of these shoes - they are not available in different width fittings. However, huge plus point for me is the sturdy sole. These shoes are going to last well, plus when the weather turns and the pavements are icy the grip on the sole will be invaluable. Velcro closure rather than laces is also ideal for my son's age as I haven't attempted to teach him how to tie a bow yet!

 

We left the shop with him wearing his new shoes and despite walking around for hours in Glasgow's city centre there wasn't a single complaint of the shoes hurting - which I had anticipated given they were a brand new pair. Unlike the adult shoes, the children's ones are made with softer leather.

 

Which brings me onto the adult shoes... I felt that it was the ideal time for me to try on a few pairs.

 

Crikey, the original shoes were sore and certainly would have needed lots of breaking in!!

 

I then tried on a pair of Teresa boots, these have the air-cushioned sole, but it's slimmer in comparison to the original boots. The fit overall is a bit slimmer so the boots don't look as bulky as the original ones. I love the colour (cherry red high-shine rub-off Arcadia) and the strapping wraps around the back with the buckle gives a bit of extra interest.

 

 

I fell in love and ended up buying them for myself... and I have been wearing them every day since!!

 

I can dress them up with tights and a tunic for work, or dress them down with jeans and a jumper. They're super versatile and unlike the original shoes I tried, these didn't need breaking in (I have been wearing them with two pairs of socks as I've got cold feet all the time!).

P.S. Did you know that Dr Martens do clothes and bags too... I tried on this gorgeous cut out black tunic, but it was too short :-(

 

We received one complimentary pair of school shoes - thank you Dr Martens. Opinions, as always, are honest and my own.

 

Review - Brantano Shoes

This was the first time that I have been into a Brantano store and I was suitable impressed. The branch we visited had a wide range of brands from Adidas to Hush Puppies, Skechers to Nike. There was also an impressive range of character shoes; my little girl was particularly drawn to the Frozen trainers!

Our fitter Samantha was absolutely fantastic with the children. The process was considerably longer given that my son really wasn’t keen on getting new school shoes – he had his heart set on a pair of bright coloured trainers instead. However Samantha managed to encourage him to try on the Hush Puppies school shoes. The first pair were too tight, and we eventually found a pair that were perfect.

The littlest was super keen on the pair of Frozen trainers (she's literally obsessed with all things Frozen!?) and she also had her eye on some high heels (!!), but again Samantha managed to help her chose a more practical pair of shoes that mummy was happy with. The children were entertained throughout the whole fitting and we left the store very happy customers. We will most certainly be back.

There were a wide range of prices available in the store; my son chose a pair of more expensive school shoes but the leather Hush Puppies should last him a whole school year. My daughter chose a pair of Brantano own brand shoes, Feet Street Petunium which have a hard wearing sole with a rubber toe that 

 will protect the shoe from scuffs. I think at £16 they are excellent value for money. Both shoes have velcro closures, so the kids can get them on and off themselves.

Our shoe selection

The overall experience at Brantano was amazing. Sometimes shoe shopping can be stressful, but the experienced staff genuinely made the process straightforward. Samantha, who is a parent herself, was fantastic with the children.

Unlike other stores where there can be a long wait, the layout at Brantano is ideal. All the shoes of the children’s size are laid out on the shelves; from the outset you can easily see what’s available. It means 

that the little ones don’t get their heart set on a pair of shoes that aren’t in stock.

We're planning on returning to the store at the end of the month to get some crocs for our Easter holiday - there is already a huge range available and I'm told that more stock is arriving soon.

The following week my son arrived at school on Monday morning showing off his new shoes to all his friends (& the parents too... basically anyone that would listen!)... he was delighted with them. Thank you Brantano :-)

I've got happy feet!!

We received two complimentary pairs of children's shoes in exchange for this review. As always, opinions are my own and are honest.