Summer holidays are a blessing, not just for the little ones but also for you. For weeks, you’ve been enjoying your breakfast in a quiet kitchen before going to the office. And on those days when your children still got up at 7am, they could laze around in their pyjamas without you having to chase around for clean uniforms, half-packed schoolbags and late homework. And the commute to work was free from school run madness and parents too eager to get their children to school on time without getting a warning for arriving late to work.

Mornings don’t have to be a manic rush. The trick is to be prepared

The bad news is that the quiet mornings are over. The school run is back: you need to wake up early, try and convince the children to get out of bed, make sure all their stuff is ready, give instructions for the day, and organise the pick up schedule. It’s a five-day-a-week manic battle.

The good news is that with a bit of planning, the school run can be a calmer affair. The trick is organising a routine and sticking to it. At least, until the half-term holidays give you a deserved break.

The night before

Admittedly, all you want to do after a hard day at the office is slump down on the sofa and watch your favourite television series. But before you do that, spend half an hour making sure that the children have everything they need for the following morning.

First item to tick: school uniforms. You don’t want to be rummaging around through unsorted laundry for matching socks at 7am. So prepare the children’s uniforms on the night before and lay them out. The same strategy applies for packed lunches – prepare and pop into the refrigerator. All homework should be ready the night before – you don’t want to be doing maths or putting the finishing touches to a project on the Amazon rainforest first thing in the morning.

The biggest headache is getting the schoolbags ready. The night before a school day, make sure that your children pack their bags and have them ready by the front door. Also, check what school administration you need to prepare: sign school trip letters, prepare sick notes, and take care of any other school demand.

You should also get all your stuff ready – think about what you will wear to the office and do your ironing the night before. Also, if you’re driving the children to school, make sure that your car has enough fuel – queuing for fuel early morning can be a drag.

First meal of the day

Breakfast can be a nightmare. However, it can also be an opportunity to spend some quality time together as a family. For this to happen, you need to lay the breakfast table the night before, as soon as you’ve finished with dinner and sent the children to bed.

You should also have a strict breakfast routine. First of all, you’re not some line chef and you don’t cook on order – everyone has to have the same breakfast. If this sounds a bit boring, then have a couple of breakfast menus on rotation: one day cereals, the following day omelettes or pancakes. Alternatively, eat the same breakfast on weekdays and then treat yourself to a full affair on weekends.

Moreover, make sure that everyone helps in cleaning up afterwards – there’s no reason why you should arrive home from work to find the breakfast bowls and plates still soaking in the sink. Breakfast rule: everyone cleans up their own bowl, dish and cutlery.

Keep calm

You’re late and the children are still getting ready for school. It’s hard not to lose your temper. However, remember that you can only survive the morning by keeping calm. If you lose control, then the chances are that you will either forget something or start the morning in a foul mood.

Share diaries

Children’s diaries have become as busy as those of captains of industry. Whether it’s ballet or music lessons on Monday or football classes on Wednesday, make sure that you know when your children need to be where, especially if you’re the designated driver. If you want to be super organised, draw up a weekly chart and stick it on the refrigerator door – that way, everyone knows what the children are up to.

If you want to save up on driving and be kinder to the environment, get together with other parents and agree on a transport schedule for children going to the same extracurricular activities.

Quiet time

You have a long day in front of you and you need some quiet time to reflect, prepare and generally brace yourself. Don’t hit the snooze button, wake up 10 minutes before everyone else and spend some quality me-time: whether it’s a hot shower, a cup of coffee or sitting down in the garden, you need those precious few minutes on your own.

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