How to survive the school run

The absolute best part of the school holidays for me has to be the fact that I don't need to battle with the school run every morning. Yeah! Trying to organise 3 kids every morning and get them to school on time is no easy task.

Our school is a 1 mile/20 minute walk away so we need to be out of the house by 8:30am at the very latest. Here are my top tips to get you through......

1 - Don't fall into the trap of carrying your children's bags

If your children are able, teach them to take responsibility from an early age. Make sure they have a good quality school bag that fits them well and is spacious enough to carry their belongings. I like to let my children choose their own design as then they are more likely to want to carry it so it's Marvel for Harry, Frozen for Heidi and Jurassic Park for Jack.

2 - Buy wellies for everyone & ensure they are easily accessible

It is always very likely to rain during our walk to school. That's the British weather for you! Rather than the kids getting wet feet and trouser bottoms during their walk to school, I prefer for them to wear their wellies and then change into their school shoes when they're at school. This also means that I'm not constantly shouting at  asking the kids to dodge puddles en-route which is a lot less stressful. I like to buy wellies with handles attached as it means the kids can put them on/take them off unsupervised and with ease.

3 - Waterproof coats are essential for everyone

They may not be the most attractive but waterproof coats are essential for everyone and keep you dry (and happy) during the walk to school. My three will still be wearing their Trespass coats from last year as they still have plenty of room and I love how there is the option to add a fleece if needed. I swear by my Boden Mac as it's warm, has pockets and a hood (although Steve's not so keen but what does he know).

4 - Coffee, coffee & more coffee

Don't even think about attempting the school run without a decent cup of coffee. We love Ouseburn Coffee which you can buy from Fenwick Foodhall and it certainly makes the morning rush a little bit more bearable.

5 - Ban electronics in the morning

We've had this rule for 2 years now and it works really well. NO electronics are allowed in our house on a school day morning. This means no iPads, no computers and no Xbox. I did try saying they could play on electronics once they were ready and had their breakfast but it didn't really work as when it was time to leave they were glued to the screen rather than finding their shoes/putting their coats on. A clean ban is SO much easier. We do watch tv but it's the same every morning and not a real distraction for us (currently Phineas and Ferb).

Do you have any tips for surviving the school run?

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.