Taking On The Morning School Run

This is a confession of a mum who has been done in by the school run.

I have previously written of how the school run literally kicked me right up the bum when my oldest son first started preschool at the primary school in September. I had never ever had to get up and have both children feed, washed, dressed and in the car ready to go before 8:30 am before... EVER (unless we were going on holiday and had an early flight but that is different somehow).

Typically, we would all lounge about in our pjs for hours have a leisurely breakfast and meet friends around 10 am and if we were running late it was no big deal as usually the friends we were meeting were also running late, due to one of the usual culprits (explosive nappies, a nap time that went on longer than expected, lost clothes/shoes, etc...). Those were the good old days. :)

It wasn't long after preschool started with a very strict drop off time of 8:45 am (trust me any time after that the place is like Fort Knox...shut down, lock down, straight to the head mistress' office to excuse your tardiness and a little bit of embarrassment to top it all off) that I arrived at my 6:30 am personal trainer appointment in floods of tears explaining that I might not be able to keep to a 6:30 am gym schedule, as I am then way too rushed with getting the boys ready and making that 8:45 am cut off time. To say I was stressed just doesn't do it justice.

All dressed up ready for school

Now, please don't get me wrong. I am definitely one of the lucky ones being able to be a stay at home mum, I know that and am thankful for it every day. Many of my friends work full time and have been getting their children into nursery for 7:30 am and then hustling off to work most days of the week. I have told many of them that I am in awe, they deserve a spa break or at the very least an award and that I truly admire them. This is not a lie, I really do! :)

Anyway, now that September has long since past and we have seen a whole term and a half go by, I can honestly say that it has gotten easier. Well, I am in a good routine now at least. I suppose that is down to a handful of things:
1) My oldest can now get dressed in his school uniform by himself.
2) My youngest can't dress himself but picks out his outfit for the day, so no more 20 minute tantrums about what to wear (even if that means he wears his Rudolph shirt in the middle of Feb).
3) They both know the routine and are more able to get everything done in good time (including run through the school grounds if we are running a little late).
4) I haven't been going to the gym in the mornings for awhile, so I am able to put a bit more time into getting everyone ready and out the door in an orderly fashion.

My little one dressed to drop off his brother at school! Yes, I did put trousers on him! ;)

With all that said;
I still really dislike the morning school run.
I still arrive at the school gates looking like the least well put together mum (I'm working on this).
I am still trying to make friends with other school mums (which I am finding challenging) and
I am still getting used to not being late.

How we all feel after the morning school run! :)

I look forward to every term break when we can all lounge till 9 am in our pjs, eat a more relaxed breakfast and be late getting to a meet up with friends because guess what that friend has just text and she's running late too. :-)

Anyone else dislike the school run? 
xx