A successful school run for me involves:

• meticulous preparation
• a good system and routine
• a bit of luck

Although only two of the children are of school age, the school run involves all four children and myself. That means that every night before school:

• five sets of clothes are put out ready
• hair styles have been discussed with my daughter and we know what we are doing and bobbles and clips have been chosen and put with her uniform
• hair is well brushed and detangled prior to bed, this does make it a quicker job in the morning and we use the Childs Farm detangler as it is suitable for eczema-prone skin and leaves hair silky soft
• the board has been checked to see what we need for school
• packed lunches are made
• any after-school activity kit is prepared and put by the front door to avoid leaving anything behind
• water bottles are filled
• shoes are lined up ready for little feet to jump into them
• the alarm and back up alarm is set

Each morning we follow quite a tight routine to get out of the door in plenty of time. We try to allow time for road blockages, which near us tend to be cows, tractors, horses, sheep, rabbits and pheasants.

What are your tips for a smooth school run?