School Mornings Are Chaotic — These 15 Products Make Them Easier

(Amazon)

The transition from slow, schedule-free summer mornings back to the strict rhythm of the school year can be hard on everyone. Suddenly, there’s a clock to beat, lunches to pack, teeth to brush, and backpacks somehow lost to space and time even though they were definitely here last night. And that’s before parents have even had a chance to down their morning coffee.

Young kids often need the adults in their lives to keep all those moving parts on track, even as they themselves are trying to get themselves ready for work, while teenagers face the added challenge of being, well, teenagers, whose body clocks aren’t exactly built for early mornings. It’s a recipe for chaos when the whole family deserves to start their day with as much gentleness as possible.

A few smart systems and useful gadgets can take some of the pressure off, whether that means getting kids to handle more of their own routines, making breakfast easier to prep ahead, or simplifying the morning quest to track down daily essentials when everyone already seems to be running late.