Mornings can be hectic at the start of the school year. Individual mud room storage for each of your kids makes getting out the door a little easier.

As much as I hate to admit it, summer is over. Most schools in the Reston, Virginia area started back around August 29th, and if you’re a mom, you probably know there’s never a dull moment at the start of the school year. Getting into the swing of things can be tough.

Mornings are especially crazy in my house. Between getting the kids dressed, breakfast made, lunches packed, and getting everyone off to school on time, mornings feel like a mad dash for the finish line. And let’s not even mention the fact that you’ve still got to get yourself put together.

If you’re trying to streamline your morning routine, you’ve probably realized that organization is key to keeping your sanity. That’s why, this time of year, I tend to talk with a lot of clients who are interested in custom mud room storage systems. This type of setup can be a great, effective way to make the morning rush more manageable.

Everyone Gets His or Her Own Space

My first suggestion is usually that you add individual storage lockers to your mud room for each family member. This helps alleviate morning stress because everyone will know exactly where to go to grab their items. It’s also visually helpful for mom: with just a glance, you can see if anything is missing ahead of time for each of your kids.

Custom design also lets you tailor each person’s space to their needs. If your daughter needs room to store outfits for her dance recitals or your son is in band, they’ll have designated spots for all their gear. Each of our systems also comes with adjustable shelving, which helps even young kids reach their stuff on their own—and you can move the shelves up as they get older.

Your Entryway Will Be Clutter Free

In our household in Reston, the entryway used to be the landing spot for backpacks, briefcases, and purses. They got piled on top of each other as soon as we walked in the door. With a custom mud room, though, you can include hooks for these important items inside each person’s locker so that everything is finally off the floor.

These hooks are sturdy enough for kids’ backpacks and winter coats, and since we’ve switched to this system, our home looks much cleaner (and bigger, too).

You’ll Reduce the Risk of Tripping over a Loose Baseball

Clearly, this says it all—I have been the mom who took an unfortunate slip on my son’s baseball. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the sports my kids get to play in the fall, but maintaining their equipment is tricky. This is why I often suggest that clients add pull-out chrome baskets to their mud rooms.

You can choose from a variety of basket sizes, depending on the sports that your kids have taken up, and you can easily see the items that are inside (while still containing the chaos). This prevents unnecessary trip hazards when you’re rushing to get to school on time.

Your Kids Won’t Go Hungry at Lunchtime

Even if you’ve done everything on your morning to-do list, it never fails that unless lunches are in plain sight, someone forgets theirs. I finally added a designated “lunch shelf” to each of my kids’ storage lockers, and it has definitely made a difference.

Every morning, I place their lunch boxes on these shelves so that they can grab their backpacks and lunches at the same time and in the same spot. If I haven’t had my morning coffee yet, these shelves are great for me, too, because with a quick glance I can make sure I haven’t actually forgotten someone.

No matter how much you prepare, the transition from summer to fall can be tough. But a custom mud room built to suit your family’s needs can add some efficiency to your morning routine. It used to take my family about 45 minutes to get through our mornings, but once we started using a custom storage system, it dropped to about 35 minutes. 10 minutes might not seem like a lot of extra time, but for busy parents, it can feel like winning an Olympic gold medal. Get in touch with us for a free design consultation to explore mud room options for your own family.