Family Command Center

Family is always at the Center

Keeping up with the hectic lives of family members can be a challenge, especially this time of year! Now that summer is winding down and school is about to start life will take on a whole new look.  With all the extracurricular activities, carpooling, new bedtime routines, packing lunches, etc. life can get incredibly chaotic. It takes time to readjust. Having a Family Command Center can help calm the chaos by keeping it all organized.

To be most effective, a Family Command Center should be fairly simple, visually speaking. If you have too many notes, agendas, calendars and to-do lists posted all over the place you may create information overload and add to the chaos. Here is how I suggest creating a simple Family Command Center to calm the chaos.

Select a central location where everyone will know where to look for important information, such as a kitchen or den. Once you’ve chosen the location, stick to that spot. Moving stuff around all the time and not being consistent with where you keep things confuses and frustrates everyone. (Ask my husband…ummm….lesson learned.)

Incorporate some of the following ideas to keep everyone on track and up to speed. Only use the ideas that are pertinent to you and your family.

• A family calendar with everyone’s schedules
• Baskets for each family members current projects/school papers/misc.
• Shopping lists
• School lunch calendars or school lunch ideas
• A dry erase board for special reminders
• Household Binder with important information such as contact numbers, school information, pet/house sitter info, etc.
• An extra set of keys
• A secret stash of emergency cash

I love the idea of adding a family motto to the Family Command Center. Print up your favorite inspirational quote or create your now family motto as a remind of why we want to keep up with each other…why we schedule in family nights…why mom and dad need date nights…FAMILY is always at the CENTER.