Are you wondering how to organize a busy schedule with everyone home for the summer? Check out this easy-to-follow guide to creating your very own family command station.
It can be tough juggling so many roles. We get it! Sometimes you just need to take a step back and re-evaluate what’s working and what needs to change.
With everything in one place, you’ll be able to easily coordinate everyone’s schedules and never miss another important event again!
Creating a Family Command Station
With a family command center, you can easily keep track of everyone’s schedules and never miss another important event again.
By having everything in one place, you can quickly see what needs to be done and when. Plus, it’s a great way to get everyone involved in the family’s day-to-day operations.
Designate a Space
The first step to creating your home command center is to designate a space. You can think outside of the box, but it doesn’t need to be extravagant.
Choosing an area that is easily accessible to all family members is essential. This can be the side of your fridge, the inside of a hall closet door, or a counter space within a kitchen nook.
Whether you choose a hidden in plain site location or not, accessibility is the key.
Declutter and Organize Your Station
If necessary, declutter and organize the space you have selected. For example, we chose the inside of the entryway closet door.
We removed excess boxes of stored winter items to make the closet less of a cluttered eyesore when open.
If you choose a nook or cabinet that is already cluttered, purge items you don’t need or find new homes for items you wish to keep.
Remove all items unrelated to your family command station to reduce distractions. Your station should provide every member with exactly what they are looking for, even in a hurry.
Reducing clutter now will allow you to visualize where everything will go in your family command station.
Use Organizational Storage Products
Next, map out what items will be most beneficial and how you want to arrange them. We love hanging filing systems, decorative hooks, and labels on everything! You can even find colored hanging filing tins and assign one to each family member.
We utilize a tiered handing filing organizer for incoming and outgoing mail. We use labels to sort by person, if it needs immediate attention, or should be filed away at the end of the week. This area is ideal for keeping our bills organized.
We also mount individual filing bins per child for school-related items. If the kids have forms that need signing or bring home flyers for upcoming events, we know exactly where to check.
The kids’ bins are mounted according to height and each were able to choose their favorite color. They are responsible for keeping their bin tidy and love when they receive random “mail” from mom or stickers and other fun treats for staying organized.
A Home for the Family Calendar
While I love my planner and mobile calendar, it’s so beneficial to have an all-access family calendar. By mounting one in our family command station, we always know what upcoming appointments, events, and obligations we each have.
Each family member is responsible for sharing important dates and a quick family meeting each week at the hub allows us time to review upcoming engagements.
It’s particularly helpful in planning rides to overlapping events!
Creating a family command station can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, but the benefits are undeniable.
Not only will this organizational strategy make your life easier, it will also help keep your family organized and on track.
What’s your best tip for creating a successful family command station? Share it in the comments below!