by TMOM TEAM MEMBER, ANNA KELLER
It feels like it’s time to focus on getting some organizational tools in place at home to help the family’s many activities and operations run just a little more smoothly. After all, we’re getting back into the swing of the school year, and with that, comes LOTS more moving parts to manage day to day.
Calendars & Chore Charts
First up: Let’s talk about family calendars. These are a great organizational tool to keep everyone in the family on the same page. It’s easy to see what each day’s schedule holds and who has commitments, appointments, practices, etc. throughout the week. Putting family calendars in a central spot, such as in the kitchen or a drop zone area, helps to ensure no one misses what’s going on.
In addition to including the week or month’s schedule on family calendars, they can also be used for things like meal planning and to-do lists.
Similarly, chore charts can be a helpful visual reminder for kids when it comes to their daily responsibilities. Each child can have a dedicated chore chart with his or her specific list. You can keep these in kids’ rooms or in a popular spot, and once they get the hang of using them as a guide, they can really help make mornings run efficiently.
Drop Zone Organization
Whether you have a dedicated drop zone space, like a mud room, or need to improvise a bit, it can be so helpful to use the space where your family most often leaves and enters the home as an organizational focus.
This might mean having a place for everyone to easily put on/remove their shoes (storing them in an organized way). It might mean giving each family member a place to stash a few important items like papers, mail, etc. Or, it might mean having a spot where a few notes can be left for everyone to easily see, along with some storage.
Having small, clear bins could also be a good way to make things visible for members of your family, so they remember to grab snacks, keys and more as they leave the house!
Kids’ Storage
This could be an article topic all by itself, but this time of year, organization feels like it’s in the air, you know? To make tackling your kids’ playroom just a little easier, give clear storage bags a try. They are great for wrangling things like puzzles, games, blocks and so many other items.
A cart could help save your sanity when it comes to art supplies, but it could also be a homework cart for your kids. And, of course, baskets are both aesthetically pleasing AND helpful from an organization standpoint in a playroom or for, well, pretty much anything! I like that these can often easily be labeled, as well.
