5 Tips For Organizing Your Family

Our family life is busy. Between school and activities, there are lots of items to remember. I use online calendar options, but I needed more to keep me organized. Here are some tips that have worked for me to help with organizing your family.

1. Bulletin Board

We have a bulletin board next to our garage door. Everyone passes it on their way out of the house. During the school year, I keep the lunch schedule and any school forms or envelopes pinned there. My kids are constantly giving me things that need to be filled out. This is where they go if I can’t complete them at the moment and put them in their backpack. We look at it each night to see what is due and give it one last look before we walk out the door. Any reminders that might be forgotten in the morning rush would be posted here. It’s also a great place to put school id numbers, teacher homeroom numbers, and important phone numbers for attendance and the school nurse. In the summer, my kids can find the community pool schedule posted and summer camp forms.

2. Clean Out Your Email If you are looking at an inbox of 1000+, it can be easy to miss something. I know this can be a daunting task. My email inbox was once overwhelming. It took me a few hours to trim it down, but it was well worth it. I started by unsubscribing (when applicable) and deleting all junk emails. I found it easiest to sort my inbox by the “from” option and I could see large groups that I could just delete. Don’t forget to review your junk and spam folders for any emails that you might actually need. Once you have it to a more manageable number, make it a daily task to clean it up. The same goes for any apps that have notifications built up. It’s online clutter, which will only get worse.

3. Post-It Notes for "To-Do" List

I am not a fan of online reminders. I will use my online calendar for appointments and the kid’s schedules, but not for general “to-do” type of items. As much as possible, I try to do things at the moment to keep them from becoming a list item. For items that might require more time or can’t be done at the moment, I have a board by my computer with a Post-it note for each item. If there is a deadline involved, I make sure to write it down. I review the board every day to see if I can get rid of any items. It could be “call doctor for school physical” or “register for summer camp.” I can easily have something slip my mind if I don’t write it down.

4. Central Shopping List

I use an online app for our grocery list and basic household needs. I find it’s the easiest for our basic needs since my husband can add to it and also see what is already on my list. When I have specific items the kids need, I write them down on an index card. I keep it by my computer and take it with me when I am out running errands. When I get alerts about sales, I can review in one spot what is needed. For example, my current list includes compression shorts, dance shoes, backpacks, and a zip-up hoodie. Not necessarily all items I would purchase from one store. As items are purchased, I cross them off. I start a fresh index card as needed.

5. Review Your Week

Pick a day or time that works for you, in which you can review your upcoming week. For me, it’s usually Sunday. I review what is coming up on the calendar for the next 2-3 weeks. I am mostly looking that far ahead to be sure there isn’t anything that might require a purchase. This avoids me from trying to track down new shoes the day before a first practice, especially if something needs to be ordered online. Ugh. Lesson learned. Once I know there isn’t anything looming on the horizon, I focus on the week ahead. Any conflicts I need to figure out rides for the kids? Best day for errands or shopping? Am I caught up on email and to-do list Post-its?

I know time is a hot commodity in a busy family, but time spent organizing will pay off. What are some strategies that have worked for you? Let me know in the comments.