Keeping track of school events, permission slips, test dates, after-school activities and even doctor’s appointments can make you feel like you are drowning. You are not alone,
The good news is you don’t need a fancy, expensive setup to get organized. I’ll show you the easiest, low-stress command center any busy family can set up — even if you only have a small corner to work with.
Is this what your kitchen counters or dining room table is starting to look like?
My counters were starting to pile up with papers, drawings, and markers, all the things.. 🙁
You can change it!
What Is a Family Command Center?
Your family command center is your small area of organized chaos. You can use items you already have in your home, and some items are easy to get and not too pricy at all.
This area will help keep you and your kids stay aware of upcoming test dates, doctor appointments and school trips and birthday parties. You will have time to get ready and plan for certain events when it’s up front and in focus for everyone.
No more surprise school events we are not prepared for and forgotten after school events.
What You Need
This simple list is all you need. You can add as much or as little as you want. The size and cost is up to you, add as little or as much as you need. I even have a printable of the weekly, monthly calendar you can use until you can get your hands on a wall calendar of your choice.
Items for your family command center
Writing desk
you choose the size, I actually went with a corner style desk because I didnt have a lot of room. Like I said, you can move one from around your home I found mine at the local Goodwill, it was the color I wanted, and it could fit in my small space and the price was right!
A Dry-Erase Wall Calendar
A monthly dry-erase calendar helps write out everything on one simple calendar for everyone to see. They can be held up with nails or depending how light it is you could try command strips. Mine is placed above the desk and its held up with nails in the wall that I just attach the calendar too every month when I update the board.
This brings me to my next tip, you will be pulling this down and putting up every month with updates. I like to take it down and write in everything at once. I also cannot write for too long standing up so it was important for me to be able to bring it down. You may want to put it up low to write on it standing up but this could get tiresome. Also if you have little ones that could get distracted and want to write on it (like my two boys) you may not want it too low.
Your dry-erase calendar should have the month, and it’s helpful for a separate list of the weekly items. This helps identify what is due this week, what is happening this week besides all the things on the monthly calendar. You have items that are due this week and you can plan for them. The dry erase board I used has a third task list, I like to use that for things that are due the whole month and as a separate grocery or errands list.
Ubrands – Walmart – Dry Erase Calendar
A wall mesh organizer,
where you can use clips to hang papers, pictures from school, report cards, etc. I am really unsure what you could call it, I had one from the year before; and I reused them for this, I couldnt find the exact ones I had but these look like they would do the trick and give you an idea of how mine look.
choose something you would like
A simple clipboard or bin for papers –
A pen + marker cup
Optional: a weekly printable (like School Week-at-a-Glance)- you can print this out and start your journey before you get the dry erase board.
Any Area Can Become your family Command Center
How to Set It Up (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Choose a spot you walk by every day (kitchen wall, hallway, dining area)
An area you and the family go by and can see everyday is a good place. The monthly dry erase calendar will be visible and easy for even small children to start to recognize and see if they have after school soccer scheduled or weekend swim lessons.
You want it to be an easy place for everyone to have access to.
Step 2: Hang the calendar at eye-level
Your dry-erase calendar should have the month, and it’s helpful for a separate list of the weekly items. This helps identify what is due this week, what is happening this week besides all the things on the monthly calendar. You have items that are due this week and you can plan for them. The dry erase board I used has a third task list, I like to use that for things that are due the whole month and as a separate grocery or errands list.
Step 3: Add a clipboard or inbox for papers
Step 4: Add a pen holder or tiny cup
Step 5: Add your weekly printable for quick reference
Step 6: Write down only the essentials for the week — not everything
This would go in your weekly task list, things to focus on for the upcoming week like who has a test this week, what time is soccer practice? You want to keep it simple and not overwhelming .
What to put on your calendar.
You can choose to only put school life events on your calendar or everyone’s daily events on the calendar. It’s up to you.
Monthly events and appointments, school holidays where school is closed and days you might off as well. You want to be able to look at your calendar and have at a glance what is happening that day with your family members so everything can be planned out.
How to keep it updated.
Easy to remember, Sunday or Saturday evening, depending on your preference, update the weekly to -do list for the upcoming week. This way any items needed this week are seen and can be planned out.
Each morning, look at your board calendar and look for anything needed that day and the week.
End of school day, any notes and sheets from school can go up on the wall paper clips or clipboards, whichever works for you. You can always use a bin that the kids can drop off papers in.
Fridays – clear out anything outdated from your paper bin
Monthly- update the whole month at one time, adding in anything from your calendar and the kids’ calendar. I always check the school website for scheduled days the school will be closed.
tip- I have use different color markers to show whose after-school activity is when, for example, soccer practice I write in blue for my son Jonah, and after school STEM club in purple for my son Joshua. If you are a visual person like me, you will appreciate this, so it’s quick and easy to know where and who is going there.
Start today
If you have been thinking of doing this you just gotta start today. Look around the house and see if there is a spot that calls out to you. You will know the best place to put your family command center.
Start small, look and see if you have items in your home you can repurpose and think about where you can put it. Add your touches you want to see everyday and make it your own.
Make it available for everyone to see and you will tell the difference.
I hope this helps you get inspired for your own family command center. Leave a comment or message me if you have any questions or comments
