Do you often find yourself drowning in a sea of papers, schedules, and to-do lists in your busy household? As a large family or even a small family, staying organized can feel like an impossible task, however – creating a functional command center can help you tremendously.
If you saw my last blog post, I talked about how I set up a command center for my family and it has organized many parts of my home in one place.
A Tour of My Large Command Center
When my kids ask me about when we are doing something, I say go check the dates on the calendar. That way I don’t have to remember everything and everyone in my family can be on board.
It has been such a great help. Did I have to give up a whole wall in my house? Yes, I did! However, it has been worth it to me. I just recently subscribed to some services, such as Walmart Delivery and Thrive Market. I need to remember when these services will need to be renewed annually. My calendar is a dry-erase calendar. So I write in those dates on the side of the calendar and then I know to budget for the upcoming bills. Sure, I could write these down in a planner and probably will later. However, having them as a constant reminder helps me to keep up with them.
In this article, I’m going to give you practical tips on setting up a command center for yourself, that will help your family stay on track and be organized. From customizing your personal family command center to knowing what’s for dinner, this blog post will guide you through setting up your command center for your family’s unique needs.
If you put together your command center and set it up for what your family needs, it will help you stay organized. It will also give you peace of mind having everything in one place. I can’t stress enough have much the command center has helped me.
What is a Command Center
It’s a place to put all materials and tools in one place to be organized and be able to find them when you need them. It could be a calendar, meal planner, schedule, to-do list, bills, corkboards, etc.
If you homeschool you might want to include supplies and items that you use for homeschooling. If you don’t homeschool, you could place your children’s backpacks in your command center. The kids would know where they are and keep them off the floor.
Having a command center for families is a really big help in keeping things organized.
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The Importance of a Command Center for Families
There are advantages to having a command center in your home.
It helps you and your family keep on track by having everything within arms reach at all times.
It’s having a space where you can house everything from a calendar, meal planning, to-do list, or homeschooling supplies, just to name a few.
Where Should I Put My Command Center
When you are trying to figure out what place to put your family command center, it should be a place that is going to be easily seen or be able to get to. Now, if you are putting together a small command center such as on a fridge or even a cabinet you won’t need much space, and that’s ok too.
However, if you are putting together a large one, then you will need space that is big enough for what you want in it.
When I did my first command center, it was to the left of my side door. I don’t think any of my family noticed or ever paid any attention to it. It wasn’t in an area that was easily seen. So it didn’t get used. It was also kind of small.
So, when I decided to do another command center. I put it in a high-traffic area of my home. Everyone can see it now because I literally take up a whole wall. Oh yeah, buddy, you can see it now. It also gets used.
When everyone’s birthday comes, I have them covered all year long. Thanks to my large annual calendar.
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Customizing the Layout to Suit Your Family’s Needs
When deciding how to put together your command center, search and write down the tools that your family will need. Every family’s day-to-day life is different, so it’s important to make it your own, according to what works best for you.
Take into account what you want to track or keep up with in your command center. Do you want to have hooks for your kids jackets or backpacks? Write it down. Do you want to add a place to put your children’s creative artwork. Put that on your list as well.
You get the idea here. After you decide what you want to add to your command center, then you need to make sure you have the space for it.
When I was deciding what I wanted to have in my command center, I took printer paper and hung it on the wall where I thought I would put each item, Calendar, meal planner board, bulletin board, etc.
That way if it doesn’t fit or you don’t like it that way, you can always move it. Using the printer paper also kept me from putting holes in my wall and then deciding it didn’t look good.
Choosing the Right Tools for Your Command Center
When designing a working command center for your family, here is where the fun comes in.
The sky is the limit to what you can put in your command center. It’s your project, your family, and your imagination. I enjoyed doing this project. My family can tell you that I say, I like versatility. What I mean about that is, I like things to serve more than one thing. I don’t want that special gadget, appliance, or whatever to do just one thing. That takes up too much space and causes clutter. So I prefer the projects or things I use to perform more than one function.
That is how I feel about my command center. Sure I could just slap a small calendar on the wall and that can work for some people. However, I didn’t just want a calendar, but a working command center for my family. It serves multiple functions. It’s versatile. It’s a win-win for me.
So, ask yourself, what do I want to have in my command center?
What will you need to help you keep track of the things in your life? Do you have your kids in some type of sport or activity? You would need to track practices, games, etc. Do you have something you are saving for and want to track that?
Such as my goal saving chalkboard in my command center?
I have my command center completed, however, I still want to add a nice clock to mine. I think it’s nice to be able to just check the time there, while you are staying productive on other things in your life. Why not?
From calendars and whiteboards to cork boards and file folders, there are a variety of tools available to help you stay on top of schedules, appointments, and important information. Consider what types of tools will work best for your family’s needs and be sure to include them in your command center setup.
Here are some of the products that I used for my command center. Not the same ones, cause I shopped my house for most of my command center items but similar.
Essential Components of a Homeschooling Family Command Center
Creating a comprehensive wall command center for a family, including homeschool elements, requires a blend of organizational tools and educational resources. Here’s a list of items and tools that could be beneficial:
Organizational Tools
Yearly Calendar
A large wall calendar with space for notes on each day.
Dry-erase yearly calendar for flexibility.
Monthly Calendar
Dry-erase or paper monthly calendar for detailed monthly planning.
Magnetic calendar for easy updates.
Weekly Planner
Dry-erase weekly planner.
Magnetic or corkboard for pinning weekly tasks and schedules.
To-Do List
Dry-erase to-do list board.
Magnetic to-do list pads.
Meal Planning Board
Dry-erase meal planning board.
Magnetic meal planner pad with a detachable shopping list.
Chore Chart
Dry-erase or magnetic chore chart for tracking household responsibilities.
Personalized chore charts for each family member.
Educational Tools for Homeschool
Daily Schedule
Dry-erase daily schedule board.
Printable daily schedule templates.
Lesson Plan Board
Dry-erase board for daily or weekly lesson plans.
Magnetic lesson plan holder.
Subject-Specific Boards
Dry-erase boards for each subject (math, science, history, etc.).
Pinboards for displaying educational materials and projects.
Attendance Tracker
Dry-erase attendance tracker.
Printable attendance sheets.
Assignment Tracker
Dry-erase board for tracking assignments and due dates.
Magnetic assignment list.
Additional Items
Bulletin Board
Corkboard for important notices, artwork, and reminders.
Combination board (half cork, half dry-erase).
File Organizer
Wall-mounted file organizer for documents, mail, and schoolwork.
Magazine holders for curriculum and lesson plans.
Supply Station
Wall-mounted supply caddy for pens, markers, scissors, and other essentials.
Magnetic holders for small items.
Clock and Timer
Wall clock for time management.
Digital timer for managing study and break times.
Inspirational Quotes and Visuals
Posters or printables with motivational quotes.
Visual aids and charts related to current studies.
Reading List
Dry-erase reading list board.
Magnetic or cork reading list board.
Contact Information
Dry-erase board for emergency contacts and important phone numbers.
Magnetic contact list.
Family Goals and Vision Board
Dry-erase or cork board for family goals and vision statements.
Pinboard for visualizing long-term projects and aspirations.
Homeschool Specific Tools
Educational Posters and Charts
Alphabet, numbers, world map, periodic table, etc.
Times tables, grammar rules, and science diagrams.
Interactive Learning Tools
Magnetic letters and numbers.
Whiteboard with grid lines for math problems.
Student Work Display Area
Wall clips or string with clothespins for displaying student work.
Magnetic or cork display area for achievements and completed projects.
Behavior Chart
Dry-erase behavior chart to encourage positive behavior.
Reward system chart.
Having a well-organized wall command center with these tools and items can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency for both family and homeschooling activities.
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Maintaining and Updating Your Command Center for Long-Term Success
To ensure that your command center stays working for your family for the long term, you should establish a routine of updating your space. After using your command center for a while, you will need to updates and changes to keep it functioning the way it’s suppose to.
For example, I have a mail sorter. After a while, my basket starts getting full and I need to go through it. Or maybe I no longer need those pieces of mail. I have a yearly calendar with no numbers. So at the first of the year, I needed to update all the numbers on the calendar and wipe off the calendar for new information.
To be honest, it took me almost April I think it was to get my calendar updated. So that is an example of what not to do if you want your systems in place to continue helping you.
Here are some different ideas that I found on Pinterest of family command centers. Of course, research it for yourself. There are tons of ideas on there, and even then, create what you like and what will work for you.
DIY Command Center Wall for Busy Moms
20 Brilliant Command Centers and Family Drop Zones
Command Center Redux
The Family Command Center You Need
In conclusion, creating a functional working command center for your family is important for staying organized and efficient. If you don’t want to run to this room or that room to check for information, hunt through a filing cabinet, look through kids’ backpacks, call the dentist to ask what time your child’s appointment is, etc. Then you need a command center for yourself.
I assure you it really will help you stay organized and less stressed. When information comes in, take it to your command center and put it there. It will give you peace of mind and save time searching for the information later.
If this post helped you in some way. Would you give it a like and a share?
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