I often chuckle about the fact that my husband has “man land” – a nice cave tucked away in a corner of the house where he can barely hear the children if the door is closed. Not a single toy to be found and if the surround sound is on the TV, he can hear absolutely nothing – I envy that peace & lack of items to trip over – although it is well deserved. He loves and deserves his space – as do us moms. Which is why I carved out a piece of “woman land” in our home.
Contrary to his “man land” – my “woman land” may not look or sound peaceful (the photo above is NOT typical ... it is usually a chaotic mess), but it is our family’s command central and keeps me sane during the chaos of the school year. “Woman land” at our house is my haven for all things critical to our success: book bags, kids shoes & coats, school work, laundry, coloring books, crafts and coupons. The iron and ironing board live here, the dog eats & sleeps here, my computer and printer reside here, the memo board that holds all birthday party invitations hangs on my wall like a “work of art” and even the extra freezer containing all “frozen essentials” is kept in my “woman land.” I call it my “laundry room extraordinaire,” while my 9 year old makes fun of me and calls me ”Fancy Nancy” for giving such a “posh term” to a place that looks like a dumping ground most of the time.
Sometimes I believe the only thing missing from this sacred place is my college diploma. After all – when I was asked by the pledges of my sorority “where I saw myself in 10 years,” the response of “honing my talents of folding laundry while emailing my son’s teacher while simultaneously feeding the family hermit crab, preventing the dog from drinking from the fish bowl and grabbing a bag of frozen broccoli for dinner” ~ did not exactly cross my mind back then. That is college diploma worthy!
What does bring me peace about our “chaotic command central / laundry room” is how it functions. The key element of any command central is that it meets your family’s daily information and organization needs. You don’t need a large space to create a practical command central for your family. In fact, the only requirements are that it be “completely yours” (most of the time) and that it “easily organizes information relevant to all family members.”
Every mom needs a space for both organization and disorganization (those moments when we just don’t have time to be organized.) The tips that work for my command central are outlined below … but please use this as a guideline and make whatever system you have work for you! Remember the importance of “trying a system before you buy a new product.” Don’t spend a lot of money on products (shelving, files, pretty memo boards etc.) to “help you organize” until you develop the plan for a command central that works for you and your loved ones. Once the system is in place, the products will be easy to pick out and can found on even the tightest budget.
The best news is that with just a few minutes dedicated each day to organization, your command central can turn into a “woman land” that you reign over and are proud of! Toys can even be “optional” ☺
My plan …
1. Kids, Empty those Book Bags and Hang them Back Up (oh and put the shoes away too!)
Most days your child’s school bag will contain something that needs your attention. Give your children the responsibility of emptying their book bags every day after school and give them a designated spot in your “command central” to put all papers that need your attention. Have a designated “book bag spot” where your children can easily reach a hook to hang their own book bag up off the ground. Have shoes (and clean socks) land in a bucket or basket that is near the book bags so they don’t have to go hunting for them on their way out the door the next morning.
2. Moms, Tackle the In Box - 15 mins. or less
After you put the children to bed, pour yourself a cup of tea (or decaf coffee) and designate 15 minutes to address all of the “papers” that came into your in-box from the children. For me this generally means ~
a. completing forms
b. filling out book orders
c. signing permission slips
d. signing homework
e. putting items back into kids book bags
3. Moms, Post Visual Cues - 2 mins
After you finish your “homework” use the next 5 minutes to post relevant items on the family communication center. Your family communication center should be visual and someplace all family members can see and reference on the way out the door. The refrigerator or a bulletin-board by the back door are both great places to post these important items! You can even use space in the garage next to the door they go in or out!
a. monthly lunch menus
b. class schedule
c. activity schedule
d. project deadlines
4. Moms, Update Those Calendars – 5 Minutes or Less
Take 5 minutes at the end of each day to update your calendar with any additional dates or times that came in through your voicemail, email, or bookbag “express” that day. Send your husband a quick email reminding him of any dates that will need to be put on his calendar. I often “cc” myself so I have record of having sent him the reminder ☺
a. parent / teacher conferences
b. parent’s night at school
c. lunch dates with your children at school
d. field trips relevant to them
5. Moms, Cull Through The “To Do Bucket” – Every Sunday
If you have items that do not require your attention this week and can be put on the back burner, put these papers in a “to do pile” (I prefer a clear sterilite brand 6 qt container) to address at your convenience. Glance through your “to do bucket” every Sunday to ensure there is nothing else that needs immediate attention for the next week. A word of caution ~ do not let your to do bucket expand beyond a 6 quart container (shoe box size) otherwise it will become a “to do mountain!”
6. Moms, Turn Those Piles Into Files – 10 Minutes Weekly
Take 10 minutes at the end of each week to file all documents that you need to save for reference. I keep the following documents in my family handbook so everyone in my household can reference them if needed.
a. activity schedules
b. team rosters
c. teacher instructions / special notes
d. class lists & school contact information
e. updated medical information / physicals (new shot records)
f. activity receipts & registrations
