Well, we are a couple weeks into summer vacation, and I’ve quickly realized I need to be more organized in order to make the most of our time. With three kids 5 and under, including a sweet baby who just wants to be held all day, it’s easy to get distracted!
I created a simple clipboard system that is helping me keep my sanity, which I’m happy to share.
I currently have 6 clipboards, with the following categories.
- Family Calendar
- Weekly Meal Plan
- Master House Cleaning Plan
- Chore Charts (we currently have two kids old enough for these)
- Summer Checklist
My family calendar is where I plan out activities, play dates, doctor appointments, etc., so my kids can see what we have coming up. I found a cute printable, vertically oriented calendar online here that works well with my system. You can download your own copy here.
My meal plan page is super easy. Each week I sit down at some point over the weekend and choose a few meals from my cookbooks, recipe files and Pinterest pins. I write down a simple title for each day and a short abbreviation about the location of the recipe. Then, if there’s anything special I need to do the day before or the day of, such as “defrost chicken” or “crock pot on at 11:00 am,” etc. I write a quick note for that too, so I don’t forget to do something important. I use an app called Wunderlist to keep track of groceries I need to buy, but if you use a delivery service, you can just keep a running grocery list there when you sit down to meal plan. My husband always likes to know what’s for dinner, so this way he can see at a glance what my plans are for the week. If you want to be extra, you can plan out lunches this way as well.
I definitely put some housekeeping things off for a lot longer than I’d like to. I have been wanting something more visual to help me stay on track, so I made a list of all the tasks I would like to be doing and with what frequency. This way I can quickly look to see what things I should be making time for during the week. I can outsource things as needed, whether to my husband and kids, or to outside help, but I can at least see whether they’re getting done. The list can be edited to include things specific to your own home.
Chore charts! I’m so excited to see how this system will work for us. We have a few rewards Ellie can earn – one is the privilege of having a friend over or earning a half hour of TV. Another is an allowance equal to half her age per week. I can look at the chart to see which days she has completed all her tasks, and divide her allowance based on the number of days she meets her goals. Claire has a chart as well, but we modified her chores and rewards based on her age and capabilities.
I left a blank line at the bottom to allow me to write in an additional chore, which changes from week to week. I have a list of random things I can add on an as-needed basis. Things like: clean out car backseat, put bikes and scooters away, help put laundry away, and put away toys in the basement. You can keep a running list as you think of other things. Currently our best currency is having friends over and watching TV. You can use whatever works for your kids (snacks, money, computer or iPad time) and modify the amount as they get older.
On a related note, Ted and I read a book a few years ago that really resonated with us. It’s called The Opposite of Spoiled and talks about the importance of kids learning how to spend, save and give away their money. Ellie is finally at an old enough age to understand how money works, and we feel that it is such an important topic and life skill to help our kids develop. We own this book and I think I would like to reread it every couple years to help us stay on track.
The final clipboard is just for fun and can change with the seasons. We currently have a summer checklist or bucket list, full of ideas to keep my kids entertained and give them things to look forward to. I love having a tangible list of goals for all sorts of things, and I think the anticipation and waiting for something exciting is almost as much fun as actually doing it – especially for kids. I plan to make new lists for fall, winter and spring, and can add things on as we think of them and as my kids get older.
I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient and organized. Do you have any good tips?
If you’d like to create your own family command center, you can easily find similar clipboards on Amazon, and ours are just hung with drywall anchors and screws. I printed my charts at home and had them laminated at Staples for a couple dollars each, which makes them reusable with dry erase markers. Our command center is conveniently located in our mud room/laundry room/pantry, so it’s easy for me to keep tabs on things. Download my customizable chart files below.
