When I think about a command center it conjures up images of a central command station. There is the person in charge and then lots of helpers running around dealing with various aspects of the project or mission.
What is a Family Command Center?
A family command center is just like that, it serves as the hub for all the important information. It is also the processing point for information that comes into your home.
Repairs are scheduled for the home. When we are comfortable doing so: babysitters are booked, playdates are arranged, carpools are coordinated with neighbors, and vacations are researched and dreamed about all from the command center.
How Do You Set Up a Family Command Center?
Each family’s command center will be configured slightly differently but they will all contain these components. Here is a link to creating a family command center.
Command Center Components
A place to sort files. I use a fingertip filing box. You can get them at any office supply store. I like the one pictured here. It is Lucite and comes from The Container Store. It’s easy to move because it has handles on the sides and is lightweight.
Create files for your current activities and needs for instance: bills to pay, articles to read, important phone numbers: babysitter, school, daycare, doctor names & numbers, plumber, HVAC repair – numbers you need and don’t want to have to try and find when you have an emergency or are in a hurry. , decorating ideas, seasonal gardening tips …I could go on but I think you get the idea.
Have a basket with supplies: scratch paper, pens and pencils, scotch tape, a stapler, paper clips
A calendar – either hanging on the wall or placed in a folder and most likely electronic
Where Does it Stay?
My family command center has lived in a variety of places in my home. When my children were small, it lived in my kitchen. That was where we congregated and where most of the family work took place.
My calendar hung on the wall where everyone could see it. We color coded activities so that we could see at a glance which child was going where and when. I know you can do that in a phone also, but it was easier to just glance up and take note of the plan.
Now, my family command center lives near my desk in my home office and it serves a different function. I’m not scheduling children’s activities anymore since my children are grown. Now, I am involved in multiple business opportunities and have to keep track of them in addition to our household activities.
You will keep your family command center in a place that makes sense for you and your family. Often times, the kitchen is the best place for the command center. Think about where you spend the most time congregating as a family. That is where the command center belongs.
Whatever your stage of life and activities your family command center changes along with you. Put a family command center together and notice how much easier it will be to manage the activities of your family – however large or small.
You will have all the important information at your fingertips.
Mail will not accumulate on your counters because you have a fingertip file holder into which to sort your mail.
You will feel in control of the activities happening in your home.
These three are the top 3 reasons you need to have a family command center.
Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer® owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize in Atlanta, Georgia. Diane specializes in residential and home-office organizing and working with people affected by ADD, hoarding challenges, and chronic disorganization. Please contact Diane for a free 30-minute phone consultation.