5 Command Center Ideas for Your Family

Location, location, location! You want to set up your command center in a common area within your home that all family members spend time in. Somewhere such as the kitchen, living room, or mudroom are all good bets! You should also be sure to make the command center take up a large enough space that is visible to everyone. All members of the family should have visual access to the parts of the center important to them. (For example, younger members of the family may need anything relevant to them placed beneath the larger family calendar/lists so they’re able to see with ease!)

The most critical piece of any family command center is a large, shared calendar. A dry erase or chalkboard calendar is a great option so you don’t have to continue purchasing a new calendar every year. A dry erase/chalk board option is also best if you anticipate having to make adjustments and quick changes to the calendar after filling it out at the beginning of the month. We like this dry erase calendar because it has several size options and formats available. And if you’re leaning toward a chalk board option, we love the streamlined and modern look of this one!

Once you find a large calendar that will work best in your space, you’ll want to fill it out for the entire family at the beginning of each month. Color code each family member’s activities to make it easy for them to see what they have coming up. Using this type of system will also help keep everyone updated on what each other has going on and will make it easier to schedule or plan full family activities, date nights, vacations, etc.

Another important feature to include in an effective command center is a place for to-do lists and important reminders. (Dry erase or chalkboards work great for this too!) You may choose to include a corkboard as well so that flyers, teacher/coach reminders, business cards, etc. can be pinned up as visual reminders. A combination dry erase/cork board would make a perfect command center addition. This is a great place to list deadlines (such as homework/project due dates, upcoming picture day/field trip reminders, athletic tryouts, etc.) for each family member. For the kids, you can also add individualized chore lists. If all to-do lists and reminders are in this centralized location it will ensure the entire family can see the tasks they need to complete. Another good list that makes sense in a command center (especially if located in or near the kitchen!) is a grocery list. If a grocery list is posted where everyone can access it, each family member can add items as they notice a need or use the last of something.

One helpful organizational tool that not everyone thinks to include in a command center is hooks! Adding a few hooks for quick access to things you need regularly can make a huge difference. If items such as your bag and keys are hung on these hooks, not only do they have a safe landing place in your home, but it simultaneously ensures you are in constant contact with the command center! Items such as backpacks, lunchboxes, and work ID badges/lanyards may also work well on hooks. If located in the kitchen, you can also hang aprons so they’re easier to locate when cooking.

The final thing that would nicely complete a command center set up is a place for storage such as folders and/or baskets. Folders are great for incoming paper and mail. Something like these hanging folders would work perfectly because you can label and use separate folders for each category of paperwork (such as bills, important receipts, school work, etc.) Or you could organize the folders not by the type of document, but by family member! Having a folder for each child makes it a great place for them to place papers or work brought home from school. No matter which style works best for your family, be sure that you label each folder using a label maker! Without labels, command center folders will likely become a jumbled “pile” more than anything else.

If you have the space, a few wall hanging baskets in your command center can make a big difference as well. (We like these baskets in particular because of the different color scheme options!) Baskets are a great way to store your command center chalk/dry erase markers so that you can continue maintaining the board or calendar with ease. They can also neatly hide other command center items such as sunglasses or gloves and hats. If you already own or purchase baskets that don’t have labels built into them these clip-on basket labels are perfect for maintaining an organized (and aesthetic) “one stop shop” for the entire family.

We’d love to hear any feedback/suggestions, or success stories about a command center you’ve set up in your home! Do you agree that what we’ve included here makes life with busy schedules easier? Do you have any “unconventional” items you included in your command center that made a huge difference? Or do you need help finding the perfect folders or chalkboard to match your home’s décor while setting up your first go at a family command center? We’d love to hear what you think or help in any way we can. Please reach out to info@sortedout.com & let us know!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia