10 Things to Have in Your Family Command Center
10 things to have in your family command center will give you a better idea of what you can streamline in one simple area of your home.
Get my top picks of tools that we used when our kids were younger to today for just my husband and myself.
Not matter what your stage of life is, having a command center in your own home will help you stay on top of things more easily.
There is nothing quite as frustrating as spending precious time looking for something. Does this sound familiar to you?
You are running late for an appointment and the papers you need to bring with you are nowhere to be found. Even though you made sure to set them in a place so you would know right where they were.
The problem is that perfect place is now forgotten and you cannot for the life of you remember where you laid those papers down.
You start out annoyed and that annoyance quickly turns to panic as the clock keeps ticking.
Finally, you leave without them angry at yourself and at the same time, promising to come up with a solution that will keep this from happening ever again.
This little story would be a comical one if it wasn’t so common in many busy women’s lives. I have played this scenario out many times myself until I finally set up a family command center in my own home.
It might be crazy to think that one small and simple setup can eliminate one of life’s biggest headaches, but it can.
If you have not yet set up a family command center in your home, today’s list is going to make it so easy you will be able to get one put together so you can start to use it today.
What is a family command center?
A family command center, also known as a home hub, is a central area in your home where important information is housed.
From schedules to receipts, shopping lists, and appointment reminders. What you choose to keep in your hub all depends on you, your family, and your season of life.
Where should you have a family command center?
Location all depends on the layout of your home and your top traffic areas.
Your goal is to make a command center that the entire family can use, and in order to do that, you will want to put it where everyone will see it several times throughout the day.
- A wall in a mudroom.
- The front of the fridge.
- A shelf by the back door.
That is where the magic happens. The more your family sees your command center the more they will be reminded to use it and this also teaches everyone in your family what it means to be organized.
Learn How to Set Up a Command Center Cabinet. Post reminders, leave notes, or pin up encouraging words.
Using Colors to Organize a Family
One big tip before we start, color coding is a huge part of your family all being able to use a setup.
By assigning a color to each member of your family, yes even you, it will be much easier for everyone to ignore the other messages and only see the ones meant for them.
Things to color code in a command center.
- Name tags on baskets
- Entries on a calendar
- Sticky notes on a reminder board
- Names on a weekly family schedule
Colors can make it easier for everyone to see their own information without getting distracted by all the other stuff.
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10 Things to Have in Your Family Command Center
Your layout will reflect the specific information you want to manage. This list offers a variety of options, so feel free to mix and match to pick the ones that work best for you.
#1. A Calendar
Every home depends on a calendar to keep things running smoothly. For that reason the calendar will be the central point of yoru layout.
I suggest using a large monthly calendar with a full year behind the current page. This will put the focus on the month you are in while still giving access to the month coming up.
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If paper is not what you are looking for, there are other styles you can use. Chalkboard, dry erase, or acrylic are a few options.
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Layout Tip: Be sure to put your calendar in the center area that is easy to see, read, and write on. This is the most important part of your layout so you want to set it in place before adding in other components.
#2. Schedules
Including schedules can help you to stay on track of everyone’s plans.
This is especially important if you have a changing work schedule, young kids with activities, or family members that play sports.
Using clipboards is a great way to hold schedules and it allows you to easily swap things out as needed.
Layout Tip: Put names on the clipboards to help each family member find theirs more easily.
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#3. Notes
Reminders are an essential part of managing a family but even more important is being sure that everyone is aware when there is a note meant specifically for them.
You can make this easy by using color-coded sticky notes. when you have a note written you can put them on the family member’s own bulletin board square, their own small whiteboard, or a chalkboard.
If your family is particularly busy you may want to hang smaller whiteboards for each family member so notes do not get lost or missed.
Layout Tip: Location matters for your notes area. If you have younger children you may want to hang a notes area lower to their level. Another tip is to have a notes area near to where your spouse keeps their keys.
#4. Shopping
Another important part of a family hub is giving easy access to the grocery list. Having everyone contribute to the list when they see something is running low will help you to keep your runs to the store minimal.
You can use a shopping list on a bulletin board, a standing list on a counter, or even an Echo Dot to audibly record what is needed.
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#5. papers
Another great tool to have is a hanging wall file for corralling papers into one area. This works great to hold take-out menus, incoming mail, coupons for shopping, papers that need to be filed, or even your household budget.
#6. Hooks
A few hooks will go a long way to keeping small items from getting lost. You can hang car keys, house keys, sunglasses, a dog leash, or even purses, totes, and book bags.
Stop by your hub before heading out and find everything you need in a few quick seconds. This can really help you and your family can get out the door without being rushed or stressed.
Layout Tip: Put hooks at the best height for the person that will be using it. Lower is best for kids while higher is best for teens and adults.
#7. Charging Station
Having a multi-purpose charging station in your home hub can stop dead batteries from shopping up at the worst time.
You can have a wall setup, a counter layout, or a simple power strip on a counter. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just easy to use.
Family Tip: Get into the habit of charging frequently used items each day so they are always ready to go when you need them.
#8. Supply Cubby
Be sure all the tools you need are close by having a cubby in your command center. You can get an all-in-one organizer to hold pens, pencils, scissors, paper clips, and tape.
You can also use a small pretty box to hold everything as well. A neater way to keep supplies close without cluttering up an area.
Who says organizing can’t be fun? Make a Command Center for Kids to help them manage their tasks and schedules.
#9. Incoming Mail
One of the best reasons to have a command center is to keep papers from cluttering up your home.
Having a basket to corral daily mail is a great way to start. Not only does a basket work well without a lot of fuss, you never lose an important letter again.
Be sure to go through this basket weekly so things get dealt with in a timely manner.
Layout tip: Keep the basket in a visible area so everyone can use it. Encourage your family to add in papers from school or work so you can see things more quickly.
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#10. mail supplies
Another helpful part is having mail supplies in one container so you know where everything is when you need to mail something.
A small basket is great for holding stamps, return address labels, an address book, birthday and anniversary cards, and a calendar of dates to remember.
#11. Binder
Not everyone needs a full wall layout for a command center, sometimes smaller works just as well.
A binder is a great item that you can use to hold all the things you need to run your home. A compact layout that keeps all the areas in one convenient place that is organized and easy to use.
This is the set up we have used since our boys moved out and it works great. We also have a wall calendar to keep schedules front and center so both of us can see what is happening for the week ahead.
Be sure to purchase a binder that is durable because it is going to get a lot of use. Also, aim for one that is 1 1/2″ or larger so you know you will have plenty of room to add in more as you need to.
What to keep in a home binder
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Utility information
- Appliance Information
- Vehicle Information
- Babysitting Info
- Important dates to remember
- School info
- Pet info
The purpose of a family command center is to set up an area where you can keep important things safe without running the risk of anything getting misplaced, forgotten, or lost.
I hope you found this list helpful. You can use just a few of the things to have in your family command center or incorporate them all.
Whatever you do be sure to make this a stopping point several times throughout the day so you are using it in a way that will keep you organized and less frustrated starting today.
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we have a command centre on the side of our fridge. I also have an home management binder with all the important stuff in