Organize Your Family with These Kitchen Command Center Ideas
Family life can be chaotic. Everyone tends to be running to their own activities, looking for the information that they need to get there on time with the items they’ll need to accomplish their tasks. In a disorganized home, this process can be quite difficult. If you’re attempting to organize your family life, one easy way to do so is to add a command center to your kitchen. This is a central area where you can put keys, mail, important items for your family, a calendar, and anything else you need to get through a typical day.
Here is a video clip of a simple kitchen command center;
As you design your kitchen command center, consider the following:
Utilize Wall Space
Consider painting the wall in the area of your command center with dry erase paint, chalkboard paint, or magnetic paint. These options will allow you to utilize the wall itself as part of your organization, setting aside areas for a note board, menu planning, to-do lists, and more. Painting your wall with one of these practical options allows you to create an organizing space that works well for your family’s unique needs.
Add a Calendar
Hang a calendar in your kitchen command center, as well. Consider color-coding appointments for family members, so that everyone can easily see where they need to be when. Add doctor’s appointments, birthday parties, and team practice schedules to the calendar. When you add it to the command center in a central location, everyone will have access to it, and you’ll have fewer questions to answer throughout the day. Instead, your family members can just take a look at the posted information to learn the facts that they need.
Put Baskets to Work
There are a variety of small items that it’s important to be able to access when necessary. Consider hanging baskets or storing them in a cabinet or drawer. Label them for items like charging cables, takeout menus, basic office supplies, and more. Work with your family to return the items to where they belong after they use them, and you’ll find that the stress level in your home drops dramatically. Store library books to be returned, borrowed items, car keys, and other important items in this area, as well, so that they’re always available when you need to find them. The video below shows how to use cheap baskets and make them into a useful storage item for small items. It was created for storing craft items but you could just as easily use it for keys, pens and pencils and message pads.
Add a Messaging System
Consider adding a blank area, whiteboard, or clipboard to your command center. This will allow your family members to leave notes for one another. If someone will be home late, you notice that you’re out of milk, or there’s an important change to the family routine, it can be noted in this area. Work with your family members and practice the habit of leaving notes in this location, so that everyone knows where to look for important information.
Make it Your Own
It’s important to create a command center that works well for your family. This means that you need to design it in a way that works well for each member of the household. Choose options that help people access the information that they need when they need it. Select elements that help them find what they need quickly and easily. While it’s nice to have an area that’s visually appealing, aesthetics aren’t everything. It’s also important that the area works well for those using it, so that life is enhanced. Keep everyone in your home organized and keep your days running more smoothly when you add a functional command center to a central area of your home.
Here are some different ideas for creating your own command center:
Adding a kitchen command center is an excellent way to keep your family running smoothly. It allows everyone to access the information that they need to make it through the day in an organized fashion.