How to improve your family’s organization skills?
Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels
The best way to improve organizational skills in your family is, of course, habit. However, until you get there, there are several ways you can bring the whole family together for practice. This list is a sample of a much longer selection, and you should pick the skills and habits right for you.
Communication time
While it used to be a common theme, sharing news of the day and dinner, we now work so many different schedules that it can be difficult to come together over the evening meal. However, you need not feel constrained to the dinner hour. Set aside time each day to communicate the important things that happened to each family member. Starting this habit early is one of the best ways to encourage communication in children, and strengthen it in adults. One important habit to create is sharing. Often, people are so wrapped up in their own daily events that they forget to offer any detailed information about what they are doing to others within the household.
Keep a master calendar
Yes, while storing personal notes on a private device might be all the rage, there’s something to be said for keeping a master calendar in real-time and space. Especially while children are growing, it can reinforce the idea of organization as a concrete thing. With even one child, schedules can get hectic, and having a clear, tangible calendar is a good idea. Put it up somewhere where you won’t forget about it, where it will be visible to all. This way, everyone can see it, and everyone knows what’s ahead.
Have a personal organizer
While those with younger children might find more use in the above, individuals with older children or those nearing their first venture to college would find a centralized, shared personal organizer. Finding something that is part calendar and part organizing software to keep everything together and also invite perspectives from the other members of the family is just what is needed.
With a centralized place to keep your important documents, reminders of updates, and other important records of discussions, a family operating system is perfect for a busy family on the go. It offers a tailored experience. Not only will you know what needs to be updated or revisited, but the operating system will also provide detailed instructions and where you can go in order to renew or revisit your files and important documents.
Create a routine
One way you can help your family be more organized is by creating routines. These can and should be simple. Start your day in a way that works for everyone, with personal hygiene, breakfast, important papers checked and signed. Have a place that is a command station, in which everything your family may need is close to hand and organized—and make sure that organizing doesn’t fall to you alone. You can and should encourage everyone to pitch in and keep the command station tidy.
When the afternoon comes, even if you are homeschooling, have a break between school tasks and homework. Some free time and physical movement are great for focusing. Then, call a time for homework tasks. You can be on hand to answer questions if your child is having trouble, but you should also create a routine that helps you focus on your own tasks. When dinner approaches, call them together and get them to help so they know where everything goes or is kept. Part of this aspect of routine is getting them accustomed to cleaning up and clearing away meal detritus, so they are more confident to create different dinners or other meals.
Chart everyone’s chores
While there’s an age at which they should become familiar with chores, because one day they will have to do them, one should also chart your own chores. While you may decide what you clean and how often, there are certain benefits to seeing it in large print or in a public place. It helps you to stay accountable to yourself and also to help others stay on track. You can and should disperse the chores in a rounded way, so everyone gets experience doing a variety of things.
Everyone organizes differently. However, it can help if you have a place to start and a clear path forward as a family. Take these tips and expound upon them as you wish.