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As a busy Mum, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done! Between the school run, after-school activities, work, and household chores, it’s easy to lose your way whilst life spins out of control.

Setting up a simple family command centre can pull you back to being an organised Mum, fully on top of your family life. Not only does it help you stay on top of your to-do list, but it can also bring your family members on board to play their part in the day to day running of your home.

So, what is a family command centre?

Essentially, it’s a centralised place in your home where you can keep track of important dates, appointments, and tasks for each family member.

This is ideally located in a space in your home that is easily accessible and visible to everyone in your family. This could be a wall or bulletin board in your kitchen, a chalkboard in your hallway, a digital calendar or app that you can access from your phone or computer- whatever works for you and your family.

The benefits of a family command centre

There are many benefits of using a family command centre, but here are just a few to start you off before you set one up and see the benefits yourself:

Get (and stay) organised:

With a busy family schedule, it’s hard to keep track of all the different appointments, events, and tasks for the days, weeks, and even months ahead. A family command centre provides a central location for all this information, making it easier to see what needs to be done, when, and by who.

You can use a whiteboard, chalkboard, or a good old fashioned calendar to keep track of important dates. As a Mum with a dozen different tabs open in your brain at any one time, relying on your memory to remember your entire family’s life is unrealistic and likely to end in a lot of late or missed events!

Encourages everyone to do their bit:

A family command centre isn’t only for you—it’s for your whole family. Involving your partner and children in the planning process fosters a sense of teamwork and makes everyone feel like they have an important role to play within the family.

Encourage your children to add their own activities or to-do list. This will help them feel responsible for their own schedules whilst also teaching them valuable time management skills.

Reduces stress:

Having everything visible and in one place makes it easier to manage your time and prioritise your tasks. Instead of playing catch-up, you can stay ahead of the game and be more in control of your schedule.

Have a clear view of what needs to be done, and never again feel like you’re forgetting something important!

Saves time:

The very essence of being a busy Mum means that time is your most precious commodity. A family command centre can streamline your schedule, making the most of your time.

For example, planning out meals for the week in advance can save time and energy on grocery shopping and meal prep.

Setting up a system for sorting and managing household paperwork can avoid last-minute scrambles to find important documents.

All of these things really add up throughout your day in terms of reduced stress and more time to do the things you love instead.

Builds good habits:

By using a family command centre consistently, you can develop better habits around organisation and time management.

You’ll also be more likely to plan ahead and stay on top of your to-do list. This can have such a positive impact on other areas of your life as well, especially work and your personal relationships.

Helps with communication:

If everyone in the family knows what’s going on, misunderstandings and miscommunications are less likely. With a clear view of each other’s schedules, you can avoid double booking yourselves and make sure that everyone is on the same page. This can be especially helpful for families with multiple children or busy work schedules.

It’s also great for kids. When kids know what is happening or happening soon, they are less likely to have a meltdown or feel as though they are pulled from pillar to post. Roll on a more harmonious day with the kids!

So, how can you create a family command centre that works for you?

Here are a few tips to get started:

Choose a visible location:

Ideally, your family command centre should be located in the most visible place possible, a high-traffic area of your home such as your kitchen or hallway.

Be sure that it’s easily visible to everyone in your family, too. For toddlers who can’t read yet, you might want to use pictures or stickers to display what is going on so that they are also able to see what’s going on.

You’ll be surprised how much toddlers benefit from this!

Use the right tools:

Depending on your family and your preferences, you might decide to use a dry erase board, chalkboard, a digital calendar, or even an app to keep track of your family’s schedule.

Choose tools that work for you and your family’s needs and try a few different ones if necessary.

Remember that you can always adjust your system as needed, which is quite likely as your family moves through different seasons of development as your kids get older.

Involve your family:

Remember, this is a FAMILY command centre, so involving your family in the planning process can help to make everyone feel invested in the success of making family life smoother.

Try to keep it fun and engaging for your kids, and encourage everyone to look at it daily, as well as adding their own schedule to it.

Keep it simple:

There are many different, over complicated family command centre systems out there, but the key to a successful family command centre is keeping it simple and easy to maintain.

Try not to overcomplicate things with too many colors or categories, and ensure that everyone in your family understands how to use the system.

That’s all, folks…

So there we have it, a family command centre can be a lifesaver for busy Mums.

Set one up for yourself, be willing to tweak it to suit your needs, and discover the benefits of a family command centre to your family and your peace of mind!

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