Having an organised approach to how you run your home can seem pretty overwhelming sometimes; let’s face it, we all have very busy lives! But once you’ve got a great system in place, it will make life so much easier. I have put together a few of the things that I try to do to keep our family home more organised – we are a family of five of varied ages, so our household is a very busy one. I hope some of these tips are useful and may help you too.
Involve the kids
This sounds hard, right? I just have to mention washing up, and mine seem to magically disappear. Coming up with less daunting tasks that they can help with, like taking the recycling out, pairing the socks, and putting their own washing away, all take a lot of pressure off of the adults to do everything. My daughter actually enjoys cleaning the kitchen surfaces, so this is one of the tasks she helps with.
Chore charts
This is something we have tried (and failed) with, to be honest. You just have to stick with it. Draw up a little rota of housework that needs to be done regularly, like hoovering, laundry, and cleaning the bathroom, and try your best to stick with it. I find that having a copy stuck to the fridge motivates me a lot more. With younger children, you can give them little awards like stickers, and older kids could get a bit of pocket money for completing their chores.
To-do Lists
To-do lists are a must in my eyes. I try to make one daily, which I can tick off. Things like food shopping, paying bills, and little errands that need running that day. I know some people like to have things saved digitally, but again, I like to use pen and paper as it feels so satisfying to tick things off of the list.
Meal planning
Meal planning is another game changer. I used to wander around the supermarket aimlessly, not really thinking about what sort of meals I would make each day. It can be a hard task to come up with a menu for the whole family. I actually found looking at the school lunch menu for ideas to be pretty helpful. You can stick to a main idea, such as a pasta dish on a Monday, stir fry on a Tuesday or fish on a Friday, but switch up what style you go for each week. Shopping online also helps you to only pick up what you really need.
File away the paperwork
When those letters and bills come through the door – instead of leaving them on the table in a pile, try and get into the habit of filing them away in a folder straight away. I find that a ring binder with dividers inside and clear plastic folders are my favourite
ways to keep my paperwork organised. You can also keep all of your important documents, like birth certificates and passports, together in one place.
Calendar and weekly planner
I have a large calendar on the wall in the kitchen. With three children at school, it is so useful to add any events, school trips and term dates. I can have a quick glance every morning to see if we have any appointments to go to. I also keep a weekly planner on my desk – this is mainly for my own benefit as I write down any work that I need to complete each day.
Wash baskets
Each child has a laundry basket in their room. I have to remind them to only fill it with clothes that actually need washing and not just to chuck everything in. This can then be bought down every other day to be washed. Once the clothes are clean, dry and folded, they can then take the clothes back up to their rooms to put them away.
Boxes for organising
I have a few IKEA Kallax units with storage boxes. I keep one in the hallway, which is great for shoes, boots, hats and gloves. I also have another one in the living room that we use to store toys, games, and craft supplies. We try to keep each box to a theme so they don’t get too muddled up, and in theory, things should be easier to find.
I hope this post helps a little bit – keeping your family organised is by no means an easy task, but putting small practices into place can really help a lot!
Looking for more expert tips on family organisation? Check out this helpful resource packed with practical advice and strategies:
Family Organization Tips. Discover effective ways to streamline your routines and create a harmonious home environment for you and your children.