How to Organize a Household of Six

From laundry to meals, managing a family of six can be challenging. Here are a few steps help you get organized and make your life a little more peaceful

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 6-Shelf Hanging Shoe Organizer
• Dry erase board
• Blank calendar
• Large post-it notepad or notepad with magnet backing

1. CLOTHES
   Clothes can be a major point of frustration, especially with early morning rushing. The key is to plan ahead. Print out the forecast for the week and, based on that forecast, lay out everyone's clothes on Sunday afternoon or evening. Use the hanging shoe organizer to set out the clothes for the week; the bottom shelf for Monday, the second shelf for Tuesday, the third shelf for Wednesday, etc.
   
   This takes away any early morning find-the-sock hassles and allows time to discuss outfits, which can prevent the school day parent-child arguments.

2. BAGS AND BACKPACKS
   Designate part of a wall or table for an "out-the-door" pile. Each night, line up the backpacks, work bags, purses and lunch boxes that need to go to work and school the next day. In front of each back, set the accompanying shoes, jackets or coats, hats/gloves, and any other essentials.

3. What's for supper?
   Most Americans don't know at noon what they are going to eat for supper that night. By planning ahead, you can not only save money by not eating out, you can also save money at the grocery store and provide healthier, well-balanced meals for your family.
   
   Each Sunday, sit down with a blank menu. Write out one breakfast and supper for each day. While drafting the menu, ask each family member what their favorite meal is and try to include it. Keep in mind that leftovers can be used in the next day's meals, if you plan ahead. For example, Monday's leftover grilled chicken can be transformed into Tuesday's chicken quesadilla or chicken fried rice.
   
   If you are feeling really inspired, or if this is something you don't want to take the time to do weekly, set a month of menus and include the occasional splurge out.

4. Shopping Lists
   Post a notepad (sticky note or magnet) on the refrigerator and designate it your shopping list. Encourage family members to write down any item they use the last of. Ate the last cereal at breakfast? Add it to the list. Almost out of toothpaste? Add it to the list. Running low on milk? Add it to the list.
   
   This step not only makes sure you have what you need when you need it, it encourages every member of the family to be responsible for their own stuff, especially if you enforce a one-store-trip-per-week rule. It also helps prevent impulse buys at the store.

5. Activities
   Soccer, dance, tutoring, music lessons, field trips, religious education...it can all get to be too much to keep straight, especially when you have four kids to keep track of. A dry-erase board, posted in a central location, can be key. I recommend getting one with a calendar on it, or draw a calendar with permanent marker onto a blank dry erase board.
   
   Spend some time each weekend (I stick with Sunday evening) and write down all the activities scheduled for the week ahead. Make a list of any bills, permission slips, or forms that need to be addressed during that week. And, encourage everyone in the family to add their events.

6. Medicines
   If you are lucky, your kids are healthy and you won't need to bother with this step. For everyone else, it can be difficult to keep track of medicine doses, especially over the counter medicines.
   
   To ensure that every child gets the correct doses at the correct time -- and to prevent overdosing -- post a notepad inside your medicine cabinet. Make a column for each child who routinely gets medicine. Each time you give a dose, write the amount and time and which drug was administered.
   
   For example:
   L-Tylenol cold and cough, 2 tsp, 8 a.m.
   L-antibiotic, 1 pill, 8 a.m.
   L-antibiotic, 1 pill, 8 p.m.
   
   Writing it all down also lets other adults in the house know what medicines have or haven't yet been given, and provides an easy list to give to the doctor, when you do have to go in for a visit.

7. Write in 15 minutes per day per child for one-on-one time. Spend that 15 minutes doing something fun, whether that be playing dress-up, building legos, reading books, playing twister, hide-and-seek-ing, or just snuggling in front of a favorite cartoon. It will be the best 15 minute investment you've ever mad.

Resources

• Organized home

[tammyfrost]

on 10/9/2009 Wonderful article...You must be pretty organized. Thanks for the helpful tips. Good thing I only have one daughter to care for and she is pretty independent.

[tammyfrost]

on 10/9/2009 Wonderful article...You must be pretty organized. Thanks for the helpful tips. Good thing I only have one daughter to care for and she is pretty independent.