Firstly, what are your goals for your family? Perhaps you want your home to be more welcoming, or full of happy, healthy family members. Maybe you want your children to be well behaved or more productive with their time. Knowing your goals will help your to prioritise your home life. For example, you may want a tidy house but not at the expense of your children not being able to enjoy playing with their toys, so knowing which goal takes priority will help you in achieving them both.
Next, teach your family to focus on the family and home organisation. There is more than one person living in that house so you can either have them working with you, or against you. Your first task should be to share your goals with your family, to plan how it will work together and set the ground rules. Otherwise, it’s never going to happen!
Thirdly, set up a family planner zone. This means setting up a family planner workbook, which you can find examples of online, and also a message station where all the family can be reminded of what needs to be done and who needs to go where. Pick an area that all members of the family pass regularly. This is where you will need to keep menu plans, family calendars, quick contact lists, to do lists, a pen holder and pens, magnets if you are posting family calendars and rewards chart on the fridge, a pin up board and pins, a differently coloured highlighter for each member of the family, a blank notepad for messages, and a phone.
Finally, once you have all the preparations in place it’s time to work through each family-organising topic. The jobs may feel like they’ll never end, so set small achievable goals that you can reach and don’t focus on the things that you haven’t achieved so far. Break down your organisational areas into your home, routines, budget, health, meals, school time, family holidays and traditions. Remember, you don’t have to fix it all at once, nor does everything need to be perfect. You’re aiming for a comfortable atmosphere that suits you and your family.