Our Kitchen Family Command Center

Don't the words "command center," sound a bit intense?  Yet, with this welcome addition to our kitchen, our days seems a wee bit *less* intense...even smooth!

Why a family command center?

Our family is probably a lot like yours:  busy, stretched, and a little harried sometimes.

So I'd been eyeing a section of our kitchen wall, right between the basement door and the family room pass through, trying to figure out the best way to use this prime wall territory.

I started brainstorming and decided that I needed a way to communicate with the family, and to start allowing them to take responsibility for their days in age-appropriate ways.

With the help of pinterest, my super-organizer friend Shannon and some of my own thoughts on how things would work best, I came up with:

Here's what you see, from top to bottom:

--one long cork strip to hold the weekly calendar including the school schedule and other activities, a little inspiration from Ann Voskamp and a reminder for all of us to think before we speak (lest you think it is just for my boys, I need this reminder too!)--these items all can change weekly.

--two "dry erase" boards made out of two inexpensive prints, over which I covered fabric.  The glass fronts works beautifully as dry erase boards:  the left, to hold our schedule for the day and the right, to hold Scripture, a special message or inspiration.

--three cookie sheets covered with fabric.  The left is G's, the center is mine and SPH's, the right one is for R.  Here's where I put reminders or can hang things like signed permission slips.  They also each have a card to remind them if they are setting or clearing the dinner table.

Here's what this family command center has done for us:

1.  no more nagging about whose turn it is to do what responsibility.
2.  allowed the boys to see visually what is on the day's schedule (I used to write out the day's responsibilities for R and G, now they do this and 99%, they nail it).
3.  created gentle reminders of things were working on
4.  empowered the boys to find information themselves without having to always ask me or SPH.
5.  organization!

Why I share this...

I am just a regular mom like you, except you are probably more crafty than me!  So I just thought I would share a little inspiration from one kitchen to another!

Life is sweet,
SPC