Family life is chaotic. No matter the size of your family, there’s always something to juggle—work schedules, school events, playdates, babysitters, doctor’s appointments, meal planning… the list goes on. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the whirlwind of responsibilities. But have you ever wondered: on which adult does most of the responsibility fall? If you’re like me, you’ve probably searched for ways to organize your family for success—and avoid carrying the weight of it all alone.
For me, it was falling on my shoulders, and I wasn’t happy about it. The constant stress was making me cranky and, honestly, left me with no energy for fun or relaxation. Something had to change. There had to be a simpler, more streamlined way to manage our household—a way where both partners were equally involved and contributed to the success of the family.
Here’s what I discovered: The Top Three Areas That Are Most Stressful in a Household—and How to Manage Them.
Organize Your Family for Success with Smarter Scheduling
This is the heart of it all—the backbone that keeps a family functioning smoothly. It is so important to set aside time for a weekly family meeting to review upcoming schedules and responsibilities. This is where keeping a family calendar is a must. Color-coding for each family member is a great way to organize and immediately know who is doing what.
You can go the traditional route and get a wall calendar to hang somewhere visible to the entire household, often in the kitchen. Use this calendar for everything going on during the month. Having a physical calendar can be a lot of fun – you can get as creative as you like with it. Your other option is to go digital. It could be a Google calendar, or I personally recommend Cozi Family Organizer. You can use both options as well.
Tools:
Meal Planning to Help Organize Your Family for Success
Being organized in this area is essential. Meal planning can reduce daily stress, save time and money, and most importantly, cut down on food waste. Plan meals for the entire week, batch cook, and make extra to take for lunch. This can even become a fun family activity. Pick a day to cook, put on some music, enjoy a beverage of your choice, and have a good time.
If you have little ones, schedule a mother’s helper for 3 or 4 hours so you and your partner can have some adult time while cooking, chatting, and spending time together.
Tools:
These two apps are great to help you organize recipes, create shopping lists, and schedule meals:
Alternatively, you can get a physical meal planning calendar to hang so it’s visible to everyone.
Keeping Shared Spaces Tidy
Clutter equals chaos, and we don’t want that. Clutter leads to stress and confusion, especially in high-traffic areas like the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. A less cluttered home fosters tranquility, openness, and productivity. It’s easy to walk into your home and start leaving a trail behind you of your belongings. I know it’s a hard habit to break, but trust me, once you start putting everything where it should live, you’ll feel like you’re in your sanctuary.
How to Do This:
Set up a daily 10-minute clean-up routine before bed. Make it fun—don’t see it as another chore on your to-do list, but as a self-love activity for your mind and soul. Do a quick walkthrough of your home and pick up misplaced items, putting them where they belong. Throw blankets in their bins, coats and jackets in the closet or on hooks, water bottles, cups, and drinking glasses in the sink, and so on. I guarantee you will feel 100% less stressed in the morning when you wake up to the house being in order.
Designate a Space for Everything
Designate a home for everyday items so you’re not rushing in the morning and stressing out because you can’t find your keys, wallet, school bags, diaper bags, and so forth.
The “One In, One Out” Rule
This will definitely help you keep the clutter under control. Once a month, take a look around your home and get rid of what no longer serves a purpose. This will create space for new, better things. Also, consider: as you bring one item into your home, one item should leave.
I’m confident that if you use one or all of the recommendations above, it’s possible to organize your family for success.
Until next time, Happy Organizing,
Bonnie B.
