The idea of a "family command center" in your home may seem completely unnecessary - like maybe a little bit more work than you have time for?? But I really think it's a huge benefit to busy families like mine, and probably yours! Keeping schedules, homework, various school papers and even some artwork of kids' organized and close at hand can be a total game changer!! 

To be honest, I was going to try to come up with a list of my top 5 items for a Family Command Center. But as I got to thinking about active families, I realized all you need are the basics that are going to get you & your family organized! 

So instead of five...here are my top 2 things you must include in your Family's Command Center!

#1: Family Calendar

This is a total must! all the other things you could include are great... but this is it, my friend. The center of it all, the star of the family command center!

You can l learn exactly how I set up my Family Calendar to be organized and easy to read!

Basically, everyone in the family has an assigned color. So when I am glancing at the activities for the day, I can easily whose is whose and what's happening. 

sidenote: I create a "key" at the top of each month so I remember who has what color... cause mom brain!  

The whole point of a command center is to have the information and schedules close at hand, so you can easily reference your schedules or other paperwork. 

We created a Command Center Area in our dining area, between the kitchen and family room, so everything is right there, where we spend the bulk of our time as a family.

I am easily able to glance up at the daily activities on our family's calendar, but so is everyone else (who already can read) in our family. 

Having a family calendar visible, for myself and everyone else, has helped keep our active family of seven (4 of 5 kids currently in sports) schedules organized! 

 All you need to set up a Family Calendar is:

• Large Hanging 12-month Calendar
• Multi-colored Pen Set 

The second must have "item" for your family command center is

#2: Files for all the kids' paperwork! 

I know you know what I'm talking about here! It's amazing how much paper comes home in those backpacks each and every day!! 

We have a super cute, but simple wire basket that hangs in our "Command Center" that can hold a file for each of the kids and their paperwork.

Whenever the kids bring home papers that I actually need to hold onto, like field trip forms, picture day info, or others, but I don't need to look at it immediately, it gets popped into their file for future reference. 

If this paper filing system is something you choose to set up for your family, you'll love how simple it is to find the paperwork you actually need! Just remember to recycle the items that you don't need to keep! 

 All you need to set up a file system for the kid's paperwork is:

• Files: either loose or an accordion style
• Hanging File basket: Something that can hang on the wall is great so you keep it close to your Calendar and won't get shuffled or lost in the midst of daily life. 

Other Fun (but totally NOT necessary) Family Command Center ideas:

• Chore Charts
• Back Pack hooks
• Mail Drop
• Kids Art work Display

 You don't have to have a Pinterest or Instagram worthy looking Family Command Center to have it super functional. Keep it simple to keep it working! Have a family calendar and a place for all the papers the kids bring home. Make it cute and add in some other fun ideas if you want! You will love having a central place to keep your family's schedules organized & all the papers you don't want to lose!