Get Organized Checklist: Command Center

On the previous page, you read in detail about the first two sections of your Get Organized Checklist: Command Center. Read on for details about the remaining two sections. Or, scroll to the bottom of the page to download/print the checklist.

Communication

Thanks to those busy schedules we filled up our calendars with, communication between family members can be a challenge. To make sure things don’t slip through the cracks, a strong communication system is essential.

First, if possible, keep a phone and your answering machine at or near your command center. This way, it will be easy for family members to write down phone messages and increase the odds the message actually reaches the intended individual. That’s why a message board or notepad is an essential command center component.

My family also finds it helpful to keep a master to do list and running list of things we need from the grocery store. By keeping these lists in the command center, we have a centralized location to make these notes. And I can grab the list on my way out the door to run errands.

Finally, since the main home phone is in the command center, it’s the perfect place to post important phone numbers. At a minimum, you should list:

Your home phone number (helpful for sitters and young children who may not have it memorized)
Parents’ work and/or cell phone numbers
Neighbors’ and relatives’ phone numbers
Poison control center: 1-800-222-1222
Non-emergency police
Family doctor
School(s)

Extras

If you have chore or daily routine charts for your kids, the command center is a great place to post them. Ideally, everyone in the family will check in to the command center at least once each day. Posting the charts there makes it more likely they’ll be checked.

Since our command center is located in our kitchen, near the exit to the garage door, we also have hooks to hold all of our keys.

If you have the space, your command center is also a great location for a central charging station for all of your electronic devices. This is especially helpful if you have a tech limit in your home (e.g. kids have to turn in cell phones during certain hours).