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Family organization and routines

Calendars, routines and family meetings, and the words for keeping a busy house in step.

A

After-school routineThe same set of steps a child follows between getting home from school and dinner, usually a snack, active play, some downtime and homework.

B

Back-to-school prepThe jobs a family does in the weeks before school starts, from checkups and forms to supplies, a budget and shifting bedtime earlier.
Backpack stationA set spot near the door, usually hooks plus a shelf or bin, where school bags and the things that go with them live between school days.
Bedtime routineThe same short series of calm steps a child goes through each night before sleep, such as brushing teeth, reading a book and lights out at a set time.

D

Date nightTime a couple sets aside on a regular basis to spend together as partners, away from household logistics, often weekly.
Digital plannerA planner kept on a phone, tablet or computer, such as a calendar app, a task app or a planner file you write on with a stylus.

F

Family command centerOne central spot at home, often a wall by the entry or in the kitchen, where the family keeps its shared calendar, papers, lists and everyday items.
Family emergency planA written plan a household agrees on ahead of time for how it will reach each other, where it will meet and what it will do in a disaster or emergency.
Family media planA written set of family rules about screens and media, such as screen-free times and places, that each household makes to fit its own routines and values.
Family meetingA short, regular sit-down where everyone in the household shares news, looks ahead at the week and makes decisions together.
Family mission statementA short written statement, made together, of what a family values and how its members want to treat each other and spend their time.
Family movie nightA regular evening when the household watches a movie together, picked in turns, with phones put away and a chat about it afterward.
Family routinesThe regular, predictable ways a household handles the repeating parts of the day, such as mornings, meals, homework, chores and bedtime.
Family rulesA short list of clear, specific statements about the behavior a family expects, agreed on by the adults and applied the same way every time.
First-then boardA two-part picture board showing a child the task to do now (first) and the activity that follows (then), often something they enjoy.

H

Homework routineA set time, place and order for doing schoolwork at home each school day, so homework starts without a fresh argument every afternoon.
Homework stationOne set spot at home for schoolwork, stocked with the supplies a child needs, so homework starts in the same quiet place each day.
Household binderA binder or folder that keeps a home's key information in one place, from contacts and schedules to copies of important papers and account details.

K

Kids morning routineThe same short list of steps a child follows each school or child care morning, such as dressing, breakfast, brushing teeth and grabbing a backpack.

M

Morning routineA set series of steps you follow each morning, in the same order, to get yourself or your household up, ready and out the door on time.

P

Paper plannerA printed or handwritten planner, such as a bound book, a notebook or printed pages, used to plan days, weeks and months on paper.

R

Routine chartA chart, often with pictures, listing the steps of one routine in order, such as getting ready for school or bed, that a child checks off as they go.

S

Summer bucket listA family's list of things to do together over the summer break, written at the start and ticked off as the weeks go by.
Summer scheduleA family's plan for the school break: steady wake and bed times, blocks for camp, play and chores, and a slow shift back before school starts.
Sunday resetAn informal name for a weekly routine, usually on Sunday, of tidying, laundry, food prep and planning so the household starts the week caught up.

T

Thank-you notesA short handwritten or typed message thanking someone for a gift, a favor or their hospitality, ideally sent within a few days.

V

Visual scheduleA row of pictures or photos showing, in order, what happens next in a child's day or routine, so they can see what's coming.
Visual timerA timer that shows time running out as a shrinking colored area or a row of markers, so a child can see how long is left before a change.