What It Means
A family command center is one spot in the home where a household's shared information lives: the calendar, incoming mail and school papers, to-do and chore lists, and often keys. It usually sits on a wall or counter in a place everyone passes on the way in and out, such as the entryway, the kitchen or a mudroom. Anyone at home can check it to see what's happening this week without having to ask the one person who usually knows.
Try It: Plan What Goes on Your Command Center
Tick what you want on your command center. Start small; you can add pieces later.
Nothing picked yet. The calendar and the paper tray make a good first pair.
A small setup. Put it where everyone walks past, and add more once checking it is a habit.
A full station. Keep what you check daily at eye level and clear the paper tray once a week so it doesn't overflow.
How It Sounds at Home
- "Check the command center before you ask me."
- "Put the permission slip in the tray by the door."
- "Is it on the big calendar?"
The Breakdown
How to set one up
- Pick a spot everyone passes every day, such as the wall by the door you use most or a corner of the kitchen.
- Hang a calendar big enough to show every person's events for the month.
- Add one tray or folder for incoming papers: mail, school forms and bills to pay.
- Put up a chore or to-do listTo-do listA written list of the tasks you plan to do, checked or crossed off as each one is finished. See more and a place for the shopping list.
- If there's room, put hooks or a small tray nearby for keys and bags.
- Choose one time each week to clear the paper tray and bring the calendar up to date.
Try it today. Clear one small surface near the door, set a calendar and a single paper tray there, and tell everyone that's where new papers go from now on.
What each piece answers
| Piece | The question it answers |
|---|---|
| Calendar | Where does everyone need to be, and when? |
| Paper tray | What needs signing, paying or filling in? |
| Chore or to-do list | Whose job is it this week? |
| Shopping list | What are we out of? |
| Keys and bags spot | Where did I leave my keys? |
| Emergency communication plan | Who do we call, and where do we meet if we're separated? |
Good to Know
The Container Store's command center guide suggests a spot the whole family passes going in and out, a calendar everyone can see with a color for each person, and a to-do board above it. For the paper, its mail guide suggests trays or baskets labeled by what each piece needs, such as To Pay and To File. Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, asks families to agree on how they'll reach each other and where they'll meet if they get separated in an emergency, and it offers a fillable family emergency communication planFamily 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. See more. It suggests keeping copies in several places, such as a purse or briefcase, the car, your office and your disaster kitEmergency kitA packed set of water, food, light, first aid and other basics that lets a household get through several days on its own after a disaster. See more, and looking the plan over every year. A command center is one more place at home for a copy. Anything on the wall can be read by guests and workers who come into your home, so keep passwords and account numbers somewhere private.
FAQ
What should a family command center include?
The core is a shared calendar, a place for incoming papers, and a chore or to-do list. You can add a shopping list, a meal plan, a spot for keys, and a copy of the family emergency communication plan.
Where is the best place for a family command center?
Somewhere everyone passes every day, usually the entryway, a mudroom or the kitchen. A station tucked into a spare room is easy to forget about.
Should a command center be on paper or in an app?
Either works. A wall station is visible to everyone at home, including kids without phones, while a shared app goes with you. Some families use both, with the app holding the details and the wall showing the week at a glance.
Do It in Buhata
Household Notes, Calendar
Keep the wifi password, the bin schedule and your emergency contacts in Household Notes in Buhata, and put the family's events on the Calendar in your Household Space.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Backpack station
A 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.
- Household binder
A 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.
- Family emergency plan
A 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.
- Routine chart
A 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.
Sources
The Container Store, "Back To School: Setting Up A Family Command Center"; The Container Store, "How To Organize Bills & Mail"; Lowe's, "How to Build an Entry Message Center"; Ready.gov, "Make A Plan"; Ready.gov, "Family Communication Plan"; Ready.gov, "Family Emergency Communication Plan" (wallet card)
- www.containerstore.com/blog/posts/back-to-school-setting-up-a-family-command-center
- www.containerstore.com/organization-projects/office/project/organize-bills-mail
- www.lowes.com/n/how-to/entry-message-center
- www.ready.gov/plan
- www.ready.gov/collection/family-communication-plan
- www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/family-emergency-plan_wallet.pdf
Last updated .