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Style

Last week I shared some ideas of things you can do to get ready for Fall. Tips included suggestions on ways to power organize and stay organized (!) as well as some ideas to get your kids back on track with sleep. Make sure you take a look if you missed it.

This week, I have a few more ideas to share with you.

Visual Reminders

Once you establish a routine or system it takes a bit of time until it becomes a habit. I find visual cues make a big difference to help remind everyone of what they are responsible for. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Chore charts: centrally located checklists can help everyone stay on track with assigned chores
    around the house.
  • Strategic signage: Post a sign that reminds your child what they need to do when they are in the
    bathroom for example (wash hands, brush teeth etc)
  • Reminders by the door: Post checklists by the door asking key questions such as …  Do you have
    your lunch? Your water bottle? Your masks? Do you have your gym clothes?

 

Visual reminders don’t have to be boring (although bright sticky notes work too!). If you use Canva you can create your own using the prefilled templates. Also be sure to check out Etsy for some fun designs that can be easily downloaded and printed.

Communicate & Connect

During online school utilizing systems to communicate as a family was not as much of a priority because no one ever left the house!

I don’t know about you but I hate the yelling that goes on in my house when there is confusion about what is happening when.

Here are some of my favourite tools:

  • Family Schedule Posted on a Centrally Located Whiteboard. We have utilized a whiteboard in our kitchen area since our children were young. I update our family schedule every Sunday night and we have come to rely on it to know what is going on when.
  • Weekly Family Meeting. I know some families have a very formal 15 minute discussion each week to work through any logistics. This doesn’t happen as formally in my house but we typically have a conversation as part of our dinner on Sunday and it has helped keep us all moving in the same direction.
  • Shared Electronic Family Calendar. My husband and I have a shared calendar on our phones where anything home and family related is entered. This includes things like addresses and details in the notes section if something needs to be brought to the event.
  • Group Text Chat. Now that our kids are older we have a family group text chat that is a mix of communication on family related things and a whole lot of other nonsense. Regardless of the content it is a tool that keeps us connected.

Clear communication and staying connected makes all the difference in how you live and thrive at home. I would love to hear any insight you might have after reading.

If you need help creating a home that works for you and your family I would love to help. You can reach me at https://www.sarahhepburn.ca/services

Sarah loves helping women create a life & home they love by turning chaos into order and calm.
Sarah is a writer and interior design consultant.
Sarah loves helping people get clear on how they want to live in life and at home. She firmly believes that life should be lived on purpose. Not by accident. ... Sarah pens personal essays exploring how events in her past have shaped her perspective on the present while also helping families create homes they love. She relies on her strong intuition and ten plus years experience in the design industry to help women create a life & home they love by transforming chaos into order and calm. A self-described organizational ninja, Sarah loves her checklists and gets excited to create systems and help others build habits that free up time so they can connect with those they love the most. Sarah lives in Aurora with her husband and three teenage sons and can often be found walking the trails throughout York Region while dreaming of her next travel adventure.

sarahhepburn

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