Having everyone home at all times is an unusual situation! While you might have a routine when everyone heads to work and school - it is definitely not “business as usual,” and that includes staying organized. 

We’ve rounded up some tips to help keep everyone organized while everyone is at home for the foreseeable future.


1. Involve Your Children
On a regular week, involving your kids in household tasks might feel too effortful. The tasks can take longer to do and most likely require some touch-ups or total re-dos. However, teaching your kids important life skills is invaluable. All this extra time hanging out at home brings the opportunity to teach your kids how to cook, clean, fix things, sort things, etc. Having them develop these life skills can increase their independence and feelings of self-worth. Plus, you’ll have helpers tackle the chores!


2. Create a Visual Schedule
Even though your regular schedules have been flipped upside down, it is still important to keep a calendar. Instead of school activities and weekend birthday parties, it’s going to be filled with different activities. These can include weekly Skype sessions with family members, live broadcasts of child-friendly activities, gardening schedules and more. Having a calendar that everyone can look at helps keep everyone on track, and will help prevent everyone from losing track of what day it is.

Writing down all the activities you come across can also help make sure you fill all the hours of the day. Just make sure to schedule some time for yourself!


3. Create a Cleaning Routine
Unfortunately, chores aren’t cancelled along with everything else. Set specific days to do all the big household cleaning like vacuuming and laundry, just like you would if everyone was at work and school.

However, you should be adding in some daily tidying so the house does not get too out-of-control messy. A good idea is to set up one basket per person so that odds and ends can be placed in them throughout the day. At the end of the day, have everyone empty their baskets. This will help prevent pile-ups of toys, papers, and general clutter. You won’t have to wake up to a messy house again!


4. Make a Menu Plan
One of the worst parts of the day is deciding what to eat and then scrambling to get it on the table before everyone starts complaining of hunger. Making a meal plan will take away most of this stress because you will be prepared for every meal.

At the start of every week, spend some time figuring out what to make for each meal. Start with planning dinner, as they are usually the most complex and can result in some leftovers for lunches.

During this pandemic, it is a good idea to keep an inventory on top of your freezer so you don’t waste any food or make useless trips to the grocery store.


5. Make a List of What is Needed
Tying in with number 4, you should have an on-going list of items that are needed in the house. Make a list pad and put it in an easily accessible and memorable spot for the whole family. Any time someone thinks of an item that is needed, they write it down. This applies to food, toiletries, pet supplies, stationery, cleaning supplies, fun items, and more.

This will cut down on trips to the grocery store or online orders, which is the safest option for everyone. It will also make sure nothing is forgotten so you can keep on track for the following week.


Each family is going to prioritize different things, and that is perfectly acceptable! Keeping everyone organized goes a long way to reducing stress in the home and making time for more, enjoyable activities. Even if you don’t get your whole list done, make sure to have fun with your loved ones. We might be stuck inside but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for hanging out and spending quality time as a family.

For more organizational items head over to our Storage and Organization department.