How do you keep yourself organized so that you don't forget important things?
First, even the most organized person is going to forget something important occasionally. For me, I forget stuff when there is a change in my routine. I have to get myself and my three kids ready in time so that I have a couple of minutes to review and make sure I didn't forget anything. When I'm rushing and running behind, then I forget important things like referrals and tutor appointments.
Here are a few ideas of how to avoid those "Ahhh, I forgot..." moments.
1. When I have to get us all up and going early, I try to pack the night before. I make sure my diaper bag is fully stocked of the essentials, I put drinks and snacks in the car, I set out clothes for the kids, and I review my checklist before I go to bed so that I don't forget something important in the morning rush.
2. I keep an emergency diaper bag in the car. It has diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, snacks, baby food, first aid kit, water bottles, toys, etc. There have been many occasions that I have been so grateful for my emergency diaper bag. The trick is not forgetting to restock that bag after you have used it in an emergency. :)
3. I have a calendar on my bulletin board where I write down everything important. If I don't write it down, I will forget. Some moms use a small daily planner/calendar that they keep tucked in their purse or diaper bag. There are also calendars and planning tools online. I have used the google calendar in the past. For me, the best way to stay organized is the calendar on the bulletin board. I walk past it a 100 times a day. Find a tool that you know you will use and see often so that you can stay on time, and not forget.
Please share some of the tricks and tools you use to help you not forget!
I have to write EVERYTHING down on a piece of paper and i keep it on the island in the kitchen so i will see it every day. I have been more and more forgetful with each child. I am scared to see what my brain will be like after this next one ahhh
ReplyDeleteMy dad uses the gmail calendar (and LOVES it!) and has it text him a million times a week of reminders. I haven't done it because it takes just a little time to set it up. :) If he has an appointment he will put it in the calendar and then it is an extra click to get it to send 2 reminders to you - so he always has it send one a few hours before and then right before so he doesn't forget again. You could write everything down on a piece of paper throughout the day and each night or every other night put it in your gmail calendar. You can also set a reminder for "doctors appointment - remember your immunization card" (since that is what I typically forget to bring) :)
ReplyDeleteMy advice is to create a command center. I have a small space of counter located next to the service door to our garage. It really is an odd spot in the kitchen - too small and too far from everything else in the kitchen to work. It has become the brain of our home. I have a desk sized calendar that I write everywhere we have to be, deadlines, birthdays, etc. (color coding each person in the family); a charging station that also holds our keys and has a spot for spare change; an ongoing grocery list; and a mail sorter. I also keep an accordion file, so as I pay bills from the mail sorter, I can file them in the slot for that month. Hanging on the wall between the countertop and the upper cabinet, is a set of sorters, one for each child. Each child is responsible for placing anything that needs to be signed and returned or written on the calendar in the sorter, this especially applies during the school year. After they go to bed, I review, sign, and notate. The papers that contain additional information about events that were written on the calendar like dance recital info for J, scout camp directions and packing lists for B, and pre-school registration for K go in the drawer in a folder for each person. In the drawer is also a basket for receipts, so we (my husband) can put our (his) receipts and nothing gets missed. At the end of the month, I highlight any purchases that can be claimed on our taxes, put all the receipts in an envelope, and place the envelope in the accordion folder with the bills for that month. I also keep an endless supply of pens, post-its, envelopes, and tape in a handy drawer organizer. Stuck to the door of the cabinet is a laminated babysitter information sheet. I downloaded the form from an online website, filled in the information, and laminated it. The only thing we have to fill in is the information detailing where we will be and I never forget to tell the babysitter to turn on J’s nightlight (among other things.) The library bag, church bags, any returns I need to make, and a last minute car trip bag (stocked full of goodies to occupy the littles when I need to run an unexpected errand) are stored in the cabinet below on the bottom shelf. I moved the top shelf up as high as possible, and our life's information is kept in a 3" binder – extra certified copies of birth certificates, a copy of our living will, immunization records and fingerprints, insurance information, records of debts and assets, etc. This will be the one thing I grab if I have to run out of the house in an emergency. It is still in the works, but once finished will have literally everything in it.
ReplyDeleteI always stack whatever I need that day on top of the calendar, so I can simply grab it as I walk out the door. If an activity requires something to be taken along, then I write that on the calendar with the event. When all else fails, I use post-its.
My favorite and most recent source of reminders is a laminated piece of bright paper in our laundry room. I am picky about laundry and can't stand when something gets dried that shouldn't be or I forget to see if the stain came out of my favorite shirt before throwing it into the dryer or when my well-intentioned DH changes around the laundry and doesn't have a clue to even ck for these things. Now I write myself a note on the laminated paper with a dry erase marker "do not dry black pants" or "ck stain on K's shirt." Simply genius, I tell ya.