Home and Family Organisation Help
Busy Mothers’ Companion, Sandra Felton, FlyLady and Emilie Barnes
A guide to home organisation books and websites offering advice and strategies for a less cluttered and more organised home and family.
Some people make a New Years’ resolution every year to have a tidy and ordered home and lifestyle. By January 2nd they have already given up such a goal as hopelessly idealistic. When a home fails to look like a 4-page spread in Home Beautiful magazine after 24 hours, it is easy to get discouraged and give up.
Bringing order to a chaotic home takes time and involves more than making the beds, catching up on the ironing and (finally) filing all that paperwork. To create a calm, ordered home, changes need to be made to everyday habits and choices.
If someone is struggling to keep their head above water, the first thing they need to do is GET HELP! There is no shame in asking a good friend who is more organised to give advice on how to get on top of things. For those who are self-conscious about asking for help, there are some great resources available. Why not team up with a friend who also wants to make some improvements to support and encourage each other?
The following home management resources are great for someone looking to simplify, declutter and organise their family, life and home:
This folder of charts, checklists and information can be downloaded as an e-book or ordered in a printed version.
Contents include tips and checklists for organising:
- kitchen (preparing a menu plan, grocery shopping lists)
- children (school contact details, health summary pages, babysitter/carer information sheet),
- finances (budget template), and family (weekly planner, calendar, job charts).
- important contact information (doctor, dentist, schools, accountant, hairdresser)
- important details such as bank account numbers and insurance policy carriers/numbers
- Christmas card records
- travelling with toddlers
This folder holds all the important information needed to keep a family organised in one spot where it can be easily found. There is also a forum available on the website to connect with other ‘busy mothers’.
Messies Anonymous – Sandra Felton
Sandra Felton doesn’t just provide fantastic advice on how to simplify and declutter; she also provides information on the background to why some people struggle with organisational skills while others effortlessly maintain order. She has a range of books that provide practical advice on getting paperwork and household clutter in order as well as a website with supportive chat groups and information about a six week program for disorganised 'messies'.
The FlyLady is there to help anyone suffering from C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Regular emails are available through the website (free registration) to encourage people to try to change bad organisational habits. Be warned – there are quite a few emails, so be prepared! There is a range of books to consider as well as plenty of support available online.
Emilie Barnes has written more than 65 books on the subjects of organisation and her Christian faith. Her books contain tips and advice for decluttering and organisation as well as practical decorating and storage ideas and homemaker advice. She advocates putting systems in place to manage household information and storage that might overwhelm the chronically disorganised, but which will appeal to those who want details at their fingertips.
Remember, it takes at least 3 weeks to create a new habit. Take small steps and work on changing bad habits one at a time to bring order to into a home. Each of the websites listed have forums or chat groups for support and encouragement.
