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Looking for family organization ideas? Have you ever heard of a “family launch pad?” Also known as a “family command center,” this is a spot in your house where family members can “launch” their day. Technically even a single person living alone can benefit from a spot like this, but for a family with children, it can be indispensable.

Getting organized in the morning is tough for adults and arguably even tougher for kids. When all you feel like doing is sleeping (and you have to keep waking up your children at the breakfast table), the last thing you want to do is waste precious time and energy figuring out what everyone needs to do to get their day off to the right start.

Even if you are living in a small space, you can create a morning launch pad. Here are some good locations:

• The entryway
• The mudroom
• A home office
• A convenient alcove
• A kitchen counter

You might already have a pretty good idea what would be useful to put in the morning launch pad, but if you are still looking for family command center ideas, here are a few items to consider:

• A family organizer calendar
• Coats, boots, scarves, hats, etc.
• Children’s lunchboxes in the morning, packed and ready to go
• A couple of plastic storage bins for incoming and outgoing mail, bills, etc.
• Purses and wallets
• A bench or chair and a table where you can sit and work for a moment if necessary
• Plastic bins or baskets for school paperwork that needs signing or reviewing (permission slips and so on)

One of the best tips for getting your family organized with a launch pad is to ask for input. This is not a task you should attempt to do entirely yourself. Why? You might come up with an organizing system that works for you, but it may or may not be a good fit for other members of your family. If that is the case, they probably will not follow through, and the area will not be used.

So get everybody involved in the launch pad. If you have a partner, ask him or her for feedback, and get all of the kids involved, even the younger ones. You do not need a “one size fits all” system either. Different members of the family may have different items and systems that help them stay organized. Incorporate them all into the launch pad, making it inclusive. This is a wonderful way to teach kids organizational skills and show them you like their ideas!

If you do this, every member of your family will be happy with the setup and will enjoy using it. As one more family launch pad idea, consider putting a whiteboard or chalkboard on the wall. That way everyone in the family can leave each other notes just for fun. This makes the launch pad a place not just to organize, but also to stay connected and involved in each others’ lives.