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If you had to ask a large family if they could get one intangible gift, the primary response would be time. A close second would be an smooth-running household. While it is possible to live without chaos in a family of 12, it does not happen overnight, and it usually requires a system to keep things in order. Several months ago we conducted a survey of several organizational devices utilized by various large family households. We asked how well they worked, what were the pros and cons, and the overall practicality and usefulness of the system. We thank everyone who participated in this article and hope that our readers will benefit for their insight. Please note, Lotsofkids.com is not connected with any of the companies mentioned in this article. This is purely for information purposes, and we hope you will find the information useful.
Cons: Most calendars have spaces for up to five people. In a large family with older children who have their own schedules, five spaces may not be enough, and the large writing space may not be quite large enough. For households with lots of small children, the large calendar may be easily reached when on the refrigerator, and any items in the pocket might be fair game for tiny fingers. Overall: All the families that utilized a calendar system liked it and would continue to use it, but oftentimes they use another type of system in addition to the calendar (i.e. phone book, etc.) It worked well with a large family, but since these calendars are tailored towards the needs of regular sized families (2-3) kids, its is not a perfect tool. Book-Type Organizers: There seems to be as many different types of organizers as there are calendars. The traditional business organizers have been redesigned by companies to have a family geared function. Two specific types of organizers are considered in this group: pre-purchased Daytimer-type organizers, and do-it-yourself organizers which are often comprised of computer printed forms or homemade lists kept in a binder. While different in some respects, the general idea and function are similar enough that we have grouped them into this category. Pros: Because you can pick and choose what to include in your organizer, you can tailor it to your needs. Particularly with do-it-yourself kinds, you can fill your organizer/binder with information specific to your household. There are a variety of inserts and options available. Many online sites offer free print-outs which are created to fit standard organizers or regular 3-ring binders. With a book-type organizer, you have a hard copy of your information that can be easily accessed. You can find phone numbers, appointments, special dates quickly. By placing pages in a clear page protector, you can create lists that can be referred to for years, if need be. With computer-generated forms, its as easy as changing information and reprinting the page to update your book. Also, since the information is held on paper, you can keep obsolete pages (for example, calendar pages from the previous year) in a separate place so you can refer to them in the future. Cons: A book can be cumbersome to take with you. With a large family, many are already juggling various items for the kids. In particular, a 3-ring binder might not be practical to take with (though individual pages might be easier to deal with). You may find yourself having to make smaller duplicate lists in a pocket calendar for reference, thus doubling the work. Even the smaller, half-sized organizers can be clumsy to handle, and if filled with a lot of information, a bit heavy to carry. This method also requires time and dedication. You need to devote time to making sure all the information is entered, either by hand or by computer. Remembering to make entries can be difficult, and if the book is not where it can be kept readily available, you may find yourself foregoing entering your appointments and turning to another method. Overall: One of the moms who helped with this article simply could not live without her book-type organizer. She used one of the various free versions provided on the Internet. For the person who feels safest having physical lists they can refer to, this system works best, and since it is easily expandable, works well with a large family. Several people who led particularly busy lives, or homeschooled and already had lots of paperwork, tended to not like the system, since it required more time to maintain than they could devote. Computer: There are many organizer programs available. You can find them easily at your local Walmart or Best Buy, but there are also a number of freeware programs available on the Internet. These programs usually roll together a myriad of functions such as a calendar and phone book. Pros: If youre on the computer a lot, its very easy to refer to the program. Particularly when doing monthly bills, or using online bill-pay, you are only a click away from the information you need. With such a wide variety of programs available, you are likely to have great luck in finding one that will suit your needs. Since you are not restricted by space restrictions, like paper and pre-printed organizers, a computer can allow you to hold vast amounts of data. Also, if you are handy, you may find that you can use a word processing program and simply keep various lists on hand, you can yourself the cost of a stand-alone program. Cons: Unless you are on the computer, its not easily accessible. For children, it may not be accessible at all. If you need a number quick and your computer is turned off, you can find it frustrating waiting for your CPU to boot-up before you can make the call. If you need information to take with you, it requires time to print out the information. If you cannot find one program to handle all your tasks, you may need to use several, and sometimes that can be cumbersome. Placement can be a major problem. If your computer is tucked away, apart from the command central of your home (usually the kitchen), its functionality as a home organizer may be greatly diminished. Overall: Most people utilized a computer in some capacity, whether they had another system or not. However it usually served as a backup for information, or a device used in conjunction with another method. Capacity-wise, it served large families well. Handheld Organizers - With the digital age has come the advent of handheld organizers. Coupling the power of a computer with the portability of a small pocket organizer, they are growing in popularity with families. There are many electronic organizers available, ranging from the complex to the simplistic. We will be specifically reviewing two that we felt would most benefit large families: the Palm Pilot and Home Organizer.
Cons: The price. While you can get a low-end Palm for around $70, the models that people find most useful are about twice that, and some are quadruple that amount. Plus, add-ons cost additional money. Entering data can be a bit difficult with the pen, and adding a keyboard is an added cost. Also, to avoid accidents, it is not normally kept in an accessible place. The Palm generally has to be used by adults and teens, so younger children may not be able to use it. Also, Palms are know to lose their memory. If you dont backup your information regularly, you may end up losing data. Overall: People loved having a Palm for their personal use. It allowed them to keep organized, and for a parent it was a valuable asset. However, it was noted that the method is not very family-friendly. Mom or dad still had to verbally tell children what the schedules were, and the kids could not check the information themselves. The Palm usually was supplemented by another organizer form, usually a stand-alone calendar.
Pros: The main pro to this device is that it can be used on a hard surface, such as a desk, or mounted to a wall where it can be easily accessed by other family members, yet high enough out of reach of small children. It features a built-in printer, so you can generate a hard copy of your information quickly. It has a full qwerty keypad, which makes entering information easy, and allows younger children to use it. The controls are very prominent and well laid out, yet simple to use. It runs on batteries; an adaptor is provided for the printer. The 5 banks of information can be utilized in unique ways, such as using the B bank for school information, C for emergency contacts, etc. Cons: While it states it is portable, and can be removed from its wall mount, it is a bit heavy and clumsy. There is no way to easily delete individual entries from a list, other than manually erasing them, though you can delete whole lists with a touch of the button. It is on the costly side, retailing for $129. Replacement rolls of thermal tape for the printer are an additional cost. Also, as with previous methods, having entries for only 5 family members may not adequately meet your needs. Overall: It was thought to be a good investment, and was highly recommended. Husbands tended to like it better than other methods, especially when the unit was placed near the phone, since it gave them an easy way to jot down and/or find numbers and messages without a pen and paper. The ability to print-out the information on the unit was a strong point. However, as with most of the other options presented, a stand-alone calendar was utilized for quick glance schedule information. **Note: Sadly, in the age of handhelds, this product was discontinued. A modified version of the product (same item minus the printer) was briefly marketed under the name of "Aurora". However that, too, has been discontinued. If you are interested in this product, many online retailers still have them in stock, and you can find them on eBay as well. The most important thing to remember when organizing your home is that a method that works well for another family may not work for you, even if you both have 8 kids, a dog and a cat! The dynamics of every household is different. With a little planning, you can find a utilize one or more of the options above to get your household in order. If you have any questions about the information contained in this article, you can email us and we will be happy to help you in any way that we can. Comments page 0 of 0
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