The Organized Family

Bedtime Routine Bedtime routine is something I never thought about before my Daughter was born ... Apparently, she did not think about it either as we basically had only the amount of sleep needed for survival when she was a baby 😅 I was always a good sleeper , I can sleep in a car, on a train, or plane... it turned out that even sitting at a dining table in the first few weeks with my newborn 😀 I considered it a great night when I had 4 hours of sleep in a row! And really felt relaxed! Crazy how our body is accepting its possibilities and adapts to them so flexibly! Anyway, after the very first few weeks of mess , we started to focus on setting up our bedtime routine and daily routine too. Check out this post for more info about what to expect for sleep in the first year of your baby's life ! And believe me, a great bedtime routine can be a game-changer for the whole family. With toddlers and older kids, you can make it fun by using some bedtime routine charts as well! Ben

Best Tips for Organizing a Family Reunion Family reunions are such great opportunities to catch up with those relatives you do not have the chance to meet regularly. I love these extended family gatherings, and I feel even more the importance of these events since my Daugther can be actively involved 😊 I assume most of us enjoy participating in family reunions... but someone needs to organize them as well 😅 Last year it was my Brother who pushed us to organize our family reunion together. Well, I was not convinced at the beginning that it will be an easy task... but it was a great success ! Now here come some of our best hints if you are thinking about organizing a family reunion ! Photo: Pexels.com Questions to ask when planning a family reunion The main questions to think about and discuss with your fellow organizer(s) at the very beginning according to our experiences are the followings: 1. What are the main reasons for having this family reunion?  For example, to celebrate

Easter Family Games and Traditions Easter egg hunt is such a traditional game that I assume most families celebrating Easter are playing with their Little Ones... I remember, as a kid, we used to visit my grandparents and spend Easter vacations with the family there. The "Easter rabbit" hid small chocolate eggs all over their house and garden... we, the four cousins were searching for these and putting them in a big bowl - so when we found them all, the eggs can be divided among us. However one year it turned out that the "Easter rabbit" (my Mom and Aunt) was re-hiding all the eggs again , so the egg hunt could last longer  (how clever, as being a mom now I am pretty impressed!) 😅 I think I would have never found that out, but my Little Brother remembered that there were three blue eggs in the bowl, and when he went back with a new yellow one, he only found one blue there! Well, our parents had to admit that they were the ones taking it away - as they didn't

How to introduce time to children by using a Montessori-inspired linear calendar? A linear calendar for preschool kids is really helpful , while also fun to prepare - even at home or in the classroom. I remember pretty well when I first heard about linear calendars it immediately grabbed my attention. My Daughter kept asking about time , and how many days we have till this or that event... but she was still too young to understand the concept of a "real calendar". So what we needed was a different aspect, a sort of toddler calendar , that preschool and even younger kids can understand and use on a daily basis.  As we had some time to spend together at home, we decided to prepare our own one , which was besides being useful, a great time spent together too 😊 What is a linear calendar? A linear calendar is a type of calendar that lists events in chronological order . Linear calendars are generally easier to read than other types of calendars because there are no new rows for

Benefits of Creating a Weekly Meal Plan Do you know what was the biggest relief in terms of family management when my Daughter started to attend kindergarten? I had to think significantly less about meal planning... 😅 I love getting things organized but to be honest, meal planning is something I tend to forget about and leave to the last moment. Luckily I met April, who is such an expert in cooking and meal planning and she was happy to write a guest post for The Organized Family with her best hints ! 😊 Hey! I’m April, the owner of Chaos & Wine ! I’m a mom of 4 boys and chaos reigns in my house! Between homeschooling, cleaning, and running all the errands and carpools plus cooking my life is chaos! With a family of 6, all with busy schedules, having a weekly meal plan is key to keeping us not only fed but organized as well! It also keeps the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner, Mom?” to a minimum! Benefits of Creating a Weekly Meal Plan I’ll be honest creating my family’s

How to set up the best routine for the little time we have on weekdays after school?  Well, this is something I assume most families with younger kids are facing quite often... What are the best after-school activities? What after-school routine should you follow to be able to fulfill all required tasks while also finding a way for bonding with your Little Ones? In our busy lives, it's easy to forget that there is a time of day when we can actually have some downtime. Now, I'm not talking about those long, drawn-out family dinners where everyone talks at once and you can't hear your child's voice over the din. I'm talking about a time of day when you can just sit down and be with your children. You know, where they can talk to you with no interruptions and you can listen to them ask all their questions about school, life, and what the best part of the day was. The biggest advantage of having a routine for after school is that you'll never have to think twice