You probably need some labels.
All right, all right – don’t jump all over me. I’m not telling you to go out and get a fancy label maker and use it all over your house.
I’m just saying your kids (or husband!) could probably use a little help.
And sometimes the old-fashioned label is the best, fastest way to do that.
I know you know where everything is. You’re the mom – the household manager – your family’s CEO.
But don’t you get tired of telling people detailed directions? Or losing patience when they can’t find what’s right in front of them, and having to go fetch it yourself?
Labels can stop all that.
Imagine sending your kids for more office supplies and them coming back with exactly what you wanted. Or asking your husband to grab crackers for lunch from the pantry.
If your kids know where the office supplies drawer is, and each type is separated, they’ll be back with your paperclips in no time.
You’ve given your husband a quick crash course on the pantry, so now he knows to look for the bin marked “Snacks.”
And all it took of your time was a bit of labeling (fancy label maker, painter’s tape and marker, or yes, even chalkboard labels).
Here’s how to do it.
Put your glasses on
Go around the house and observe from a stranger’s perspective.
If you had a friend over, who had never been to your home before, and you asked her to quickly grab something for you – could she find it?
Pretend you’re a visitor. Open the pantry. Look at your cleaning supplies. Investigate the medicine stash.
If you didn’t know anything about this household, could you find the snacks without scanning every single container? What about the Lysol? Or the cold medicine for the kids?
If the answer is no, or yes (buy only if they search every square inch), then labels will really make a difference for you.
You know where everything is. Now they can too.
(Remember, we’re not labeling for the fun of it. To make things look nice. We’re labeling so that we can delegate the find-and-fetch work to your family members.)
So toss perfectionism out the window, grab your labeler/marker/chalk, and start brainstorming!
Brainstorm to win
A label is better than no label.
You can always change it later.
With that in mind, do a quick brainstorm. What is the overarching category here? And what’s an easy word or phrase to describe that?
Cans? Cans.
Pasta? Pasta.
Dry goods – will your family know what that means? Do you need to call it “Flours and Spices” or “Rice and Pasta” instead?
“Allergy,” “Cold,” “Nausea” (or even “Upset Stomach”) – try these for your medicine cabinet. (Whatever would get your husband or mom in and out quickly.)
And don’t forget those office supplies. Have something clearly labeled “Backup” or “More Pens” so that the kids don’t grab those first.
Identify the notepaper everyone can use by titling it “Paper,” “Scrap Paper,” or maybe “Drawing Materials.”
Whatever floats your boat, makes sense to your family, and will be easily understood by the kids (and husband!).
Now they can find whatever you can.
Almost done….
Last step? Go around and slap those labels on!
This can even be fun. You’re taking the last step in making your home fully usable by anyone.
So get those bins and boxes labeled so that you can start getting other people to do the fetch and carry work!
Delegation for the win. And all it took was a few labels. (Okay, maybe a few dozen….)
Go forth and conquer! (Especially the idea that only mom can find anything in this house.)
