It’s 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. I’m lying in bed, waiting for my brain to shut off. I start running through the week in my head–what I’ve done and what I still have to do. I say a quick prayer that my daughter will sleep in tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and 7:30 a.m. is going to be way too early for me.

And then it hits me. My son has a doctor’s appointment at 8:40 in the morning, which means we have to be out the door by 8:20.

In the midst of my busy life, I’d somehow forgotten that fact. No, it didn’t get forgotten on the calendar. In fact, it’s on all three calendars (fridge, my monthly planner, and my week-at-a-glance planner). And yet, my organization didn’t mean a thing because I was so busy I forgot to even glance at the calendar before hitting the sack.

This got me thinking about organization and how it plays out in our lives as homeschooling parents. Trying to keep everything straight and get everything accomplished that needs to be accomplished is a HUGE task. I know from experience exactly how big a task it can be–and as you might be able to tell from the example above, it doesn’t always happen exactly the way it’s supposed to happen.

As a SAHM/WAHM, I have a lot on my plate. Usually, I thrive from the “pressure” and “stress” of it all. But this week has been an extra-busy week coming off a busy weekend (which was preceded by another busy week). Sometimes, things just go from “organized chaos” to all out CHAOS!

Most of the time, I have three calendars keeping me in line, along with my ever-growing “to-do” lists. I have my computer station set up in the kitchen, so I can keep an eye on the kids at all times (I have a full view of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and toy room from my perch) while I do my “work.” However, sometimes I get so caught up in my “to-do” lists and calendars that I forget to get off my stool and get down on the floor with my kiddos.

And let me tell you, they know when they haven’t had enough “Mommy Time.” All of a sudden (or so it seems to Mommy, who has been deep in a trance staring at the computer screen), four little hands start pulling on my legs. Voices start whining. The toys, books, and TV (all educational, of course–haha, yeah right) are no longer keeping their attention. They need Mommy to turn off the computer and give them her undivided attention. I check my to-do list and week-at-a-glance planner to make sure nothing else needs my immediate attention, and I hit the floor to play with my kiddos. Hopefully, they’ll take naps today, so I can get some work done then.

When you have multiple tasks needing your attention throughout the day (and each day having a slightly different routine than the day before/after), it helps to have some sort of organizational system, even if you are living in complete chaos. I have found that I need things to be written down, or else I’ll forget within three minutes (or less).

My to-do list must be on a piece of paper that is easily visible. I can’t use a computer to remind me (there are days when I’m so busy with life that the computer doesn’t get turned on), and a mental to-do list is about as good as a leaf blowing in the wind (here one second and gone the next).

I have three calendars to help me show up to appointments on time (assuming I actually look at them!!), meet deadlines, and remember important dates. I have a monthly planner that is my _______ calendar –the other two are both written based on it. My monthly planner includes all events, appointments, important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc), and meal plan (I plan my dinner menu a month at a time). My week-at-a-glance planner is my lifeline. This helps me to keep straight everything I need to get accomplished during the week, from appointments to books that need to be reviewed to tasks I need to accomplish sometime during the week. This planner also allows me to see where I have “extra” time during the week for any errands that need to be taken care of outside of my normal Tuesday morning errand time.

I also have a monthly calendar on the fridge (whiteboard calendar) on which I put all the important appointments, events, and dates, as well as my menu plan, so that anybody in the house can see at a glance (without having to “dig” through my Life Binder to find my planner) where they need to be and when. (This is mostly for me to be able to see what’s for dinner or what appointments I have the next day without having to open my LB, or for my husband to be able to see what’s going on in our lives.)

All that is to say your organizational system isn’t going to look like mine–nor should it. Organization needs to be individualized, or it won’t work. If an organizational system isn’t tailored to meet your specific needs, you’re probably not going to use it. And the whole point of organization is to keep you organized, right? The key is to figure out what works for you. If you need three calendars (like me) to help you organize all your tasks, appointments, meals, etc, then figure out what three calendars will work best for you. I had to create my own week-at-a-glance planner because I couldn’t find one that met my specific needs. If you don’t have all the “extra” responsibilities of a WAHM, then you might not need three calendars. Maybe one monthly calendar in a centralized location is perfect for you. Some people work better with paper (me), and some prefer using a computer or electronic device to keep them organized. Whatever works for you (and try different things to find out if you’re not sure) is going to be your best bet at organizing the chaos in your life!

Sometimes a chaotic life requires organization and planning. Sometimes organized chaos resembles more chaos than organization. Sometimes organization requires a little chaos to break up the monotony. And nobody’s organization looks exactly like anybody else’s. The key to organized chaos is knowing when the organization is important and when it’s time to get down and play with the kids!

This post was written by Ashley P., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways contributor.