Too many documents? Too little time? | South Shore Moms

By Guest Blogger Lisa Dooley

Do you only have a few minutes during nap time or before nursery school pick up and want an organizing project that is high impact?  I recommend creating a Kitchen Folio or binder with current content.  When my boys were young, they each had a binder in their favorite color and on the spine I wrote the class year.  Into the binder went any information on his class – teacher handouts, info from Open House night, class lists, etc.  Also include in the binder any current sports/activity information including schedules, contact names, team rosters, etc.  Yes, I know most of this is available online but it is always great to have a print out to refer to and older children can easily access it as well.  Another item to include in the binder is a copy of your child’s most recent physical form.  Everyone from school to sports to camp needs that form and if lost, the doctor’s office charges to replace it.  Make some copies, stick them in the binder and you are all set for your next registration.  In the binder I also include a copy of each child’s birth certificate – not the original which “lives” in your waterproof strong box with your other forever documents!  Again, the physical form and the birth certificate are the two things you will need most frequently as your child gets older.

Once you’ve created the binder, be consistent about updating it.  When you get the new physical form, destroy the old ones and replace it with the current version.  Is your child heading to high school and you still have the 4th grade information in the book?  Purge, purge, purge.  Replace the old, outdated information with the new current content.   Is your child a practiced driver and you still have the driver’s ed material in the book?  Throw it out.

As your child reaches the upper grades, you can consolidate the content into one binder or “Kitchen Folio” – I still use mine consistently and it “lives” right in my kitchen for easy access.

If you would like to learn how to find more space, more time and more joy in your life, visit Lisa’s website, Your Organized Life for  helpful content.

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