We have a large family with seven children and so we have learned a few tips and tricks to help us keep our sanity. There is always a lot of chaos as everyone in the family is trying to get what they want and so anything that can help minimize those behaviors gets a thumbs up from me.

What is color-coding?

We assign every one of our children a certain color and all the items that are considered theirs are that color. Using a simple system like color coding allows for a child to own something and not risk it being taken by another sibling.

What colors do we use?

The colors we currently use are:

• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Red
• Pink
• Gray
• Turquoise

When you are choosing the colors to use, you need to pick somewhat common colors because you need to be able to find items in those colors. As the family grew larger, choosing available colors became more difficult.

When our youngest child was born, she was in line to get the color yellow. Do you know how hard it is to find baby things like cups in yellow? I was surprised too! So, our oldest daughter asked to take the color yellow so we could give Georgie Lou the color pink. It worked great for everyone because Bella’s favorite color was yellow and it is so much easier to find things in pink for a baby girl.

Just a quick side note: I remember one time one of our foster kiddos wanted brown to be his color. It was impossible to find anything in those colors at the time, so we finally had to renegotiate a different color.

What items are color-coded?

We color code all the items the child uses on a regular basis and that is specifically theirs. Here is the list of items:

• Drink cup
• Bath Towels
• Tooth Brushes
• Lunch Bags
• Backpacks
• School Binders
• School Supplies

Drink cup

This is probably the most important one because we would have one hundred cups floating around the kitchen every day if we didn’t color code these. About once a year, we buy them nice cups with a lid. It is important to me that they have a lid because it decreases the likeliness of spills. They are also stored in the refrigerator and so having a lid helps keep the refrigerator clean and their drink fresh.

Whenever we see a good deal on cups in all the colors we need, we will stock up on them. The last time we purchased them we found metal insulated tumbler style cups with lids at Rural King for an excellent price. They even had multiple choices in colors so the kiddos got to pick the hue they wanted.

Here is an option: Pandaria 30 oz Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler with Lid – Double Wall Travel Mug Water Coffee Cup for Ice Drink & Hot Beverage, Matte Black

Bath Towels

Who wants to use another person’s bath towel? Certainly not me! We have an over the door rack we hang on the back of the door that the children hang their towels on once they have completed their shower. This makes things simple and when there is a towel laying on the floor, I know exactly who to call to come and pick it up.

Tooth Brushes

We definitely want to make sure everyone is using their own toothbrush! We color code them so we know who’s is who’s and they make sure they have their own.

Lunch Bags

We all have black lunch bags or food purses as Georgie Lou likes to call them but our names are written in our color on the handle. Even though they have our names on it, it is so handy to glance at the color of the writing and know who’s it is or who hasn’t brought theirs in from the van. I have to double-check and make sure they all come back in and are cleaned out.

Backpacks

Hey, wait a minute, we homeschool, why do we need backpacks? Well, that is a good question. We use backpacks when we travel and sometimes when we attend our local homeschool co-op. Usually, their backpacks have a design so we just try to make sure the prominent color is their assigned color.

School Binders

We assign our math and language work on a monthly basis. I explain how that works in our Monthly Assignments post HERE. When I assign all their work, I place the list and work in their binder. Now, I had a little trouble finding their color of binders in the size we needed, so I bought large white binders. I let the kiddos decorate their own sign and spine label using construction paper in their color. Then we placed them inside the protective cover of the binder so they are all labeled properly.

School Supplies

Whenever we can, we color code the various school supplies like pencils, erasers, pencil bags, and scissors. Generally, they store them in their binder so we can avoid any dramatics during school time. Is this foolproof? Nope! We still have the dramatics but at least we can try to minimize it.

Why do we use color-coding?

When you have a large family, getting lost in the shuffle is something that can happen easily and often.

I will never forget the day I realized we needed to do something different. There was one cup that was the favorite of all the little children in the family and I was rotating who was getting to use it on a daily basis. I was also very sleep deprived because at this time I had four kiddos under three.

Well, a bickering match broke out because two kiddos claimed the cup was theirs that particular day and I couldn’t remember who I had given it too. So the child coding system began and it has saved my sanity every single day since then.

No one has to bargain or bicker for their cup or toothbrush, they just know who’s it is.

Do the children pick their own colors?

Well, whenever we can let them pick their color we do. However, we have gotten a lot of babies and since they are unable to pick their colors, we did it for them. As I mentioned earlier, we have done some rearranging but most of them have stuck.

When we were fostering this method came in really handy. Most of the kiddos that enter the foster care system have virtually no personal possessions. So being offered the chance to pick their own color and receiving all the items associated with that color was a real treat and gave them a sense of belonging even if it was for a short time. Plus, it symbolized something that they owned.

Is there a downside to this method?

I don’t know if I would call it a downside but some of our kiddos think we have assigned them their favorite color. For some of them, I guess we did. If you ask Andy what his favorite color is he will tell you green. Pretty much everything he owns is the color green.

I have repeatedly explained to them that the color we gave them is not their favorite color but is just the color all their things happen to be.

What are the advantages of color-coding?

• Sense of Ownership
• Saves Time
• Reduces Bickering
• Helps us identify who needs to clean up their mess

Sense of Ownership

In a large family, your stuff is always up for grabs whether it is a nosy sibling or a younger sibling who likes to take whatever they see. Having a color-coded item announces to the whole house who owns it and that is worth something around here.

Saves Time

It saves us time because we know just by looking at who’s cup or lunch bag it is. Otherwise, we would be running around trying to figure out who’s stuff is missing and then where they possibly could have left it.

Reduces Bickering

When the child is given their own individual color, then we all know who the item belongs too. It creates contentment in the child because they are given something that is specifically their own and they don’t feel the need to fight for whatever their sibling has.

Helps us identify who needs to clean up their mess

This is a biggie! If I see a towel on the floor or a cup on the counter, I know who I need to call in order to get them to pick it up. It creates responsibility and accountability in the child.

So, give this a try even if you don’t have a large family and see if you can have a little bit more sanity on this parenting journey! Thank YOU for reading!