I have morning and bedtime checklists. I also have an alarm on my phone to remind me to brush my teeth.

My teeth. The ones I’ve had quite a bit of practice with by now. 😂

Apparently, we’re still accepting reminders for that job. So I use them.

This is the part I want to remember when we talk about charts and alarms for our kiddos: the NeuroSpicy mom making the checklist may need her own checklist. We do not become magically organized because someone calls us Mom.

ADHD can affect organizing tasks and remembering daily activities in adulthood, too (National Institute of Mental Health, 2024). So yes, the grown-ups belong in this conversation.

In our house, we build rhythms and routines, and we use tools to help keep them moving. Me included. Especially me, some days.

I can explain why a bedtime chart helps a child and still need my phone to tell me to go pick up a toothbrush. Both things can be true in the same bathroom.

Put the “obvious” stuff on there

If brushing your teeth is the thing you forget, put it on the list. You don’t have to replace it with something impressive-looking like “complete evening wellness practice.”

Brush. Teeth.

There we go. We know what that means.

Same with any other little step that keeps slipping away. Your list is allowed to contain the things you actually need, even if somebody else does them without thinking.

And we can keep the list small. A morning checklist does not need to become an ambitious personal transformation project. We were trying to get dressed, remember?

Written reminders are among the practical supports described by the National Institute of Mental Health (2024). Try putting a few clear steps where you’ll see them. If you use an alarm, label it with the actual job. “Brush teeth” saves you from having to solve the mystery of why your phone is yelling.

Mom gets to change her system, too

Our family charts needed changes at least every season. There is no reason the grown-up version has to remain untouched forever.

If the reminder keeps arriving at a terrible time, move it. If the list has turned into a long scroll of things you wish you were doing, shorten it. Make it something you can use today.

I want my kids to have tools that help them. I also want them to see me using mine without acting like it’s some embarrassing secret.

Because honestly? We have enough going on without adding “remember everything with no help” to the chore list.

Keep the reminder. Put the ordinary stuff on the checklist. Give yourself the same room you’re trying to give your kiddos.

I’ll bring my list. You bring yours. Let’s go brush our teeth. 💜