When my husband and I had our first child, our lives went from five to ten on the busy scale. All of a sudden, we were not only juggling the responsibilities of dual careers, homeownership, family and friends, but also daycare, babysitters, doctors’ appointments, play dates, meal planning, and so much more.
There’s a lot to keep track of as your family grows, and each year it seems to get more complicated. I quickly realized I needed a reliable way to keep my family organized and myself sane. Now, with two elementary-age kids whose extracurricular commitments far surpass ours, we have put a few things in place to keep the train (mostly) on the tracks.
There are a ton of amazing calendar options out there, ranging from the latest and greatest family scheduling apps to tried-and-true paper or whiteboard calendars you can hang in the kitchen.
If you’re feeling disorganized or just looking for a better way to keep track of your family’s comings and goings, here are some of the things that work best for the FCM contributors who are among the busiest mamas around!
Family Calendar Apps
There are so many possibilities here. I have used Cozi on and off for years and love that I can also use the app for list management (hello, shared grocery list!) and that it’s print-friendly on days when I need something in hand. It’s often considered the gold standard for family organization.
Calendly is another popular app many families use for both home and work organization, and it can be particularly useful for families with older, tech-savvy children and many conflicting appointments to schedule. Family Wall takes it one step further, allowing you to privately and securely share photos and videos with other users/family members.
Shared Electronic Calendars
The most popular among FCM contributors are Google Calendar (free with a Gmail account) and Apple Calendar (for Apple users, formerly iCal). You can set up multiple shared calendars, grant other people access and/or notify them of events, set recurring events, and so much more. A shared family Google Calendar is a lifesaver for my family. With busy work schedules often at opposite times of day, my husband and I regularly communicate through our shared Google Calendar about the important things our family has going on, ranging from kids’ sports schedules to birthday reminders, overtime, work travel, and everything in between.
We also couldn’t manage our household without shared Apple Notes — from shared grocery lists, to Christmas gifts, yearly family goals, and more. Many FCM contributors go the extra step of printing their electronic calendars and hanging them in a central area of their home as a visual reminder and for quick reference.
Old School Whiteboards & Paper Calendars
Even the most tech-savvy families rely on tried-and-true dry-erase whiteboards and/or paper calendars or print-outs. We’re talking color coding by family member, weekly dinner menus, chore charts, homework checklists, and more. This can be great for the kids to follow along when they are old enough (no more asking “What’s for dinner?” 500 times – check the calendar!). Also, it’s helpful for other caretakers and helpers to stay in the loop. If a printable exists for what you need, I guarantee I have found it and tried it.
Many of us also keep track of work or personal commitments with planners from companies like Emily Ley, Mom Agenda, and Erin Condren, among others. Sometimes you need to write things down!
