I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things about starting a new calendar year or season is breaking out a brand new planner and planning away! With everyone around me in a KonMari method frenzy – myself included – I thought it was a good time to bring up another topic related to the organization of family schedules.
Every family functions differently, and busy families need products or methods to keep track of family schedules and all that other “stuff.”
We’re talking doctor’s appointments, meal prep, birthday parties, swim lessons, etc. Recently, I wrote a post on this, and there’s no better time than this busy end-of-school-year season to revisit it. If you’re feeling disorganized coming out of Maycember, want to prep for summer, or are just interested in a better way to keep track of your family’s comings and goings, read on!
When you add a kid or two to the mix, scheduling is just one thing in life that becomes much more complicated. As the kids get older, start school, and get involved in a million activities, having a reliable way to keep your family organized can help you stay sane. There are a lot of great calendar options out there, from scheduling apps to tried-and-true paper and whiteboard calendars; it’s just a matter of finding what works best for you and your family.
Things you’ll want to think about before deciding on a method: Do you want your kids to be able to add to it on their own? Do you prefer something portable that you can hold in your hands? Are you really visual and prefer something you can print out?
Here are a few things that work best for some FCM contributors, who are among the busiest mamas I know!
Shared Electronic Calendars
The most popular among FCM contributors are Google Calendar (free with a Gmail account), iCloud Calendar (for Apple users), and Skylight. You can set up multiple shared calendars, grant other people access and/or notify them of events, set recurring events, and so much more. Some FCM mamas go the extra step to print out their electronic calendars and hang them in a central area of their home as a visual reminder and for quick reference (especially for babysitters or grandparents who may need access). Skylight is multipurpose and can be kept in a central place, like hanging on a wall in the kitchen or mudroom, so everyone has access.
Family Calendar Apps
There are endless possibilities here:
- Cozi: I’ve used it on and off for years and love that I can also use the app for list management (hello, shared grocery list!). It’s also print-friendly for those days when I need to have something in hand.
- Calendly: This is also a popular app that many families use, and people rave about how collaborative it is, especially for families with older, tech-savvy children.
- Family Wall: It takes everything one step further by allowing you to privately and securely share photos and videos with other users/family members. Bonus: syncs with Google Calendar.
Paper-Based Calendars/Planners
Even for those of us who lead pretty digital lives, sometimes there’s just something about paper. I’m very visual, so writing things down helps me organize my thoughts and commit things to memory. There are hundreds of paper planners out there, so choosing the one for you is a matter of having clarity on its purpose. Do you want a planner that helps with goal setting? Appointment tracking? Inspiration? Recording memories? Does the bullet journal style appeal to you? Choose something that you’ll actually use. I find that’s half the battle.
This year, I’m using a Sugar Paper planner to track daily to-dos, birthdays, and important events, along with a basic daily habit-tracking printable. Other favorites among the FCM contributors include Mom Agenda, Emily Ley, and Erin Condren.
Old-School Whiteboards
Even the most tech-savvy mamas rely on tried-and-true dry-erase whiteboards and/or paper calendars. We’re talking color-coding by family members, 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.
