Family Schedule - Starting to Lose It

At work I use my Outlook calendar. At home I use the fridge. We recently painted the fridge with blackboard paint and now I just make a not of events, appointments etc on the freezer section. So far it's working very well.

Google calendar works really well for me. I can track multiple calendars all in one place! Use it with your smartphone, and set reminders.

I also use Google calendar. I have it linked to my Nook, so I can check it there too. My hubby has a fancy phone, so he can check it on his phone. We like that we can fill our commitment out of separate calendars, but they are linked together. Helps us out a lot.

How old are your kids? can they be responsible for their own committments? If Johnny, at 10 years old needs a ride for Tuesday's after school soccer practice, and a pick up, he can be responsible for reminding you/ dad, Joey's mom at dinner the night before.

If they want to participate in the activity, they wll make sure to take this on. If they "forget" to schedule your participation in a parent teacher conference, a doctors appointment, etc, the late/ cancellation fee can be theirs to pay + you will forget about his playdate with Joey, and have scheduled a manicure for yourself.

As for organization, my husband and I both use paper pocket diaries.

I keep the basics in my head. Anything else goes on the wall calendar in the kitchen. I found that trying to use too many "resources" to keep track only means that I have some written here, some written there and never the twain shall meet.

MOST things are on a routine schedule: Tang Soo Do 3x/wk for one child, 2x/wk for the other (one class followed by the other's class on the same nights same days of the week all the time), Jiu-Jitsu, 2x/wk (both kids same days every week), Confirmation class (every Wednesday night, both kids), Allergy injection appts (always on Monday afternoons), piano (always on Friday afternoons).
Anything that changes that schedule or is an addition to it, gets written on my wall calendar. MOST other things involve an automated reminder call (dental appts, doctor's appts, whatever), so if the appt is 5 months out, they'll call me 2 days before and remind me. Usually, I've already seen it on my calendar.
My problem is keeping track of shopping errands that can be accomplished while the kids are doing one of "their" routine things. If I grocery shop then, certain times of year I just canNOT have dairy or frozen products sitting in the car if their class runs late.

I am old fashioned, but perhaps you could incorporate the idea into some tech thing if you want. The last week of every month, I stop and "plug in" everything for the next month in my dayplanner AND wall calendar (we like the wall calendar because that way ANYONE can see what's up at a glance, not just whoever is holding my phone). I plug in the all the time stuff first (M, W, F mother's day out for a few hours; T, F kung fu; W riding lessons; Th playdate; Sun church in the am, awanas in the pm). Paydays I highlight the date in green. Birthdays (which I actually put in the new calendar BEFORE New Year's Eve every year) is highlighted in pink (Just the name & age, highlighted in pink). Anything special and unusual (a date night, event, whatever) will be highlighted in yellow, and if something comes up that is a "maybe" I just write it in, but no highlights unless it's for sure. I fill it out for the month before the month starts, and then just keep up with it, basically. The wall calendar is just what is pertinent to the family. For my sham duties, I use my dayplanner. I do the calendar in my planner the same way as the wall calendar, but I also incorporated my own version of a weekly and daily routine, inspired by what I learned at flylady.net. That helped me SO much since I was really all over the place before finding flylady. I have a tab in my planner that is my morning / evening routine, to make sure I stay on track. I also have the weekly routine broken down into time blocks, that basically has me do a little bit everyday towards doing ALL that needs to be done in a week (cleaning, exercise, family, spiritual, volunteer, kid activities, etc) but a little bit every Monday, a little bit every Tuesday, etc.....that way I'm not killing myself one day trying to do everything at once. It helps me pace myself and let my mind rest knowing that everything for the week will get done if I just stick to my little daily plan. It sounds anal retentive, I'm sure, but I'm not that rigid. It just helps me guide my days. If something special comes up, cool. I'll do a little more later in the day or the next day, but I won't miss out on anything. In fact, I think it HELPS me do much more than I did before....I was NOT taught to be a homemaker, or a mom, and I seriously ran around like a chicken with its head cut off for a few months until some wonderful moms on this site reccomended flylady to me.

I wish I could help...because I don't make any appointments or commit to anything until I look at my calendar at work - because that's where I spend most of my computer time.

Maybe just writings things down? Or haivng your hubby help with it? Can he put it on his calendar at work and call you with reminders?

I put everything onto an Outlook calendar. This syncs with my smartphone so I hear the reminder chime on the phone. For things that my husband also needs to accomodate in his schedule I put it on my Outlook calendar and "invite" him to the appointment so then it also shows up on his calendar. I use it for everything.

I loved the color-coordinated wall calendar (large) by the door as we left. Everyone had their own (favorite) color. It had to be large enough to fill multiple things into a single day and easy to read. I had to make it fun.

If you are not the creative type then the techno thing might work best for you. Do what is fun and don't stress about it.

Before you go to bed at night, write down what the 5 or 6 most important things are for the next day. Keep that list in the bathroom so you see it when you first wake up. That way, you can see what your day will be like and you can start coordinating while you are getting ready.

I use my Outlook calendar for all of my work appointments. I use a smartphone app called Cozi for everything else. Cozi is free and has a shared calendar, shopping list, to-do list, recipe box, journal, etc. We LOVE it! It will also send you text message reminders for things you set. HTH!

I use my yahoo calendar. It saves my life sometimes. I set it to remind me through my phone, which is hardly ever far from my side. I have reminders to pick up kids from school, to wake up in the morning, a day or two ahead of picture day so I can remember to get clothes ready and hair cuts if needed, several hours before doc appointments so I can remember to get a shower, etc...everything is on my calendar, even class time at the "Y". I can invite other people too. I always invite hubby so he can be ready too, especially for occasions like a Christmas party or anniversary dinner. That way there is no way he can say he didn't remember that special day.

I don't like the yahoo calendar format so much now that it's improved but I still use it religiously. I have had everyone's birthdays and special days on it for years and need that reminder a week in advance so I can remember to send a card or gift in the mail. Plus another one on the morning of the day so I can call and say it voice to voice.

I could not remember my own birthday if I didn't get a reminder a week or two ahead of time.

I even have special TV shows on there so I can remember to either sit down and watch it or set the machine so I can watch it another time.

We use a planner and keep it on the coffee table. When opened the full month is viewable. Each day is about 2 inch by 2 inch square so plenty of room to make notes. Yes it's a bigger book but it works. My wife and I look at it all the time and make notes for each other even.