It’s 3:00 p.m. and you receive a call at work from your 13-year-old saying that she needs to be at the band performance tonight an hour early to rehearse.  You respond, “Tonight?!  Is your performance tonight?  I thought it was tomorrow night!”  You have a dinner meeting tonight with an important client, and your husband is out of town on business.  Neither you nor your husband will be able to attend the performance.  Upon hearing this news, your daughter has a meltdown.

How can you avoid such situations?  How can you manage schedules when you have three active kids and work full-time?  By effectively using a family calendar, you can better manage family members’ activities so your schedule runs more smoothly.  Here are some tips to use a family calendar effectively.

Start by gathering documents with important dates, such as your children’s school calendar, sports calendars, church youth activities calendar, etc.  Schedule important activities and events on your calendar for the next 6 months.  Use color-coded pens.  Use a different color for each family member, and use black ink for activities involving everyone in the family.  Here’s a sample list of activities to include on your calendar:

• Holidays and vacations
• Birthdays, anniversaries and other special events
• Doctors and dentists appointments
• Professional appointments (including accountant, financial advisor, etc.)
• Important school dates (Back-to-school night, Open House, performances, minimum days, etc.)
• After school and extra-curricular activities (including sports practices, music lessons, dance lessons, youth group, etc.)
• Business conferences and business trips

Once important dates are listed, use your calendar on an as-needed basis to plan a family vacation or to schedule upcoming business trips, so you don’t miss important events.  Review and update the family calendar on a weekly basis.  This will help you keep track of everyone’s schedules, and also plan rides or carpools as necessary.  By using a family calendar, you can keep track of dates and events so you don’t miss an important event – like your daughter’s band performance!

What tips can you suggest for managing family schedules or calendars?  Please share with other readers.