Creating a schedule for your family can help avoid hassles and mix-ups

In today’s crazy-busy world, families have crowded, hectic schedules, and keeping track of everyone can be a chore. With more than one kid, your calendar can quickly become over-crowded, and then no one knows when they need to be at those important appointments or activities. Creating a family schedule can be complicated, but if you take the time to do it, it can make life a whole lot easier.

 

Supplies

 

The first thing you need to do is get a good wall calendar. Look for one that has very large date spaces for writing in appointments and other commitments. Some calendars even have multiple columns within each day, so that each person gets their own column for recording their schedule.

Next, get some colored, fine-tip permanent markers, like Sharpies. Make sure you have one color for each member of the family, plus black and red.

First, use black to mark things like birthdays and anniversaries, days that need to be remembered but that don’t have a time obligation attached to them.

Now, use the red marker to put in family obligations. These are the events and activities that everyone in the family is expected to attend.

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Family meeting

 

The next step is scheduling a family meeting. Since everyone’s schedule can change week to week, this should be a weekly or bi-weekly thing. For the first one, expect it to take an hour or so, but future meetings should go much more quickly. Assign each family member their own color of marker, and write their names in their colors at the top of the calendar page.

Have everyone go over his or her upcoming schedule with you. Start with long-term commitments. For instance, if your daughter has dance class every Wednesday, or your son has football every day after school except Fridays, put those in first.

Next, add in the appointments and activities that are happening in the next week or two ? however long you are going to go before your next family meeting. When you’re finished, you should have a very colorful family schedule, a visual way to see where everyone needs to be and when.