How do you keep track of all your kid's stuff??

[Deleted]

Things are starting to get messy with my soon to be 11 year old when it comes to keeping track of everything he has going on.  Scout activities, soccer, camps, summer classes...ugh.  He's not really over-scheduled but I have dates and times coming at me from all directions and I'm not used to that.  My days are always the same and have been for years.  LOL  If there's something special coming up, I remember because it's out of the ordinary.   Scouts alone has at least two things a week.

How do you organize kids activities?  What works best for you?  I was putting it on my phone, but that wasn't cutting it.  I started a Google calendar today that I can share with his Dad (being divorced complicates it more), but I still think I'd be better with a hard copy calendar or date book that I keep with me. 

[alabamagal]

From the slightly pre-digital age (~10 years ago), our kids school used to send home a one page monthly calendar with the school lunch menu on it. We would then write in all activities (I have 3 kids all close in age). Posted it on the fridge.

[kristinkle]

We have a very large desk calendar hooked on the front of the refrigerator (with a string/pencil combo stapled to it) that everyone adds to (kids are 10 and 12) and then I add to the google calendar so it syncs to my husband/kids/inlaws iphones.  Very helpful in keeping us all on track and organized.

[thyme4change]

I just missed an appointment for my daughter yesterday - oops.     So, I have no useful suggestions.

I thought maybe in a couple of years I would have my kids set up their own gmail and calendar.  They would be responsible for putting all their stuff on that calendar, and can share it with me, and then I can have that be on my phone, and set off alerts for me.  

[sheilaincali]

We do the big desk calendar too.  I put magnet stickers to the back of it so it's stuck on the side of the fridge. Everything goes on that thing.  It's great because it's easy to flip ahead to future months and add things too.  Its the option that has worked out the best for us so far.  I keep a pen in a little magnet holder too so we can easily add things.

[Deleted]

I'm optimistic about Google calendar.  I spent an hour putting everything in and shared it with the ex who added a couple things I'd forgotten about.  It's also synced with my phone.  I still think I need a printed hardcopy of the month on the fridge though.  I like the desk calendar idea for that, lots of room to write.

[kittensaver]

Back in the day . . . a very large calendar hung in the kitchen.

[Deleted]

It is still "back in the day" at our house.

Every Christmas I get a calendar my daughter-in-law makes that has cute pictures of the grandkids. 

It hangs in the kitchen on the side of the last cabinet, which faces outward.  We write all our appointments, etc. on that.  DH also keeps his a separate Outlook calendar, but he still writes it on the kitchen calendar. 

I laugh because whenever my adult kids come over, they check out the calendar to see what we have been doing.  I hear stuff like, "Oh, wow, I didn't know you are going to the Comedy Club for New Year's Eve."

Grandparents have no life, you know. 

[Abby Normal]

Apr 17, 2013 13:58:09 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Things are starting to get messy with my soon to be 11 year old when it comes to keeping track of everything he has going on.  Scout activities, soccer, camps, summer classes...ugh.  He's not really over-scheduled but I have dates and times coming at me from all directions and I'm not used to that.  My days are always the same and have been for years.  LOL  If there's something special coming up, I remember because it's out of the ordinary.   Scouts alone has at least two things a week.

How do you organize kids activities?  What works best for you?  I was putting it on my phone, but that wasn't cutting it.  I started a Google calendar today that I can share with his Dad (being divorced complicates it more), but I still think I'd be better with a hard copy calendar or date book that I keep with me. 

OMG I can so relate.  I keep everything on my Ipod so I can check, wherever I am.  We also keep an old school copy on the wall.  The one's that I have to leave from work early are also on my computer at work.  It's crazy.

But DS is crossing over to boy scouts.  Which means more activities I can just drop him at, and less I have to stay for! 

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2013 15:16:38 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

Back in the day . . . a very large calendar hung in the kitchen.

This works for my parents juggling a busy schedule for a 10 and 9 year old.

They use a pen that has like 5 different colors like this one:


And use different colors for everyone : red/mom, blue/brother, green/sister and black/stepdad.

My brother and sister are now old enough that they are writing things on the calendar that concern them (practice, assignment due, birthdays to go to, games, etc.) .

Not quite technologically advanced but it works.

[Deleted]

And my friend uses an app that basically does what cawiau said... Everyone in a if rent color. Any time anyone updates it updates to all...

[973beachbum]

My first thought reading the title of the thread was, I'm supposed to keep track of their stuff

seriously I don't actually keep track of most of their stuff.  My DD is in HS and it has been her job to keep track of her actitivies and remind me for a few years.  DS is only ten but for things like soccer, which he loves,  he is also pretty good at reminding me.  Things like his homework or taking a shower not so much.

the only things I keep track of now are Dr's appointments and the like.  I use a plain old calander on my desk for that also.  Us old people have to stick together!

[giramomma]

DH keeps our calendar electronically.

I forward everything to him. (I sign the kids up for most of their activities and do most of of the play date/party arranging.)

DH and I usually do a debriefing either the night before (if he has to work the next day) or in the morning of all what needs to happen that day. But, we're talking beyond appointments. We talk about homework, errands, chores, and any special projects that may need attention that day (like scheduling the delivery of furniture, cancelling auto drafts from our checking account, etc).

There isn't a calendar big enough to handle everything that needs to be done to run our household for a day....

[Shooby]

I have one calender on the refrigerator.  If it isnt on the calender, it isn't happening.

[swasat]

We do it the old fashioned way too

A big calendar on thekitchen wall with ALL activities and appointments marked on them. As soon as we get notified of an event it goes on the calendar. Along with timings and any thing extra that is needed for that event.

Honestly, that calendar is my life saver.

[teen persuasion]

Apr 18, 2013 9:38:43 GMT -5 giramomma said:

DH and I usually do a debriefing either the night before (if he has to work the next day) or in the morning of all what needs to happen that day. But, we're talking beyond appointments. We talk about homework, errands, chores, and any special projects that may need attention that day (like scheduling the delivery of furniture, cancelling auto drafts from our checking account, etc).

There isn't a calendar big enough to handle everything that needs to be done to run our household for a day....

DH and I go thru the "Morning Report" before he leaves for work and the teens go out for the bus - who's staying after school & for what, if they need to be picked up & when & where, who's going to be home @4pm to meet the bus for the little guy, who's starting dinner & what & when, evening work/meetings/drill/lessons/practices/meets/..., pick up _ for tomorrow, etc.  We usually have 2 or 3 places to be at once and have to play divide & conquer with obligations.

DH and I each have google calendars that we share w/ one another, and try to keep them up-to-date.  We also try to make the kids responsible for keeping up on their schedules - up to them to remember whether they are serving on Sunday.

[tractor]

We use the calendar on the fridge too. However, reading all these replies made me think of a great invention (feel free to use this idea, I have no time). Anyway, wouldn't it be great to have a wall calendar that whatever you write on it gets automatically converted to a digital format and it emails the updates to your phone/computer calendar?

Little Susie gets home, writes down she has judo practice next Tuesday, and it automatically updates your phone calendar. Now get started on the invention. I will buy one when your done.

[raeoflyte]

I need the reverse of that tractor. I put everything on my phone calendar and sync it to google calendars with Dh and my personal outlook calendar at work. But I still need to print it to see that it makes sense and look for scheduling conflicts. So if I could enter it in the phone and have it magically appear on the printed calendar I would live that!

[thyme4change]

Apr 19, 2013 14:41:36 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

 So if I could enter it in the phone and have it magically appear on the printed calendar I would live that!

I think I will print out a weekly calendar from now on - from our synchronized google calendar.  And then, if last minute things pop up - everyone should write it on the calendar.  That might help a lot.

[telephus44]

Cozi.  It's an incredibly awesome app.  It will connect with Facebook events, google calendars, iCal calendars, etc.  You can easily see who is doing what AND you can set it to send text alerts - so I can have it text DH at noon if he has a 1pm dentist appointment.  It color codes events by person.  You can set up recurring events.

The fact that it hooks in the school calendar and Facebook is huge, too.  When DH worked overnights he had it hooked to his work calendar so we could see instantly if he had to work that night or not.

And it's free.  There's a paid version of it but it really doesn't have a lot of extra features that are necessary.

We also do the big wall calendar by the door - I spent a few minutes on Sunday with my iPad copying stuff from Cozi onto the calendar.  This was DS#1 can see what's happening.

[thyme4change]

This morning I decided to try out my new theory and print out the google calendar with all of our week's activities on it.  Unfortunately, the printer is running low on ink, so you can see a box on each day, but you can't see what words are in the box.  

D'oh - why must I fail at everything I do?

[Deleted]

Apr 22, 2013 14:33:48 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

This morning I decided to try out my new theory and print out the google calendar with all of our week's activities on it.  Unfortunately, the printer is running low on ink, so you can see a box on each day, but you can't see what words are in the box.  

D'oh - why must I fail at everything I do?

Love our family's shared google calendars.   But printing it?   And you talked about checks in another thread?  How old are you?

Just use a tablet to look at the calendar.

[thyme4change]

I was looking at the tablet, and then I missed THREE appointments.  I really don't have access to iPad.  Everyone else claims it.  What would help is if I had a phone that I could synch up.  I'm hoping that my company will buy a new phone.

[Deleted]

Apr 22, 2013 19:01:18 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I was looking at the tablet, and then I missed THREE appointments.  I really don't have access to iPad.  Everyone else claims it.  What would help is if I had a phone that I could synch up.  I'm hoping that my company will buy a new phone.

maybe they can throw in some Metamucil, too.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Apr 22, 2013 19:30:58 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Apr 22, 2013 19:01:18 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I was looking at the tablet, and then I missed THREE appointments.  I really don't have access to iPad.  Everyone else claims it.  What would help is if I had a phone that I could synch up.  I'm hoping that my company will buy a new phone.

maybe they can throw in some Metamucil, too.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 18, 2013 9:22:54 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

My first thought reading the title of the thread was, I'm supposed to keep track of their stuff

I thought that too!!!


We've been using the google calendar for the past few years. Each person has their own color. Family time also has a color.
The calendar is synced on both my phone and DH's phone.
It works well for us.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2013 19:01:18 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I was looking at the tablet, and then I missed THREE appointments.  I really don't have access to iPad.  Everyone else claims it.  What would help is if I had a phone that I could synch up.  I'm hoping that my company will buy a new phone.

You must buy an iPhone immediately. There are no excuses as to why you should not buy an iPhone immediately. Go get one. Now. NOW!!!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I don't know why you would print the google calendar...this is 2013...

[Deleted]

I buy a huge calendar every year. I put it on the side of the fridge at kids eye level.

Each child is color coded so they can quickly check their own activities, I strongly encourage them to remind me.

[thyme4change]

Apr 22, 2013 19:30:58 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

maybe they can throw in some Metamucil, too.

That might help me out.  I'm a little bound up this week.