How to Manage Your Family Calendar and Keep Your Sanity

"Oh no! Tonight is Suzy's art class! Suzy - get your shoes on and get in the car!"

We hadn't even had dinner yet, but we had to get on the road - because Mom forgot. It wasn't on the calendar. And even if it was on the calendar, I might still have forgotten. If I don't even look at the calendar, it doesn't do me much good.

How can you prevent this from happening in your household? We've figured out a system that helps us minimize the last minute hustles.

We have a Mom's Plan-It Calendar, but any calendar can help you get organized. I like Mom's Plan-It because it has a separate row under each date for each member of the family. It also comes with fun stickers for marking special days and appointments, but we generally don't bother with those.

I start off the year by entering the names of each member of the family into the rows at the beginning of each week. I've been hand-writing these, but you could also make printed labels to save time.

Next, I put in the dates I know ahead of time, like birthdays, holidays, no-school days, and spring break. Grab the school calendar, and use it.

As you schedule new events, they must be entered on the calendar. Some families have a rule that if it isn't on the calendar, it doesn't exist, and you won't be going. Enter them immediately if possible - as soon as you get the note from school, or as soon as you get off the phone with the doctor's office.

If you can't write it on the calendar immediately, make sure you write it down in the same place every time. Carry a small calendar or notebook in your purse or pocket for this purpose.

Now, if you're like me, you'll write it down in your notebook, but then forget to enter it on the master calendar. This is where getting into a routine for using the calendar is important. You need to check your calendar every day. This should be part of either your morning or evening routine, just like taking a shower (or check it both times, like brushing your teeth).

When you check the calendar, there are several things you need to do. First, of course, you're checking to see if anything's going on that day. Then, prepare for the day's events. What do you need to take with you this morning? What will you need in the evening? Don't assume that you or other family members will automatically be ready to go.

Don't just check that day, though - be sure to look at the whole week. Is there anything you need to prepare for? Forms to fill out? Special clothing to get ready? Be a good scout, and be prepared.

Finally, pull out your pocket calendar or notebook, and enter those new dates on the master calendar. If you want to, make sure dates are transferred from the master calendar to your pocket calendar, too.

The crucial element here is that you must make this a routine. If you don't use the calendar regularly, it doesn't do you any good. Also, it's important to involve other family members. Encourage them to check the calendar daily as well, but at least once a week, take time to sit down and look at the calendar together, so that everyone will be on the same page.

I do recommend the Mom's Plan-It Calendar as a great system, but you can create a system with other calendars. If you have a small family, a traditional calendar may work for you - just divide each box into two or three parts. A Mom's Plan-It Calendar has lines for five people, which fits our family perfectly. If you have more family members to keep track of, you might need to create your own calendar. Or, you might prefer the daily planner type of calendar, with lines for each hour of the day. Find the equipment that works for you.

Planning and routine won't make your family life perfect, but it will help you to avoid stress and disappointment. Take the time to set up and use your system, and you'll be happy with the results.

The Mom's Plan-It Calendar is available through Amazon and other on-line sources; I purchased mine at Target.