Bringing the Family Calendar into the Digital World

For any family, staying ahead of the family calendar is a challenge. Juggling the multiple schedules of kids, spouses, sports, part-time jobs, careers, trips, often require a special degree. As a family of 7, maintaining the family calendar is crucial. If we're not careful, we can easily overbook, show up late, even miss events and activities.

So what do you do when you need to keep track of everyone's schedules? You discuss the importance of keeping a good family calendar.
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Today, we want to share how we as a family, manage our busy calendar. It isn't always easy. It takes a fair amount of effort. But it works for us, and maybe it will work for you.
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Here's How We Do It...
ICloud, iCal and iPhones.

A couple of years ago, I (Jay) made the decision to go with the Apple iPhone as our families mobile device. As a family, we already had 4 cell phones between Amy and I, and our two oldest boys. When the time came for our third son to receive his phone, I started researching our options.

We priced out what it would look like to add another line and purchase an additional phone. We learned that it would be cheaper to get everyone iPhones. There was a special promotion being offered which made it a better deal then purchasing simple messaging or cellular phones.
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Aside from the price, Amy and I were already using the iPhone, and I knew that I wanted to stay with Apple. One of the features that I utilized was the convenience of  iCal software. Since I was already using a MAC Book, it was super easy to sync everything together. Knowing how helpful the iCal software was with keeping a work calendar, I was looking forward to using the system to build a family calendar.

Using the iCal app that now came on each of our iPhones, I created a family calendar that Amy and I were able to manage with ease. We utilized the iCloud and our iTunes account to connect the all the phones. This allowed us to keep family calendar right there on our iPhones.
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We still keep our calendar on iCal and our iPhones. It takes a little bit of work to keep the calendar updated, but we a little bit of time, inputting new appointments or activities became a habit. Now we just pull out out phones and punch all the important information right into our phones and we're good to go.

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So how can you build your family calendar?
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1. Determine What Works Best for You and Your Family!

Determine what works best for you and your family. Are you a techie-type, or do you still prefer pen and paper. I still see plenty of parents whip out their pocket calendars and pens to jot down upcoming activities. So determine which mode of calendar recording you are more comfortable using. If you're ready to take your family calendar into the digital realm, then jump in. But decide what is going to work best for you.
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2. Knowing What's Available Helps.

Knowing what's available helps. Whether you are tech-savvy or not, take some time to learn what's available in the way of software and apps. Search your App Store and you will find all sorts of calendar apps that might work for you. But keep in mind, most smart devices come with a calendar app already installed on the device. Before making any decisions, learn the pros and cons and decide what will work best for you.
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3. You Won't Master it Overnight.

You won't master it overnight. While most apps are fairly easy to use, don't expect to learn everything the first time you use it. It may take you a couple of days to get comfortable with the interface, preferences and options. But the more you use the app the more comfortable you will become with the software and the more efficient you will be using the app.
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4. Stick With It!

Stick with it. I'm not going to lie, input information can be a tedious task. Just sit down and begin inputting the school year calendar and you'll quickly find that this is a pain. But stick with it. I promise, if you do it enough it will get a little easier. Just don't give up.
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5. Remember to Communicate.

Remember to communicate. This is super important, communicate with your spouse. Don't assume that because you put something into the calendar that everyone is aware of your activity. Be sure to inform your spouse or the family so that everyone is up to speed.
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Going digital with our family calendar has worked well for us, but it might not be for everyone. It's been great to have all of our devices; computers, phones and tablets all communicating and sharing our family appointments, activities and events. It's been a great help.

So, how do you keep your family calendar? Are you digital? If so, what apps are you using? If you have made the jump yet, how do manage your families activities? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Thanks! We'll see you next time!

​- the higham family

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