Mom Invented

With “over-scheduling” becoming a big hot button for today’s families, keeping obligations, activities and meetings straight can be a real headache -- unless you’re organized. Try this tip, which comes from Margie, a mom in Gladwynne, PA.

“I bought the biggest write-on, wipe-off white board calendar I could find. Each family member gets their own assigned marker color, and we write down every activity in advance on the board. For instance, my daughter Jessie’s swimming lessons, birthday parties and soccer practices go on the board in pink; my husband’s client dinners go down in blue (so we know when he won’t be home); and our full-family outings go down in orange (family parties, weekend trips, etc.). I write down my own schedule, too (monthly book club, occasional after-work obligations.) This way there’s one go-to spot for the entire family, and we can avoid double-booking and last minute surprises. I’ve also heard about online planners like planzo.com or kiko.com where families can all log in to the same calendar to check, change or schedule important dates no matter where they are. This may be our next organizational upgrade!”

Do you have a great tip? Send it to us or leave it in the comments.

Tagged as: Mom to Mom™, organization, parenting advice