Using a monthly calendar the whole family can access keeps everyone on the same page.
As the adage goes, sharing, especially in the form of a shared calendar, is caring. Keeping your family organized without one can prove to be difficult at best, and more likely, impossible. Learning to manage multiple to do lists while keeping track of never-ending appointments can feel like an insurmountable task with no end in sight.
The problem with a personal planner is that it's just that—personal. Without visibility, chores default to mom or the family's primary caregiver. Parents looking to instill responsibility in their children can't do so with a calendar layout confined to their phone. That's where the family wall calendar comes in.
Family calendars can be completely customizable based on your family's needs. Monthly calendars work for some. Others prefer weekly calendars with extra space for notes. However your family rolls, there's a corresponding wall calendar fit for your exact style of planning.
Still not convinced a family wall calendar is for you? Read on for some of our favorite calendar perks.
11 reasons a family wall calendar makes a great addition to any home
Tracks important dates
Staying on top of family life, especially after kids, means keeping an eye on a whole lot of birthdays. Creating reminders in your family wall calendar ensures that celebrating is top of mind, not running out to the drugstore for a last-minute card.
Centralizes to do lists
When everybody is on the same page, it's easier to see how your family can support each other, especially in everyday tasks. Keeping to do's scribbled in a notebook stuffed in a bag resigns one family member to completing tasks. Instead, opt for uploading your to do lists to a shared calendar where everyone can see what needs to be done and where they can help.
Creates calendar visibility
Studies have proven the importance of visibility for kids at school and at home. When they can sync their expectations with a snapshot of what's to come, they can feel regulated and peaceful. If you're interested in fostering more of this feeling, as most families are, then keeping an easy-to-read family wall calendar at eye level is a great place to start.
Highlights the parts of life your favorite calendar might miss
Maybe you've used a classical wall calendar all your life. It might have helped you stay organized for a while, but at some point, you likely ran out of space. A schedule shouldn't be confined to a tiny paper box. When you sign up for something like Hearth or any other family wall calendar with built-out offerings, you'll be delighted at just how organized you feel with the space to track more than important dates.
Inspires attention toward family life
A family wall calendar is a great place to build family traditions. Are Friday nights for inviting friends over? Do you create a dinner plan for the week ahead as a group on Sunday nights? Schedule in time for togetherness—beyond holidays and birthdays—for connection you'll be grateful you created.
Organizes kids' activities
Continuing to keep your family organized, especially with kids in the mix, is a serious endeavor. When after-school activities start picking up, a weekly calendar is just the place to track the real time location of all your children. When you have multiple adults juggling multiple pick-ups, it can be helpful to create a visual for each category of activity for kids and grown ups alike. That way, sports, household chords, and space for rest are all accounted for in one centralized location.
Provides a snapshot of the week
Weekly calendars are wonderful tools are prepping everyone on a Sunday night. Try making a tradition out of ordering in dinner and spending a few free minutes going over what to expect in the next seven days. This way, due dates seem less unexpected, and everyone in the family can sync with others' schedules.
Combines friends and school in one place
For kids, using only a planner for school projects might prove insufficient. They have no way to track the comings and goings of adults in their life or a way to properly prepare for social events throughout the week. A family wall calendar is a perfect place to demonstrate that a well-rounded life is one with extra space for rest, lots of time for family, a few free nights a week, and space to hang out with friends.
Builds space for notes
One of the perks of a family wall calendar with layout space for notes is that your to do's can be constantly updated. You're no long beholden to a scrap of paper you swear you left somewhere in the car. Making sure everyone is on the same page, literally and otherwise, allows space to color in events with corresponding tasks.
Keeps ideas for how to help front of mind
Thanks to something known as "mental load," managing schedules and to do's for the whole family commonly falls on the shoulders of the primary caregiver. The mental load, also known as cognitive labor, refers to the invisible and ongoing tasks involved in managing a family, which typically defaults to women. A family wall calendar can help combat this. Utilizing a shared calendar to distribute chores and admin tasks is a great way to make a little extra space for the family's primary caregiver. Plus, keeping ideas for how to help defeats the need to ask.
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