Scheduling Like Clockwork

I have a friend who can remember not just the birthdays, but the due dates of all of her friend’s children.
Me? Unless I make an effort, I can’t remember how many kids she has.

This is what I mean when I say that I am not a detail person. In some ways, this makes me feel very unwomanly. Combine this with a distinct tendency toward uni-tasking, and there’s no doubt. I fall short of the feminine ideal. If I bring home the bacon, the frying pan is dirty.

This is why I require such a commitment to a calendar. One calendar. Singular.

I used to keep a paper wall calendar, but somehow, this one wall calendar begat more wall calendars. These spawned scheduling problems and missed appointments. I then moved to a purse-sized paper calendar, which was great until they stopped making the one that tracked everything I needed to track and still fit in my purse.

This year, everything’s on the computer. I color-code each of our activities, so I quickly know who’s got what when. I usually write out the week's schedule and post it. Nothing may be added to the schedule without coming through me. So far, this is the best system for us.

How do you stay on top of your family’s schedule? Any tips you’d like to share?