Family Schedule Planning That Actually Works (Even When Life Is a Hot Mess)

I've tried digital calendars, paper planners, post-it walls, and apps with more features than I’ll ever use. But when it comes to family schedule planning, this is the system that’s actually stuck—and it’s flexible enough to survive soccer season.

Every Sunday night, I:

1. Brain dump everything for the week—appointments, work stuff, soccer games, dinner ideas.

2. Sort by must-do vs. maybe-later. This stops me from overloading every single day.

3. Assign blocks, not times. Morning/afternoon/evening vs. hour-by-hour. More breathing room.

4. Plan dinner for just 3 nights. The other 4 are leftovers, freezer meals, or wild cards.

5. Leave space for chaos. Because it’s coming.

Bonus: I keep one master family calendar (digital), one paper planner for me, and a whiteboard in the kitchen. And honestly? The Skylight Calendar is the real MVP. It sits on our counter and keeps everyone looped in—no more "I didn't know we had practice" excuses.

No system is perfect. But this one has kept me just ahead of burnout.