Set up a shared family calendar

Use this guide if your family relies on memory, scattered texts or one person's head to keep track of plans. You need each person's phone or email account and a list of regular commitments such as school terms, clubs and shifts.

Step by step

1. Choose one calendar app

   Pick a calendar that works on everyone's devices, such as the one built into your phones or email accounts. Create a new calendar called Family rather than using one person's personal calendar. Consider a paper wall calendar in addition for younger children.

2. Share it with the household

   Invite each adult and older child to the calendar with permission to add and edit events. Check the invitation has been accepted and the calendar shows on each phone. Set a different colour for each person, or for each type of event.

3. Add fixed dates first

   Enter school term dates, inset days, bin collection days, work shifts and regular clubs as repeating events. Add birthdays, anniversaries and renewal dates such as car insurance or MOT. Many schools and councils publish dates you can copy in.

4. Agree simple rules

   Agree that anything affecting others, such as needing a lift or the car, goes in the calendar straight away. Use a consistent format such as name first, for example Sam dentist. Put addresses and useful notes in the event details.

5. Set reminders

   Add reminders to events that need preparation, such as a day before for PE kits or a week before for birthday presents. Keep reminders to the useful ones to avoid alert fatigue. Turn on notifications when someone adds a new event.

6. Review each week

   Look at the week ahead together for five minutes, such as on Sunday evening. Sort out clashes, lifts and who is doing what. Delete or update cancelled events so the calendar stays trustworthy.

Ready-to-use checklist

• One shared Family calendar created
• All adults and older children invited
• Colours set for each person
• School terms and inset days added
• Work shifts and clubs added as repeats
• Birthdays and renewal dates added
• Naming and adding rules agreed
• Weekly review time set

Practical tips

• Add travel time as a separate event before appointments so no one books something back-to-back.
• Put copies of key documents, such as a school letter, as attachments or notes in the related event.
• Keep private personal appointments in personal calendars and show them only as busy to protect privacy.

Common problems