Why we went back to a paper calendar

Are you desperate for an easy way to coordinate your family’s schedules? Last fall, my family gave up our paper wall calendar to use a group Google calendar on our phones. This school year, we’re switching back. Read about why we went back to a paper calendar to help you decide which works better for your family.

There are four people in my family and each of us has our own smartphone.

Last fall, my kids were starting sixth and eighth grade. I work from home part-time and from an office part-time. My husband has a full-time office job and we occasionally travel for his side craft business. All that together added up to a crazy busy schedule some weeks!

I decided that since everyone already had a phone with a calendar on it, it was time to give up the big wall calendar in favor of a digital one. I created a family Google calendar and everyone synched it with their phones. Each person was responsible for putting their events on the family calendar.

This seemed like such a practical solution. After all, it’s easier to type something into your phone right away rather than waiting until you get home to pencil it on the wall calendar.

Except I was the only one checking the family calendar…

I thought with a phone in hand it would be easy for everyone to keep up, but in reality, it was the opposite. Out of sight, out of mind. With no visual reminder to check the calendar daily, it didn’t happen.

Family command center

Since I set up or family command center, I’ve moved it to the opposite wall {so it’s behind the door and papers don’t blow when the door opens}. Instead of pinning notes to the bulletin board willy-nilly, each person has their own clipboard. The clipboards are on pushpins, so you can take them down and add or remove papers as needed.

Why a paper calendar

I love love love my printable planner for several reasons. I think that is also why a paper calendar works better for my family.

• You are more likely to remember something if you write it out by hand.
• Color coding events and activities works as a visual cue.
• Using a paper calendar helps you avoid online distractions. {How often do you get online to look up something and get sidetracked for half an hour?}
• Having a big calendar in our family command center by the front door makes it easy to check each morning.

Choose a paper calendar

You can get a really big paper desk calendar at most office supply stores. We’ve used these in the past and they’re best if you have several things written in on the same day.

One Mama’s Daily Drama email subscribers receive a new free printable calendar page each month as part of The Quiet Moment newsletter. Sign up via any form on this site.

I’ve added the calendar I’m currently using in these photos to my Etsy shop. It includes all 12 months and the pages are undated, so you can start right now with August and use it year after year.