W Christian Consulting

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iFamily: Shared Calendars

CalendarScreenshotBetween us and our children, we have to keep track of rehearsals for dance, strings, band, and Praise Team and performances for all the above. Add to that doctor appointments, meetings, volunteering, and social events. Despite our ferocious defense of our family calendar, we get busy. Here comes the calendar app to the rescue.

One of the benefits of the entire household having iPhones is that we can share a family calendar that everyone can access wherever they are. Admittedly, our daughters don’t find this very exciting, but my wife and I find it very useful for managing our house.

For starters, just having the family calendar at your fingertips–even if it isn’t shared–is a great convenience for scheduling things like doctor appointments and follow-up eye exams for the latest trauma.  Mrs. Christian had an iPod touch with the calendar app but she never used it because sometimes she didn’t have the iPod with her or the battery was dead and we rarely synced it with the computer.  However, now that it’s on her phone and it syncs via iCloud with the calendar on the computer and we can print it to post on the fridge, she’s hooked.

Step two was easy: Open the Calendar application. Select a calendar and click on the little radio wave icon. Type a contact’s name and click Done.  It’s just as easy if you do it through iCloud or on your iPhone.

By sharing a Family calendar, i.e., having a single calendar that both of us can update and view from our own phones and accounts, we have instant access to the latest information on who’s supposed to be where.  I can tell you right now when each of the girls’ next eye exam is, and that our middle daughter has band practice in the morning.

Here’s a great coincidence!  Mrs. Christian just asked me if tomorrow night’s Strings Concert is on the calendar.  It is.  So neither of us will have an excuse for being late and running out the door in a frenzy.