If your family has a lot of soccer games, school projects and piano lessons, the old paper calendar just won't cut it. Google Calendar is an online calendar system that's perfect for busy families with multiple schedules. It's easy to use, share and sync. Here's a basic how-to guide on using the tool.
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If your family has a lot of soccer games, school projects and piano lessons, the old paper calendar just won't cut it. Google Calendar is an online calendar system that's perfect for busy families with multiple schedules. It's easy to use, share and sync. Here's a basic how-to guide on using the tool.
Google Calendar Basics
You need a Google account to use Google Calendar. If you don't have one, it's easy and free to create. After registering for an account, you can access the calendar from Google.com/Calendar or from the menu bar at the top of your Google or Gmail home page.
You'll see a pretty standard calendar view, set by default to show you one week at a time. If you'd rather see the entire month or just one day at a time, click the appropriate button at the top right of the page.
To add an event to your calendar, click the date and time. A popup window will appear where you can add pertinent details. If you want to add a location or description, invite guests or set the event to repeat, click Edit Event. (We'll get to some of those other options in a minute.)
You can also click on the red Create button in the upper left to quickly add an event to your calendar. You can use Google Calendar to simply enter events on the basic calendar page. But where this calendar really shines is its ability to add multiple calendars to one account, view some or all of them at the same time and share with family and friends.
Share Your Google Calendar With Other Accounts
On the left sidebar under the calendar where it says "My calendars," you'll find a small arrow. If you click it, you'll see "Create new calendar." That's where you can create your first new calendar. As an example, we've used a fictional child named Sarah, who takes violin lessons and is on the swim team.
Enter your calendar's name along with a description, if you'd like. The location field is optional, but make sure the time zone is set to your location.
We advise against making your family's calendars public, for safety reasons. You can share your calendars with specific friends and family members if you'd like, but you don't want strangers knowing when you're home and when you're away.
Under the section labeled "Share with specific people," you can enter the email addresses of other Gmail users' calendars that you'd like to be able to see. You can choose whether they can edit the calendar, see all event details or just see if you're busy.
Once you've set everything the way you want it, click on "Create calendar." You'll go back to your main calendar screen, where you'll now notice that Sarah's calendar is listed under your own.
You can choose a different color for it, plus other options from the pull-down menu to the side. Now when you create an event, you'll have the option to put it on your calendar or Sarah's, and it will appear on your calendar in Sarah's color.
Repeat the process to create a calendar for every family member—even pets, if you'd like. Don't forget Fido's obedience classes and the cat's vet appointment. Choose a different color for everyone, and you'll be able to see at a glance who's supposed to be where and when.
Never Forget a Birthday
You can create recurring events on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis—a great trick for remembering birthdays and anniversaries. Just add an all-day event (which you can do either from the event creation page or by clicking on the box above the calendar but below the day itself), and set it to repeat every year on that date.
You can also set up reminders for certain events, which can be set to a popup or email that occurs at a time of your choosing. This is great for remembering things that aren't a normal occurrence. Choose to receive a daily agenda email for each calendar to give you an overview of what's happening for everyone.
It's easy to stress out over all the moving parts of today's modern family life. But with the right tools, you'll feel like you have your very own concierge.
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