Disclosure: Any post may contain links to my shop or affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission from any purchase you make. All opinions about products I use are my own. Read the full disclosure and Privacy Policy HERE.
I was just trying to simplify things for myself, but ended up simplifying things for everyone. Sometimes that’s the side effect of getting organized – we help a lot more than ourselves.
A few years ago, I was losing my mind trying to keep track of when my three elementary girls had their different school specials. What days should they wear tennis shoes for PE? Do they need their library book today? Each day, all three have different specials than each other, and the schedule changes regularly. It is a lot to track! Teachers send home these schedules every week, but then every morning I would have to find those papers to make sure everyone was prepared for school. That got old quick.
I posted a simple sheet of paper with everyone’s names and schedules. I put it up near the back door/ shoe area so I could help everyone in the morning. I imagined myself using it each morning to check everyone was prepared for school. Then an interesting thing happened … the girls read it themselves and prepared themselves. I lost my place as the middle man! I didn’t expect that, because they are still little (in my eyes), but it has been great!! And then when I made the paper dry-erase, an even cooler thing happened, they used the papers from school to fill out their own schedule. I can not emphasize the stress relief of this system, mornings are so much calmer.
This was the paper I used years ago (previously published 3/15/13) –
I’ve given this form a big update, though I still suggest laminating it if the schedules change frequently!
These are the new forms that have a little more info. (Download your FREE PRINTABLE.)
I have our lists up on the door to the laundry room. When I get a bulletin board up in the laundry room, I’ll probably move this. BUT —> washi tape on a door works for now!
May your school year run smoothly!! Good luck!
From my home to yours,
Mary
PIN THIS POST
Great idea!
Thanks!
Great organizing tip! 3 kids’ schedules – which change daily – can be really stressful. Good job on creating this management tool, Mary! Think I will pin this…
Thanks, Wendy!
This is a great idea. I only have one in school, and I still struggle to keep up with his extracurriculars and specials in school!
1,2,3, or 10 … it is a lot to keep up with!
Fabulous Ideas!! I need to do this 🙂
Let me know how it goes!
Great idea! I have 4 kids in elementary school and keeping track of who needs to wear tennis shoes or bring library books is constantly a thorn in my side.
lol! Yes, I have 3 in elementary school, I can imagine that 4 would be even more hectic!!
This is such a great idea!! I am making one today!!
Great! Good luck!
Love the idea and your blue doors !!!
Thank you so much!
This is perfect for my four kids! Your pictures show that each child has their own 8.5×11 page in landscape format but the printable comes out two children per page in portrait format. I would love to have the bigger version. Is that possible? Thanks!
The pages hanging on my door are the same exact ones in the printable – I used the printable to print them. 2 kids per page – those sheets on my door are half sheets. 🙂
Argh! I can’t print landscape like all of your pictures. The filoe is password protected. Please let me know how to make changes to the layout so we can print bigger. Four kids and crazy schedules. We need this.
The pages hanging on my door are the same exact ones in the printable – I used the printable to print them. 2 kids per page – those sheets on my door are half sheets. 🙂
If you want to print bigger, you can always magnify in your print settings. Just an idea.
Very good idea, Mary! I have 10 kids in school this year, and they all have different schedules. I have a large family wall calendar, but even those large daily squares aren’t big enough to keep track of all of us. This printable may be a life saver!
Thank you! I hope this helps!
Mary, I tried to download this free printable, but it tells me I need to log in. When I click that, it takes me to my DropBox account, but I still can’t access the printable. What am I doing wrong?
Mary, I asked on the DropBox forum, and they said that maybe you posted your personal link to the file, not the shared file. They suggested sharing this link with you: http://www.dropbox.com/help/167
Thank you!
Paula
It is definitely a shared link and has worked for thousands of downloads. Maybe try a different browser?
I’m not sure what is happening. Can you try from a different Internet browser?
I think my DropBox account had been inactive for too long. It is fixed & I was able to download and print with no problems. I look forward to using these with all of my kiddos in school this year! Last year I never knew who was staying after school for Creative Writing or 100-Mile Running Club. Now I will know whom to pick up and whom to leave behind!
Thanks for all of your great articles and printouts!
Glad it worked out!