A large wall calendar placed in a high-traffic area (like the kitchen) is the easiest and cheapest solution. Use a different colored pen for each person’s activities – Mom’s appointments could be in red, Dad’s in blue, Johnny’s in orange, Susie’s in green, etc.

Have a “planning meeting” with your family once a week. Sundays are usually good so you can take a look at everything going on for the week and deal with any scheduling conflicts. Transfer the info from all those schedules you get from school, extracurricular activities, neighborhood newsletters, etc., onto your main calendar. And don’t forget “prep” dates. For example, if Susie needs to take cupcakes to Girl Scouts next Tuesday, note the day you need to buy the supplies and cook them, as well as the date to bring them.

Finally, make kids responsible for staying on top of their schedules – no last-minute emergencies. If Johnny has a soccer game on Friday but he fails to tell you about it at the planning meeting, he can’t suddenly pop up on Friday and expect you to drop your plans to take him. He’ll need to make other arrangements with another team member.