Making sure that everyone gets where they are supposed to be and that all the details are taken care of is challenging for a single parent family. Coming up with communication systems to make it easy for family members to share information can make single parent family life a lot more efficient and smooth…
It might seem obvious–but bulletin boards and notepads are still a fine way to communicate in a busy household. Setting up a whiteboard (dry erase) or chalkboard where family members can leave notes for one another (and to themselves) is another tried and true way to make sure that information does not get lost or forgotten.
In our family, we have a spot on the kitchen counter, where we always leave notes for each other. We just know to check that spot to find out if someone has gone to a football game, the library, grocery store, etc. It is also where they kids leave notes that tell me if they need money, leave permission slips to be signed, etc. We started the “kitchen counter” method years ago when the kids were still quite young and now it has become the efficient way we keep each other informated of what is going on. A family calendar–whether on the wall or in a shared file on the computer can be another great way of sharing information. I even know one family who call and leave everything on the household voicemail. This way they don’t have to write things down and they can let each other know what is going on regardless of where they are.
Whatever you decide to do, I do think it is important for a single parent family to have an established system for sharing information. This way, everyone knows what is expected of them and by having a “system” it can alleviate the “I didn’t know how to tell you” problem and you will be less likely to lose track of each other.
Also: How Much Can You Keep in Your Head?
Keeping Track of Everyone Without Losing Your Mind