How to Use Google Calendar for Your Family

In this video, I'm going to show you how to use Google Calendar to share your family's schedule in real time with all of the members of your family.

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I'm a Google apps fan. I use gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar. Everyone in my family has a gmail account and therefore, has access to all of the free Google services -- including Google Calendar. This system involves creating an additional calendar on your Google account -- the Family Calendar -- and then sharing that with everyone in your family. Here are some of the //advantages://
• Annoying Invites
• Expandable
• Details
• Location
Here's how you do it.
Step 1 - Make 2 Google Calendars
First -- you'll need to have a Google account and so will all of the members of your family. They do not need to use this email address or any of the other Google services unless they want to. This is simply a sharing mechanism for calendars. From your Google account, you will need to add a Family calendar -- so that would give you a minimum of 2 calendars: a personal one and a family one. You could keep it all on one calendar, but then when you share it, your whole family will know about all of your daytime business events and lunches with friends. For reasonably obvious reasons, I prefer to keep those things on a different calendar.

In Google Calendar, go to My Calendars -- and then Create New Calendar -- enter the name. I chose "Family Calendar". We'll come back to sharing later.

Step 2 - Choose Calendars for each event
Now for each appointment that you put in, you'll need to choose what calendar it appears in. I have the Family Calendar listed as the default on my phone since I tend to have more family appointments than personal. Go to Settings -- Calendar -- then choose Family Calendar as the default. //demo// I can't figure out how to do this from a browser, so I have to change the calendar more frequently. You'll need to create some behavioral rules for yourself to determine when an appointment goes in which calendar. Here are mine:
• Family Calendar - appointments that happens after the kids get home from school or on the weekends. Even if it specifically pertains to me but is in the evening, it is useful for everyone to have an idea of where I am in the evenings and weekends.
• Lara's Personal Calendar - appointments that happen during school hours. I make exceptions for kids doctors and dentist appointments that happen during the school day since those are relevant to the family. Also, if the kids are on break or my husband is taking a day off, I may put those appointments on the family calendar. Also, if I'm using an appointment as a reminder tool for myself, I try not to clutter up the Family Calendar (e.g. Don't forgot to put out donations for Purple Heart to pick up.)

Step 3 - Check regularly to make sure you are using the right Calendars
This is actually pretty easy if you use my rules. Google Calendar makes the appointments from different calendars different colors.

Step 4 - Share the Family Calendar with the other members of your family
Now it is time to share this calendar with the other members of your family. If you didn't do this when you set up the calendar, go back into the settings of the calendar and share it with the members of your family by email address. From a browser, go to //demo// My Calendars -- Settings -- and add all of the emails of the members of your family. Make sure everyone has this calendar turned on. You may have to go into the Google Calendar Settings page and check the box to have the calendar show up. //demo//

Step 5 - Turn on for Mobile Devices
Next, turn the Family Calendar on each mobile device for your family. Because if your family can't see the calendar on their mobile devices, then WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT??!!
On Apple devices, here is how you add the Family calendar to each of your family members' devices. Go to Settings -- Calendar -- Accounts -- and choose to Add Account. Pick "Google" then put in your family member's Google email address (remember -- not yours) and password and turn on the Calendar option. You can obviously also turn on other services if desired. Now, when you go into the Calendar app, it should show up under Calendars.

Anyway -- this is the system that works best for us. I will not lie and tell you that I never go running out the door yelling 10,000 instructions for the day, but it definitely makes life a little easier. Let me know if you have questions or a better system to share in the comments section. Thanks for watching!