How do you juggle yours? Family, that is! (sorry Cadburys)

[tiamaria]

I'm finding it really hard to keep up with being social secretary for the whole family. How do you avoid double booking yourself/the family car etc? I haven't got the calendar/appointments facility on my home computer. Is there an electronic diary available within my budget of around £50?

have you tried a dodo pad . Much cheaper option and always on view.

Kayleigh - Thanks for that. I've taken a look but I need something that bleeps at me when I double book something. Ideally, I'd like an electronic diary, I suppose. Are there any affordable ones out there?

I like the look of the dodo pads Kayleigh. Might try one of those next year.

We just use a wall-mounted 'family-planner' calendar. One column for the boys, one column for me, and one for dh. Evening appointments have a column to themselves: Anyone adding a second item to any evening is responsible for finding a babysitter. Anything on the master calendar has priority over anything in private diaries which hasn't managed to get itself inscribed on the master planner

I don't drive, so we don't have to juggle the car. But I'm sure you could work it out with a column of its own for the car.

I love technology - but I think in this instance a low-tech visual approach is best.

Whoops, sorry crossed posts. Hope someone suggests something suitable and noisy for you!

Kayleigh, I'm a big Dodo fan too. I switched back to pen and paper after getting fed up with my Psion beeping at me

Thank you everyone for the messages. My problem is that I have ME and I used to be able to get my diary and the calendar to talk to each other and now I'm failing miserably. Today I - wait for it - booked a last minute MOT for the car then realised I didn't have the car to take it to the MOT. Dh did. 100 miles away. AAAGGHHH! Am I a lost cause?

Roisin - I forgot to say - I have a week to view calendar like yours and it used to work pretty well. I need to spend more time sitting down with the calendar and my diary and x-referencing them. I used to be so efficient, pre ME! Now I need an electronic brain to take charge until I'm better.

I'm glad it went to a good home Bron .

Tiamaria - a friend of mine once went to fill the car up with petrol, and as it was such a nice day decided he would go on foot He only realised his mistake when he got to the garage!

DH & I both work full time with kids in nursery - tho' DS1 is starting school in Sept. We are VERY sad and run everything via Microsoft Outlook which synchronises with our PDAs - Compaq IPAQs.

When we arrange something it goes into Outlook and is then copied to the other so they know. Kids things start with their initials in the subject line....

I've been struggling to gte DH realise what an impact DS1 starting school is going to have - he runs his own business and made vague noises about 'covering' the after school/ school holidays, since financially it makes more sense for me to keep working at the moment Anyway I put ALL the school holidays and inset days and early finishes and school visits etc etc into Outlook for Sept onwards and then sent him them all as meeting requests! Now he is panicking!!

Ooh, very effective Mo2. I bet he nearly wet himself.

Roisin - Thanks! It's not just me, then!

Mo2 - Thanks for your message. I asked dh last night and he's looking into it for me. OOOHHH! I'd love to have seen your dp's face when he saw all the extras!!!!

Beetroot - That's one of my problems. I'm not using existing technology to help me. I can just about use my mobile phone to make a call! Duh!! I can't text etc. I'm going to ask my nephews to visit and teach me. Ice cream in return for lessons!