Do your teens keep their own appointments?

[letsgomaths]

Appointments such as the dentist, doctor, driving lessons, music lessons, and so on?

I give tuition to teenagers. Some of them are good with appointments: out comes the iPhone and in goes the next lesson. Sometimes I write it in their notebook for them.

But others are totally clueless with appointments; they've clearly never had to manage them before. I spot those early on and usually make the appointment with their parents. But sometimes the parents are clueless as well, and the only way I can avoid a wasted trip is by texting them the day before (and in some cases, the same day as well). I charge them for missed appointments but it gives me no pleasure to do this at all; these also tend to be the types who need far more help than I can give them!

Do you teach your teenagers to keep their own appointments? When I was a teenager, my school gave everyone a "calendar"; a small paper diary listing all the school's events, which we could use as a diary.

I always made and kept my own. I got in the habit at school. I was out of school at lot for extra curriculars so I had a very busy schedule at one point and little opportunity to see my teachers to be reminded about due dates, tests etc. So I got into the habit of keeping a meticulous diary and checking it at the beginning and end of every day.

My daughters schools and colleges have always give out an organiser type thing; like a diary with places for timetables and to put homework due dates etc. Ive always kept a record of things too though.

I thought the organisers were a standard thing, as they arent specific to their school, and contain lots of advertising from large national companies.

No, mine don't.
Well, they have their school planners, but they are just for school.
Generally, things outside of school tend to need to be co-ordinated around where other people are - for lifts or to sort car swaps or coordinate lifts with others, etc., so it wouldn't work if the dc did it without checking in with me.
That said, music lesson etc are at the same time on the same day so they don't create an issue.

Mine keeps regular appointments, but things that happen every few weeks or months I have to remind her.

DD has ADD (inattentive) and when we did our 'learn to live with and around it' training, we kept a double of everything. That is, I kept a backup of her appointments.
Now she's almost an adult, manages her appointments (doctors, dentist, music, tuition) by herself but always sends me a note to make sure the information is logged somewhere else.
Soon we'll get rid of the backup, too (I hope - )

I have one teenager who is excellent and reliable. Two others who are flakey. DP is also bad.
It's not for want of trying with my forgetful teens. It drives me up the wall... I'm like my DC with the good memory.
17yo is gradually improving.

We use FamCal and DC1&2 have it on their phones. DC3 can access it on home PC but he's only 7 so I tend to keep an eye on his stuff! It's been a revelation to have them more involved and aware of stuff. DD has always been pretty good but DS1 is chaotic and vague at the best of times.