I hate feeling overwhelmed and unorganized. Since starting this journey, one of my biggest fears and stresses is missing an appointment or obligation. Last year our went from two kids to four kids in a very short period of time. With all the appointments that a newborn needs as well as getting our newest kiddos caught up on their appointments as they came into care, missing an appointment was bound to happen. I straight up missed an appointment one week, that was not even on my radar. So I have re-evaluated my methods and improved on some old ones. Here are my tips on how we keep our heads above water, and stay organized on this journey of being a foster parent.

Get Yourself a Planner That Works For You

I have faithfully used the Passion Planner since it was a Kickstarter project. I used to keep a small one for work and a large one as more of a keepsake. They now have a size that is in the middle, and it is perfect. It teaches you to set goals and reflect. One thing that attracted me to this particular planner was that the day started at 6:00 AM and ended at 10:30PM, perfect for my business hours, school schedule, and family life.

You Can choose Sunday or Monday start, dated or undated, as well as various sizes and colors. They even have a free pdf of their planner you can try out! Click here to get 10% off on your own.

Keep a Visual Family Calendar and a Weekly Schedule 

We use these two products and it keeps us all on the same page. The Weekly Calendar is on the fridge and has enough space to be able to provide visual (picture) queues so the kiddos can see what the plan for the week is.  The Monthly Calendar is located by the front door and helps us keep track of the most important tasks or appointments for each day. We try and sit down every Sunday evening to plan out the weekly calendar for the upcoming week, and about twice a month we review the monthly calendar and update it.

Google Calendar 

Aaron and I already used this app quite a bit prior to becoming foster parents. Since adding 3 kids to our family in 5 months, I now have a calendar for each child or sibling group, and a “home” calendar for family and adult schedules. We share these calendars and track appointments and court dates. Many people like the Cozi app, we don’t use it simply because as of yet there is no option for every other week garbage days.

On my paper planner and on our google calendars, we color code the kids schedule when ever possible. I love buying sticker sets on Etsy to make everything look a little prettier, and because my handwriting is awful. I haven’t found any foster/adopt specific ones yet so I made some! You can buy the pre-cut stickers here. I am always adding to my sticker list so please comment below if you would like to see more specific options.

For more tips, tricks, and tools we use to make our life easier on this foster parent journey, check out our previous posts, Foster Care Wish List, Foster Care Wishlist Pt. Deux, and Books For Kids in Foster Care and Foster Parents.

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