Jam x ARTKIVE guide
The Summer Sanity Guide
Get Your Family Calendar Ready for Summer
The summer calendar can often feel like an intensive game of Tetris as you try to fit each week into place.
At the same time, having an accurate calendar is a key component to reducing the mental load for the entire summer. The visibility means everyone knows each week what’s happening, who’s driving, and what to expect when they get there.
At your summer kick off chat, fill and review the summer calendar as a team, to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Layer 1: The set-in-stone plans
Go through all the camps, summer leagues, work schedules, vacations, visits from out-of-town guests, and even back-to-school events for the end of the summer and get those on the calendar first.
Be sure to consider and include driving as well – who is the one doing the early camp drop off each day, is there a carpool for the travel team – and mark that in the calendar as well.
A shared family calendar like Jam makes all of this even easier because you can forward all those camp confirmation emails, travel itineraries, and summer job schedules straight to Jam. Jam gets all the dates, times, locations and special info into the calendar. Think of it like a personal assistant who can do all the reading, typing, and scheduling for you!
Layer 2: The Missing Pieces
Once you all know what you do have planned ahead of time for summer, take a look at what you DON’T have planned. This is where you’ll be able to spot empty weeks that may need filling and any childcare gaps in the schedule.
Before you wind up with a childcare emergency, talk over possible solutions like:
Taking days off work
Arranging for grandparents or other family members to help
Schedule friend playdates.
Hire a sitter or a mother’s helper.
Book another camp.
For updates on the fly (because you know there will be last minute sleepover invitations and carpool changes), Jam lets you dictate updates. Just tell Jam “Maya is going to grandma and grandpa’s house on Friday” and the app will enter the info and make it visible to you, your partner, and Maya if she’s old enough.
Layer 3: The Summer Fun
Just as with any season, it’s important to find times to fill our own cups, and to enjoy special moments as a family, especially during summer when the schedules may allow a bit more flexibility.
Also? Build in some breathing room. Block off some low-key days by marking "nothing planned" as a calendar entry, and avoid adding activities to those days.
Share the Plan and the Mental Load
Once you the calendar is set, make sure it’s visible to everyone who needs to be aware of it, including partners, other adults in the home, kids (who are old enough to understand) and caregivers. By doing so, now everyone can see what’s happening on their own, reducing the mental load of communication and tracking. A shared calendar like Jam makes it easy to add access for kids and caregivers, with permissions so each person only sees the info they need to know.
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