The Complete Guide to Using a Shared Family To Do List
A well-organized family life is something that takes great effort.
It’s full of little intricacies and daily routines and relies heavily on quality communication to function smoothly. Digital to-do lists are a tried-and-true tool that can orchestrate every element of your family’s life.
Everyone has access to a screen these days. Having a shared family to-do list everyone uses ensures nothing is forgotten, reminders are sent, and everyone is on the same page with real-time updates that won’t be missed in the hustle-and-bustle of modern family life.
What is a Shared Family To Do List?
Living in such a hectic world, sometimes it can be hard to keep our heads on straight! Practicality rules here in an effort to keep work commitments, school activities, sports practices, and social engagements on track. However, when you have multiple family members, it’s important that everyone plays their part.
A shared family to-do list comes in many forms. You may already be familiar with the “old-school” way of doing things: your classic pen and paper. Here, you can write down and update different tasks and activities, working towards a common goal. Post it up on the refrigerator, and hopefully, everyone will see it. If you’re really lucky, they might even remember some of what’s on it!
I’ve found, however, that embracing technology in our modern-day world can be a massive help when it comes to keeping my family organized. Kids are most likely already very accustomed to using smart devices, so it makes sense to use an app.
Custom-built shared family to-do list apps are incredibly useful in this regard. It’s right there on your phone, giving you a straightforward way to keep track of everything and eliminate confusion and disorganization.
Benefits of Using a Shared Family To-Do List App
With color-coded event creation, seamless syncing across devices, and a user-friendly platform, shared-family to-do list apps are revolutionary for busy families.
Let’s explore some of the biggest benefits you can expect from incorporating these tools into your daily life!
Enhanced Organization
Acting as a kind of virtual meeting place, a shared family to do list app gives every member of your family a dedicated space they can refer back to if there are any questions about what’s on the agenda. This centralized task management hub gives everyone access at all times, greatly reducing if not completely eliminating scheduling conflicts. No need for scattered digital notes or physical lists anymore!
It’s easy to see everything at a glance, with a clear overview of upcoming tasks, activities, and commitments are set up for each family member. Many apps even let you color-code each type of event or even each person in your home for easy organization.
If you’re someone who assigns the chores in your household, then you’ll really enjoy this!
Improved Communication
Even with newer technology like texting, messaging apps, and digital notes apps, communication can still be a little wonky within families. You may miss or forget about a text, and if you’re not actively checking your notes app, you may not even remember what’s on it.
With real-time updates and interaction, shared family to-do list apps facilitate collaboration and communication you’ll reduce misunderstandings and missed tasks. Consolidate all your communication into just this one space where you can schedule events, plan family activities, and delegate responsibilities.
Better Time Management
Time management is a big one, no matter what age you are. It’s an important skill for getting things done around the house, managing work tasks, and planning for family events like dinners and birthdays. Using a shared family to-do list app is also a great way to teach younger family members how to prioritize their responsibilities, with the ability to color-code and customize labels according to urgency.
The real-time updates sync across each individual’s devices, so there are never any miscommunications. This reduces overcommitment and improves accountability, freeing up more time for the “fun stuff”. Not only that, but as reminders are time-sensitive, you’ll always have the app to have your back - kind of like your own personal assistant!
Ways to Create a Shared Family To Do List
Unless you’re someone who really likes to wing it or just haven’t seen the need, you and your family probably already employ some kind of method to manage shared tasks. If not, here are some of the most common ways (let’s see which one works best for you!):
Using a Whiteboard/Sticky Notes
Writing down tasks is a practice as old as time. A physical to do list offers a visible reminder of everyone’s tasks when placed in a busy area of the home, like by the refrigerator or by the front door. Whiteboards and sticky notes are some of the most commonly used methods here.
Whiteboards are easy to edit and erase, but they’re not exactly convenient in many other ways. They’re not portable, and you can also accidentally erase important information quite easily. Sticky notes are relatively small, and while their bright colors stand out, they can easily fall on the floor or under furniture. Not to mention, you’re really limited with how much you can write.
Using a Shared Note App
Shared note apps are a step forward from the analog methods of writing tasks on paper or a whiteboard. They used to be popular, but as technology has progressed, their capabilities are still quite limited.
While you can invite people to collaborate on a note or even a folder of notes, it isn’t a very organized way of doing things - at least in comparison to a shared family to-do list app.
Using a Tailor-Made Shared Family To Do List App
Unless there’s someone in your household who doesn’t use any devices or computers, I can’t think of a downside to using a shared family to-do list app. This centralized digital hub serves as a place where every family member can quickly view all tasks and commitments.
The customizable reminders are a powerful tool for keeping everyone on track and promote a smoother-running household. Any change to an event or calendar instantly updates in real-time, promoting effective communication. As the app is accessible from anywhere, there’s no excuse for someone to have not seen something or forgotten.
Choosing the Right Shared To-Do List Platform
There are currently quite a few different shared family to-do list apps out there, which can make it difficult to know which one to select. That’s why we’ve come up with a set of criteria to make sure you incorporate the app that’s perfect for you and your family.
User-Friendly Interface
If an app is a pain to use, people simply aren’t going to use it. With technology today, everyone has the expectation that an app should be user-friendly with an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Plus, the app should be intuitive and easy to navigate, no matter the age of the user.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
The right shared family to-do list platform should be one that works for every member’s device of choice. For example, Family Daily just released on Android for the first time, opening up access to a whole new world full of people.
If the app you’re considering isn’t compatible with one of your family member’s devices, that means that it can’t be used for the whole family. A ton of platforms are only available on the Apple App Store, which can really narrow things down for non-Apple users.
Collaboration Features
Shared family to do lists must enable you to easily assign tasks to individual family members with clear instructions. Some apps offer in-app messaging so you have all relevant communications in one place.
Reminders and Notifications
This is a huge benefit of using a shared family to-do list system over anything else. We’re not saying you would ever do this, but it’s not uncommon to add important events to your calendar and forget about them.
With the right shared family to do list app, reminders and notifications make that a thing of the past. You can even choose to send reminders to others in your family if you know someone tends to be forgetful!
How to Set Up Your Shared Family To-Do List System in Family Daily
Setting up a new account in Family Daily is super simple. All you have to do is download the app and create a new account with your email and password. After that, it’ll ask you for your name, and that’s it!
Here’s how to create a family to-do list:
Head to the List page by clicking the icon at the bottom of the screen.
On the bottom right hand corner, click the button that says “ + Add List”.
Add a title to your to-do list.
Underneath, click and it’ll have you add the first task on the list. Don’t worry about it being the most important task or the first task, as you can edit this later.
Click Enter or Done and the app will present you with the option to add a second task under the first.
Each task will have a > next to it. Click this and a drop-down menu will appear where you can add a due date, assign the task, and set reminders for anywhere from 5 minutes before or time of event to 2 weeks before.
Select whether this is a family list or a private list.
That’s it – your shared family to do list in Family Daily is now ready to use!
Key Considerations When Setting Up a Shared Family To Do List
To make your shared family to-do list as effective as possible, there are some considerations to keep in mind when setting up your list.
Organizing Lists by Categories
Everyone will thank you and be much less confused if you start by organizing lists by categories. For example, you could create a chore list, an appointment list, a grocery list, and even lists of ingredients for dishes you’d like to make!
If you’re making lists with everything together, it can become overwhelming, more difficult to manage, and less likely that people are going to complete the commitments they have.
Adding and Describing Tasks Effectively
Task titles should be concise, letting the person assigned the task know exactly what needs to be done. Vague titles could just make things more confusing. Give detailed descriptions or add notes when the task title alone isn’t enough to get the message across.
If this task is something that happens often, like regular chores, family dinners, sports practices, etc., make sure to set them as “recurring tasks”. You can set them to recur daily, weekly, or monthly, saving you tons of time in the process!
If you’re scheduling more complex tasks, try breaking them down into smaller tasks. For example, you could have the task of “cleaning your room”. Break it down into “vacuuming”, “making your bed”, “doing laundry”, “organizing toys or books”, and so on.
Fairly Assigning Tasks and Responsibilities
This may vary a little bit within each household. However, it’s important to make sure that every child is carrying an even load. Consider everyone’s availability and commitments, like work, school, and extracurricular activities. It’s also important to think about the age of the family members and assign tasks and responsibilities accordingly. A 12-year-old is able to do a lot more than a 6-year-old, of course.
Get some inspiration here:
You may also want to consider each member’s strengths and ask for their own preferences in the chores they’d like to do. If someone prefers a certain chore that someone else dislikes, then it makes sense to assign said chore to the one who prefers doing it.
How to Get More From a Shared Family Calendar App
So, how can you best use your shared family calendar app to ensure success? How do you make it easier for you and your family members to keep things running smoothly? Take a look at these next practices to make sure you’re successful.
Utilizing Collaborative Features
For calendars and lists that involve more than one person, you’re going to really see where these apps shine. The invite functionality allows invitees to RSVP so you can easily organize events and get to-do lists completed.
Task assignments promote collaboration and contribution to your household, and once it’s finished you’ll see that updated in real-time from your app.
Setting Reminders and Notifications
Not having to nag anyone anymore is a blessing in itself.
With notifications and reminders, everyone has all the information (and more) necessary to be on the same page and know the events for that day, week, and month. Everyone will get alerts for specific lists and tasks, types of tasks, and so on.
Create Multiple To Do Lists for Different Tasks
This is an incredibly satisfying way to get things done. As you finish each task on each to-do list, you’ll check them off. Don’t just lump all tasks together on one to-do list if they’re not related.
Instead, make a “Chores” list, an “Events” list, and so on. In fact, you could even break the chores down by type (outdoor work, cleaning room, clothes, hygiene, etc.). You can even use them for recipes! Check off the ingredients that you have in the house, then go to the grocery store and check the rest off as you toss them into my cart.
Use an App with Multiple Family Friendly Features
You want an app that is ideal for your family, with collaborative features and the option to communicate amongst each other in one, central spot. With a flexible app, you can customize tasks and color-code people and events to make it as versatile as we humans are.
Your app should have the option of incorporating multiple calendars so that everyone has their own, but should also allow you to create shared calendars that the entire family can see. You’ll be able to share events and tasks between specific family members and provide customizable reminders and notifications for each.
How to Encourage Your Family to Start Using a Shared Family To Do List
Encouraging your family to start using a shared family to-do list app may not be the easiest thing to do, especially when people don’t see the need to “fix what isn’t broken”.
However, there is always room for improvement. Encouraging your family to adopt a new way of doing things requires effective communication and patience. Focus on demonstrating the benefits of the app and making the transition as easy as possible.
Here are a few tips:
Explain the Benefits: If your family doesn’t see the app benefitting them, they’ll be reluctant to try it. Highlight how the app will improve organization, reduce stress, enhance communication, and leave everyone with more free time to do the things they love most.
Select the Right App: Your intentions and effort can be the best in the world, but if you aren’t using an app that suits your family’s needs it won’t make a big difference. You need an app that has an attractive and intuitive interface, with task assignments, list options, reminders, and collaboration/communication features.
Stay Consistent: Consistency is the key to developing a habit. It does take a while to get used to any new app. Get into the habit of referring back to your to-do lists, keeping your list updated, checking tasks off as you complete them, and talking about them with the other members of your household.
Accountability: There’s no reason to use to-do lists if you don’t hold yourself and others in your home accountable for completing their tasks. When you know your child should have finished doing the dishes, go ahead and look into the app to see if they’ve checked that task off.
If they haven’t done so after a certain amount of time, try sending a reminder to see if that gets them going on it. This gives each person a certain amount of responsibility and freedom to take it upon themselves to do what’s assigned to them.Address Concerns: It’s crucial that you listen to any concerns or hesitations others in your home may have. Address their doubts and show them how convenient and customizable using an app can be. The app is there to help make your life easier - not the opposite.
Be Patient: Change doesn’t usually happen overnight. Try your best to be understanding as everyone adjusts to using your shared family to-do list app. Throughout this time, focus on the benefits, maintaining a positive attitude and working through any questions together.
Family Daily: The Ultimate Shared Family To Do List App
The right shared family to-do list app will streamline your entire life and household management by creating a centralized hub for tasks, appointments, and responsibilities. With real-time updates and reminders, family members stay coordinated, and assigning tasks becomes seamless.
Family Daily is the perfect solution for families looking to take their organization up a notch, with accessibility across different devices. Minimize stress with easy-to-follow to-do lists, reminders to hold you accountable, and color-coded events and people to stay on track at a glance. Don’t take my word for it, though: download Family Daily right now and try out the service for free!
