As a busy parent raising a young daughter and starting a company, planning was the only thing that kept my life in any semblance of order. When my daughter was young, my spouse was repeatedly sent away for work. Over the first three years of my daughters’ life my spouse was gone over half the time. That left me to run a company, keep a house going, and take care of my daughter. I found using a planner was the best way to keep on top of everything.
Now that my daughter is older and my company is even larger, a planner is crucial. I want to take a moment and look at my pick for the five best planners for busy moms and dads.
#1 For the Parent Who Needs to Keep Tabs on the Kids: The Mom Planner from Melanie Kirkwood
Pros: Great for Tracking Each Kid’s Activities
Cons: Can’t Easily Add Pages
This is a great planer for someone with multiple kids. Not only does it have your traditional weekly planner page but it also has a separate section to track each of your kid’s activities. (As long as you have four or fewer kids.)
This planner makes it easy to see at a glance which kid has what happening. You can also have your own area so your plans are easy to find separate from everything happening with your kids.
You can find The Mom Planner on Amazon HERE.
#2 For the Parents to Be: The Bloom Daily Planner “Planning for Joy”
Pros: Perfect for Moms to Be & the First Year of Baby’s Life
Cons: This is not for you if you have older kids.
Looking for a planner to track your new baby’s life? The Bloom Daily Planner is a great option for tracking everything a new mom and dad needs for baby. From keeping track of the questions you want to ask your doctor at your next visit to meal planning—it’s all here. There is even a section to track baby shower gifts to ensure you send the thank you notes you need to send.
You can find the Bloom Daily Planner “Planning for Joy” on Amazon HERE.
#3 For the Meal Planning Parent: The Family Organizer by Amy Knapp
Pros: Great for Meal Planning, Shopping Lists All in One Spot
Cons: Limited Space to Track Each Day
If you are looking for a planner that will help you track the big picture of tasks, shopping, and meal planning right next to what you are doing each day, check out The Family Organizer by Amy Knapp. This weekly planner has a huge to do section, grocery shopping section, and meal planning section for each week. You can also easily track what you are doing each day all at a glance.
The downside is if you are looking to book out each hour, this may not be the planner for you as the area to track what is happening each day is very small. The good news is if you just want something to remember doctor’s appointments or kid’s sports/games with the main goal of tracking tasks and meal planning, this is the planner for you.
You can find The Family Organizer by Amy Knapp on Amazon HERE.
#4 For Parents Who Work & Take Care of the Kids: The Tools4Wisdom Planner
Pros: Tracks Both Personal & Work Events Plus Helps You Reflect On Life
Cons: Limited Area Dedicated to Tracking Kids
Looking for a planner that not only helps you track what is happening each day at work and home but also helps you reflect on what is happening in life? You may want to take a look at Tools4Wisdom.
Here you will find a detailed weekly planner that lets you plan down to the hour. You will also find areas to track personal and work goals. Lastly, there is a reflection section that lets you look back on the week to keep track of everything happening in your life.
You can find the Tools4Wisdom Planner on Amazon HERE.
#5 9-Month Academic Dry Erase Wall Calendar & Planner
Pro: Everyone Can Easily See Everything Happening
Con: Not Portable
Not everyone wants a paper planner. Sometimes having a big planner on the wall is best. Now everyone can see when a big event is coming up or when the next family trip is happening. With this huge wall calendar, everyone can see at a glance what is happening this month and over the next 9 months.
Perfect for homeschooling parents or anyone who wants to track everything happening at work.
You can find this 9-month planner on Amazon HERE.
Bonus: Me & My Planner Sticker Pack
Stickers are a great way to make planning easy. Sadly, most planners never come with enough stickers. Now the Me & My Planner Sticker Pack has you covered with 1,439 stickers made for moms and dads looking for more planner stickers.
You can find the Me & My Planner Sticker Pack on Amazon HERE.