If you are using a basic wall calendar, pretty picture, small blocks, I’d say not very! With today’s busy schedules and a multitude of kids’ activities, a good planner is one of the best investments you could make in getting yourself organized. I would recommend a Weekly Planner, one which has large day blocks but opens to view the entire week. To optimize it’s effectiveness fill in all of your weekly "regulars" - meetings, sports practices, lessons. (Although it may seem redundant to post activities that happen every week at the same time, it is a great visual tool that can guide you into planning everything else and avoid a jam-packed day!) From there, fill in any appointments and special events. You can use your planner to jot down reminders versus holding onto lots of pieces of paper. You can use your planner to figure out dinner plans based on the pace of the day. You can even use your planner to carve out time for yourself (novel idea!!) Most importantly, review your schedule the night before and be better prepared for the next day.