Digital routine board versus a shared family calendar: what is the difference?
By Rachel Hassett ·
Last reviewed
A shared calendar shows when things happen. A digital routine board shows children the repeated jobs they need to complete next.
A shared family calendar shows when appointments, school events and activities happen. A digital routine board shows the repeated jobs a child needs to work through before, during or after those events.
They solve different parts of the family-admin puzzle, and some households may use both.
Which tool solves which job?
| If you need to... | Shared family calendar | All Set visual routine board |
|---|---|---|
| Remember a date, appointment or activity | Yes | Not its main job |
| Show a child the jobs happening now | Some calendars offer task or routine features; check the tool | Picture tasks children can hear and tick off |
| Use pictures and spoken tasks | Depends on the calendar | Picture cards with a Hear it button |
| Track separate jobs for siblings | Features vary; some use separate calendars, colours or child profiles | Shared family screen with separate child jobs and progress |
| Work without internet | Depends on the calendar | No. All Set needs an internet connection |
What is a shared family calendar for?
A calendar is good at dates and times.
It can show that swimming starts at 4pm, library day is Tuesday and the dentist appointment is next week. Adults and older children can look ahead and see what is scheduled.
A calendar entry can contain a checklist, but the main job of the calendar is still telling the family when something happens.
What is a digital routine board for?
A routine board is for the steps that repeat around part of the day.
Before school, that might be getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, putting on shoes and packing the school bag. Before swimming, it might be collecting bathers, towel, goggles and a drink bottle.
All Set shows those jobs as visual task cards. A child can tap Hear it to hear a task, tick off completed jobs and see what remains.
Example family board. Children shown are fictional.
Why might a calendar entry still leave jobs unfinished?
“School, 8:45am” tells the family where the morning is heading. It does not show a young child the sequence between waking up and leaving the house.
A parent can add all those details to the calendar description, but the child may still need someone to read them, track them and say which one comes next.
A routine board keeps the repeated sequence visible while it is happening.
Can the two tools work together?
Yes.
The calendar can hold the event. The routine board can hold the steps needed to get there.
For example, a shared calendar records soccer training on Wednesday afternoon. An All Set soccer routine can show the participating child the jobs for packing their uniform, shoes, water bottle and other family-specific items.
All Set is not designed to replace every family calendar or appointment system. For a worked example of the jobs around an event, see the school-morning routine guide.
Which one is easier for a pre-reader?
A visual routine board is built around pictures and immediate tasks.
In All Set, each job has a picture and a Hear it button. That lets a younger child understand the next task without reading a calendar entry. Read more about using All Set before a child can read.
What about families with more than one child?
A shared calendar can show each child’s activities, often with separate colours or calendars.
All Set keeps children together in one household routine while tracking their jobs separately. Parents can choose which children take part and remove a child from a job that does not apply to them.
That means one calendar event can sit beside a routine with different packing jobs for each child. See how All Set works for more than one child.
Does All Set connect to a family calendar?
All Set’s published features do not include automatic family-calendar syncing. If you need that feature, check with us before purchasing.
All Set is a browser-based visual and audio routine board. It needs an internet connection and a compatible device. Compatibility with a particular smart calendar or older tablet should be checked before purchasing.
Which one do you need?
Choose a shared calendar when the main problem is keeping track of dates, appointments and activities.
Choose a digital routine board when the main problem is showing a child the repeated jobs involved in getting ready or moving through part of the day.
Use both when you want the event in one place and the child-facing steps in another.
See how All Set works and check the supported device information.