Hi - My FIL has an excellent memory, but gets involved in a task and forgets the time. He uses his iPhone, but doesn't set reminders. He's agreed - and the kids are so excited - to pick them up every Tuesday at school for some special time. I want to be able to send him a text or email to remind him -- but I want to set it up, not have to text or email him myself every week. (Burdensome to me, annoying to him.) I can't seem to find an app or a website that will send weekly, timed reminders to someone not having a gmail account (yes, he's still aol) or using outlook. Please help. |
Go to iphone, clock, repeate every tuesday, and set the time for the alarm to go off. |
treat him as an adult and expect him to pick up the kids like he said he would? |
You don't know anyone who loses track of time when wrapped up in an activity? |
OP here: not sure I want to use his own iPhone to set reminders, as that's not something he does himself. Seems intrusive. And I do expect him to pick up the kids, and he is an adult, but we all need help remembering things. What, you always remember what you need to, w/o using any reminders? Right. He is an awesome grandfather, needing to adjust to a new routine. And the ones who suffer when he's late are the grandkids, waiting for him to show. I don't expect to remind him for the entire school year, just for a bit until it's a habit. |
My texting app has a way to set up auto-send texts at certain times and days, just like alarms. |
We use an App called Cozi for household organization and calendars. You can share it with different people and it will send reminders to the appropriate person at a set time. |
Oh FFS. Send him a perpetual cal apt or set him an alarm on his phone. |
Maybe he needs help setting up reminders on his phone and if you walk him through it he will use it for a lot things going forward. |
I frequently use reminders, but I make notes and calendar entries myself. If I said I would do it, it's my responsibility to see it through. If someone set a reminder for me, that would be insulting. It implies they don't believe I will follow through. He's an adult. He said he would pick up the kids. Trust that he'll do that. If he doesn't, let him deal with the consequences of his actions - repairing his relationship with the grandkids. |
If you think that you only need this for a couple of weeks, and you don't want to set something up in his phone, I think you have to set the reminder for yourself. Set one for Tuesday at lunchtime to text Grandpa "have fun with the kids this afternoon!". Or something like that...
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What the...? Sure, but responsible people figure out a way to manage their own behavioral tendencies. If the guy can't figure out a way to set up a reminder, maybe he shouldn't be watching the kids. |
Why don't you ask him to text you when he has them?
That is what I ask my mother to do when she picks my kids up. Things can happen on the way to pick up and it is not unreasonable to arrange for a confirming email. |
Does he want a reminder?
If he gets so wrapped up in activities that he forgets his own grandkids, I would worry about other things. If my DH regularly forgot to pick up the kids--or if I was worried that he would-- I would be having a fit and be concerned about far more than absent-mindedness. |
I would not have someone who would forget to pick up my kids be responsible for picking up my kids. |