Notes from Emmy

Practical writing for parents on school emails, the calendar, camps and breaks, and sharing the load.

Two children playing in a blanket fort in a living room while rain runs down the window

Rainy daysSep 17, 2026· 6 min

Rainy day activities for kids, sorted by age

A rainy afternoon goes badly when you pick the activity at 3pm. Twenty-one ideas grouped by age, plus the two-box setup that makes any of them work.

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Rain on a window with children's rain boots by the door, a blanket, books and crayons on the floor

FallSep 17, 2026· 4 min

How to fill the first cold, rainy days (besides checking the rain boots still fit)

The first real rain arrives on a Tuesday with no plan attached. Here is a short list of places that work in the Bay Area, and the two things worth doing before the weekend.

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Pumpkins on straw beside a wooden wagon at a pumpkin patch in golden late-afternoon light

FallSep 17, 2026· 4 min

Pumpkin patch day, according to parents of 3 to 8 year olds

The patch is a two-hour outing that people plan like a four-hour one. Here is the timing, the packing list, and the exits that keep it good.

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Two parents talking at a kitchen table in the evening with a notebook and mugs

Mental loadSep 17, 2026· 5 min

How to explain the mental load to your partner

Most of these conversations fail because the load is invisible until it is written down. Here is how to make it visible, and what to hand over first.

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A family wall calendar with handwritten notes in a sunny kitchen

CalendarSep 17, 2026· 5 min

What to look for in a family calendar app

Most families do not have a calendar problem, they have an entry problem. The features that decide whether a shared calendar survives past week three.

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An open October wall calendar with several weekdays circled in gold, beside coffee and autumn leaves

School calendarSep 17, 2026· 5 min

The no-school days hiding in your fall calendar

Between now and winter break there are usually five. Half days do more damage than holidays. Here is how to name who covers each one.

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A child's costume folded on an entry table beside a pumpkin, a school flyer and a notepad

HalloweenSep 16, 2026· 4 min

Halloween without the October scramble

Costumes sell out in the second week of October, and always in your child's size first. One conversation now, then three small decisions.

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Two parents handing off a school backpack at the front door

Mental loadSep 10, 2026· 5 min

How to actually hand off part of the mental load

Delegating fails when you hand over a task but keep the remembering. What to give away, how to phrase it, and why the calendar does the reminding.

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A wall calendar and notebook on a desk in warm autumn light

Seasonal planningSep 4, 2026· 5 min

The fall planning pass every family needs in September

Picture day, conferences, three no-school Mondays and Halloween costumes that sell out in October. What to settle now so fall stops ambushing you.

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A parent working at a kitchen table with a laptop, school papers and a mug

School emailAug 27, 2026· 5 min

How to stop losing things in school email

Five inboxes, three platforms, one permission slip due tomorrow. A simple system for turning school email into a short list of things that actually need you.

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Let Emmy carry the admin

Emmy reads the school email, spots what needs doing, and plans the week around your family. Free to start.

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