How to Share an Event with Family Members

A Calendar event can be visible to:

  • The whole family
  • One family member
  • Selected family members

Choose the people who need the event.

This keeps the Calendar useful without showing every plan to everyone.

Only parents create or edit events.

Whole-Family Events

Use whole-family visibility when everyone needs to know or attend.

Examples:

  • Family dinner
  • Movie night
  • Vacation
  • Holiday activity
  • Family meeting
  • Shared appointment

The event appears for the full family.

One-Member Events

Use one-member visibility when the event belongs to one person.

Examples:

  • Maya’s soccer practice
  • Noah’s dentist appointment
  • Ava’s school meeting
  • One parent’s work event that affects pickup

A parent may still need to attend, so include the parent too when appropriate.

Selected-Member Events

Use selected members when several people need the event but not the whole household.

Examples:

  • One child and one parent at an appointment
  • Two siblings attending the same practice
  • Parents attending a school meeting
  • Part of the family going to an outing

Select each person before saving.

Choose Visibility Before the Reminder

An event reminder is connected to the event.

The event does not support separate parent and child reminders.

Choose the correct members first, then set one reminder that fits the group.

Example:

Event: Soccer practice
Members: Maya and Parent
Reminder: 30 minutes before

Check the Child View

Children can see events shared with them.

After saving, check:

  • Is the event visible to the right child?
  • Is the time correct?
  • Is the location clear?
  • Are the notes appropriate?
  • Is the reminder useful?

Children cannot edit the event.

Avoid Sharing Private Details Too Widely

Notes and locations may contain information not every family member needs.

Before sharing with the whole family, check:

  • Medical details
  • School contact details
  • Addresses
  • Confirmation numbers
  • Private notes
  • Adult-only plans

Choose selected members when the information should stay limited.

Changing the Members Later

A parent can edit the event and update who sees it.

For a recurring event, the change can apply to:

  • This and future
  • Full series

One occurrence cannot be edited alone.

Choose carefully before changing a recurring series.

Events and Chores Together

A child may see:

  • Their shared events
  • Their scheduled chores

in the same Calendar view when chore display is on.

This can help them plan around practice, school, appointments, and responsibilities.

Google Calendar Visibility

Google Calendar sync is active.

A synced event may follow the source calendar’s sharing and sync behavior.

Before assuming that S’moresUp member selection changes the Google event, verify:

  • Sync direction
  • Source calendar
  • Member mapping
  • Whether edits write back

Do not use the S’moresUp member picker as a replacement for Google Calendar sharing until the current behavior is confirmed.

Example

Event: Parent-teacher meeting
Start: Thursday, 4:00 PM
End: Thursday, 4:30 PM
Members: Parent 1, Parent 2, Noah
Location: School classroom
Reminder: 1 hour before

The event does not need to appear for siblings who are not involved.

Common Problems

Everyone sees the event

Check whether Whole family was selected.

The child cannot see the event

Add the child to the member list and save.

One person receives no reminder

Check event membership, device notification permission, and the single event reminder.

A recurring series has the wrong people

Edit This and future or Full series.

A synced Google event has different sharing

Review the source calendar and current sync behavior.

Common Questions

Can an event be shared with one person?

Yes.

Can it be shared with selected members?

Yes.

Can the whole family see it?

Yes.

Can children change who sees it?

No.

Can different members receive different reminders?

No, not from the same event.

Best First Action

Open one upcoming event.

Check that only the people who need it are selected, then review the reminder and notes.

Related Articles