Sharing
Give grandparents and caregivers the family plan
Grandparents and caregivers can see the family plan without becoming a parent in the app. HouseChief works in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer, so you can share the plan on a device they already have. The usual way is a read-only link to the schedule. You can also subscribe HouseChief's own events into the calendar app they already check. You choose what leaves the house, and you can turn a link off.
A view, not a login
A grandparent doing Wednesday pickup, or a sitter covering a date night, needs today and the next day: where the kids are, what time, and what dinner is. They do not need the grocery list, private notes, or the ability to move an event. Sharing a parent's password makes them an editor. A view does not.
HouseChief keeps one household. People who do not live in it are not added as parents. The steps for the link itself are also written up in share your family schedule with grandparents. This page is the choice between that link and a subscription into their own calendar.
What to hand a sitter versus a grandparent
A sitter usually needs a short window: this afternoon, bedtime, and how to reach you. The share link is enough, and you revoke it after. A grandparent who helps every week may prefer the subscription so soccer shows up next to their own appointments. Either way, do not put a house alarm code or a medical note on the calendar title. Say those in person or in a message to that person.
The share page is the schedule. It is not a messaging app, and it is not a way for two households to merge.
The Parkers' Wednesday
Sam sends Jordan's dad the read-only link before a Wednesday pickup. He opens it on his phone, sees Maya's practice and dinner, and does not see the grocery list. When the season ends, Sam turns the link off. The standing school calendar stays on the family's own subscriptions, which he does not need. If you are comparing shared-calendar apps that invite people in as members, the dated TimeTree alternative page is the one that covers that difference.
Questions
Can grandparents or a sitter see our family calendar in HouseChief?
Yes. HouseChief works in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer, so the family plan can be shared on a device they already have. A parent sends a read-only link to the schedule. No account is required, lists and settings stay off that page, and the link can be turned off. Parents can also subscribe HouseChief's own events into the caregiver's calendar app, view-only.
Can a caregiver change events?
Not from the share link or the subscription. Both are view-only. Parents edit the family calendar. If a sitter needs a correction, they tell a parent and the parent changes it. That is the point of not sharing a password.
Does the link include the grocery list or notes?
No. Share links show the schedule only. Lists, notes and settings are not on that page. A calendar subscription of HouseChief events is also events only. If a caregiver needs a shopping note, send it to them another way, not on the link.