In the household of my dreams, my home is immaculate. The laundry is washed, folded, and put away. The kitchen is stocked, tidy, and spotless. Our lives move in sync, ebbing and flowing in perfect harmony. Family time, play dates, exercise, homework, chores, outdoor time, community organizing. Check, check, check.A mom can dream. The reality is that managing a household of five is a lot messier. My husband and I have three kids, ages 10, 15, and 17, and that means we’re constantly juggling orthodontist appointments, summer-camp signups, field trips, and track tournaments. The laundry and the dishes? Sometimes they pile up.All of it takes a toll, and I’m not alone in this. The “mental load” is well documented, with women and mothers often bearing much of it. (Take this one statistic: According to one analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, mothers with children age 12 and under would collectively earn $450 billion a year if they were paid for the time they spend caring for their children.)This is probably why I’ve heard so much buzz about the Skylight Calendar, the Hearth Display, the Cozyla Calendar, and the like — both from parents in my community and as a parenting journalist for Wirecutter. They promise a “digital command center” in the form of an elegant, color-coded, touchscreen calendar that the entire family can interact with.“Get your family working as a team,” says Skylight’s marketing. “Designed to take things off your plate,” promises Hearth. Perhaps it could even save marriages.Skylight (the one I hear most about from fellow parents) loaned me a calendar so I could try it out for myself. For the past three months, I’ve had its 15-inch screen propped up on my kitchen counter. I linked it to my family’s Google calendars, created grocery lists, assigned chores and tasks, and set up rewards for fulfilling them. In just the short time I’ve used it, the Skylight Calendar has helped streamline my family’s schedule, setting clear, color-coded expectations and encouraging everyone to have a role in managing our home. My 10-year-old even reminded me about his upcoming orthodontist appointment.