Family planner

Mental load checklist to print

The list shows who in your family thinks of what. Every task has two columns: who thinks of it and who does it.

Who thinks of it?APPOINTMENTSTASKTHINKSDOESBooking the doctorTracking check-upsParents’ eveningsHolidays and childcareNursery closure daysCoordinating datesBooking tradespeopleSHOPPING AND FOODTASKTHINKSDOESNoticing what’s lowKeeping the listThe weekly shopToiletries and medsWhat’s for dinnerPacked lunchesTracking the pantryHOUSEHOLDTASKTHINKSDOESDoing the laundryWhich bin, which dayCleaning the bathroomChanging the bedsRepairsWatering the plantsDeclutteringMONEY AND PAPERWORKTASKTHINKSDOESPaying billsTracking deadlinesCancelling contractsInsuranceTax returnKeeping warrantiesForms and applicationsBIRTHDAYSTASKTHINKSDOESTracking birthdaysCollecting gift ideasBuying presentsPlanning the partyWriting cardsSomething to bringCalling familyCHILDRENTASKTHINKSDOESDrop-off and pick-upReading school lettersClothes that fitSchool suppliesHobbies and classesMoney for tripsPlaydates

Each area lists tasks that one person often carries alone. Below them there is room for your own.

Or press Ctrl+P, or on a phone use “Share” and then “Print”. To get a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialogue, or on an iPhone use “Share”. Only the sheet is printed.

Who thinks of it?

As of

Appointments

TaskThinksDoes
Booking the doctor
Tracking check-ups
Parents’ evenings
Holidays and childcare
Nursery closure days
Coordinating dates
Booking tradespeople

Shopping and food

TaskThinksDoes
Noticing what’s low
Keeping the list
The weekly shop
Toiletries and meds
What’s for dinner
Packed lunches
Tracking the pantry

Household

TaskThinksDoes
Doing the laundry
Which bin, which day
Cleaning the bathroom
Changing the beds
Repairs
Watering the plants
Decluttering

Money and paperwork

TaskThinksDoes
Paying bills
Tracking deadlines
Cancelling contracts
Insurance
Tax return
Keeping warranties
Forms and applications

Birthdays

TaskThinksDoes
Tracking birthdays
Collecting gift ideas
Buying presents
Planning the party
Writing cards
Something to bring
Calling family

Children

TaskThinksDoes
Drop-off and pick-up
Reading school letters
Clothes that fit
School supplies
Hobbies and classes
Money for trips
Playdates

“Thinks” means noticing, planning and reminding. “Does” means getting it done.

Why are “Thinks” and “Does” separate?

Because they are two different jobs. Taking the bins out takes five minutes. Remembering which bin goes out tomorrow is something you carry around all week.

Mental load is exactly this second part: noticing, planning and reminding. It goes unseen because someone else often does the task in the end. On a mental load list with only one column, the name written down is then the name of whoever did it.

With two columns you see the difference. Under “Does” two names often take turns. Under “Thinks” the same one often appears every time.

How do you go through the list?

Print it twice. Each of you fills in a sheet alone, without looking at the other’s. Then put the two side by side.

The interesting rows are the ones where your answers differ. That is where one person sees work the other doesn’t notice. Showing that is exactly what the list is for.

The two empty rows under each area are for things that only come up in your family. If you would rather start from scratch, choose the “Blank” form above.

Which parts can moj take over?

Not the doing. One of you still takes the bins out. But it can take over the remembering, for everything you send moj once. That is why the six areas on the sheet are the same places moj files entries in. For this you switch on reminders once, in Settings.

  • Appointments. Before an appointment, the people who are going get a reminder on their phones. moj subscribes to the calendar of a nursery or school if it is published in iCal format.
  • Shopping and food. What you buy regularly appears under “Again?” once the usual gap since the last purchase has passed. For a recipe in the meal plan, “To the list” adds only the ingredients that are still missing.
  • Household. A recurring task comes back once its interval has passed since it was last ticked off. If it rotates, it goes to the next person after that.
  • Money and paperwork. If a bill has a payment deadline, moj adds a “Pay” task as soon as you send the photo. The phone reminds you three days before the deadline.
  • Birthdays. A notification arrives in the morning 21, 7 and 1 day before. It says how many gift ideas you already have.
  • Children. If someone has to take a child somewhere, moj asks “Who takes it?”. One tap says you will. Under “Family” you also find the sizes for tops, trousers, shoes and hats.

On your sheet, that means moj can go in the “Thinks” column.

What can’t the template do?

Paper shows how things are split on one evening. It doesn’t change anything. If you look again three months later, you often find the same names in the same column.

As of 12 October 2026. In the Swiss App Store since 6 October 2026. Germany and Austria will follow, and Android by the end of the year.

Short answers

What counts as mental load?

Everything someone has to think of before it gets done. That includes making appointments, noticing what is missing, and keeping track of birthdays, deadlines and letters from school. The work itself doesn’t count. Thinking of it does. The list above has 42 examples in 6 areas.

How do you make the mental load visible?

You write it down, task by task. Beside each one you note who thinks of it and who does it. Only on paper do you see how often those are two different names.

Is there a mental load checklist for couples?

Yes, this one. Print it twice and fill in a sheet each, on your own. Then put the two side by side and compare the “Thinks” column.

How can household tasks be shared fairly?

First you need to see what there is to do at all. After that it helps to hand out whole areas rather than single chores. The person who has an area then also thinks of it. Otherwise the remembering stays with whoever has been doing it so far.

Is this a mental load test?

No. The list doesn’t add up points or give a result. It only shows who thinks of what. What that means for you is up to you.

Can moj take over the remembering?

Yes, for everything you send moj once. It reminds you of appointments and birthdays once you have switched reminders on. It suggests what you buy regularly. And for a bill with a deadline it adds a task to pay it. The doing is still yours.

Mental load checklist by moj, as of 12 October 2026. All the lists: printable templates. For the tasks around the house there is the cleaning schedule by rhythm.

What if the list did the remembering?

moj is the family planner you simply send things to: by WhatsApp, as a voice message or as a photo. It all ends up sorted, where everyone can see it.

In the Swiss App Store since 6 October 2026. Germany and Austria will follow, and Android by the end of the year.

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