We had a few errands to run this morning, so my kids were in and out of the car for a while. Six hours to be exact. For six hours and eight stops, I was taking a 3-month-old, 3-year-old, and 2-year-old in and out of businesses (that were not grocery stores). And at every single stop, I got the Oh-So-Southern "You got your hands full, don't ya?" The answer to that is "Obviously." But I also got asked "How do you do it?" multiple times, at every single stop. One lady even said to me, "I have 4 kids, and they're pretty far apart. I was never as calm and content as you are."
Well, my friends, I have a 3-part secret. Part 1: I don't rush. I hate errand days because I literally have to pull kids in and out of the car for hours. Just the thought itself is tiring. But I mentally prepare myself for it, by reminding myself not to rush. If I am at the post office, the person behind me can wait an extra 40 seconds while I put my money up, open my boy's well-deserved lollipops, and give Noelle her binky before we get out the way. I am well aware they may not want to wait the extra time, but no one has ever tried to rush me out the way. And I am not about to break a sweat and lose $10 trying to be a convenience someone else. Most of the time people chuckle, wave or talk to one of the kids while I am getting everyone and everything together. So it's not like I am putting a damper on anyone's day.
Part 2 of going out with young kids: I have a stroller. It's a double stroller with three kids, but I make it work. One of my boys sits on the bench seat, and the other just stands and holds on while Noelle is buckled in. Yes, I take an extra five minutes (added to the extra time it takes to get everyone out of the car) and put everyone in the stroller at every stop. It is tedious and exhausting, but it is necessary and makes the rest of the trip much easier. I can sit the baby in the stroller as I fix a bottle, or I can buckle either of the boys in when they act out or get sleepy. I only have so much lap, so if we're stuck at the DMV the stroller makes it easy to get across the parking lot. And it's a good place for them to sit and watch PBS Kids or play with their dinosaurs if there are no seats. I literally have to fight every single door with my bulky stroller, but it's better than wrangling them up the entire time I have to wait wherever I am at for whatever I'm doing.
My last secret is planning. Planning is very important when you have preschoolers, especially my preschoolers. Every time we get out the car: I check diapers and ask about the potty. Because life can change so drastically in 26 seconds with toddlers, once we get inside, I ask if anyone needs to potty and I check diapers. And I do that once again before we leave. If it's been two stops since anyone has pottied, we go to the bathroom anyway. Another tedious and tiring strategy, but I haven't had any accidents in a while. And I haven't dealt with any long whining about having to pee. (The diaper baby poops at will, there's nothing I can do about that.) I also plan out my route and what I have to do and have a perfectly timed lunch in the middle. Some days I even take them somewhere with a play place for an hour, other days we have peanut butter sandwiches and long stories in the car. It depends on my mood and my budget. Planning ensures I don't forget any tasks, and the consistency lets the boys know what to expect any time we do errands. And the lunch is a real mood booster for everyone!
There you have it! A little planning, a stroller, and taking my time go a long way when it comes to running errands and keeping my sanity with my three kids.
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