Running Errands

I mentioned earlier that I would give you suggestions for running errands with children.  Going in and out of stores and completing a list of errands does not necessarily fit into a child's idea of a fun day.  With a little bit of thought and effort, children can enjoy the day as well.  Today we had a perfect day of running errands. 

My original plan was to run errands until noon and then quit for the day.  Unfortunately, things have begun to back up so I had to regroup and change my focus.  Yesterday I spent the day on paperwork with a sick child resting and watching movies.  This also allowed me to make a list of errands so I was ready this morning.

When traveling with two granddaughters ages 8 and 6, the 8 year old brings a book.  She reads aloud to us as we are traveling from store to store.  This has become a ritual that all three of us look forward to.   Today she began the Little House on the Prairie series. 

Our first stop was Staples.  They were able to each get a book to review the skills they learned last year in school, while I picked up the supplies I needed.  Granddaughter, age 8, is reviewing 2nd grade math, while her sister, age 6, is reviewing writing some words and letters she learned in kindergarten.  We picked up some stickers I can add to pages when they complete them.  We couldn't find stars, but flowers for the girls and paw prints for my grandson will work as well when those pages are completed 100%.

From there to the library to return some books and pick up some more books.  I'll be reviewing the books we read under Moments with Lexie M.  A couple of children's movies and a children's CD for the car completed our library choices.

This is where the secret to running errands with children comes in.  It was lunchtime, so instead of getting that one more errand in, we went home and took a lunch break.  A leisurely lunch with a little play time mixed in refreshed us enough to continue on our way.

From there we stopped at the laundromat to wash a pillow in one of their large washers.   The laundromat we chose had an ice cream store next to it, so desert after lunch and afternoon snack were rolled into a small cone for each of us. 

I wouldn't recommend this every time you have a day of errands, but before grocery shopping we stopped off for a pedicure.  Not because there is anything wrong with a pedicure, it's just that it can be a little pricey when 30 toes are involved.  We felt pretty special, though,  and the girls will be talking about it for days. 

I didn't detail every errand we had.  The main point is to mix some fun for the children in with the errands.  Don't forget to take time for lunch and snacks and the day will be fun for all.  The adults get errands completed and the children are able to say, "Today was a fun day." 

What do you do to mix the fun in with the errands?