The first time I went to the grocery store with David and Bethel, I felt nervous. After all, there’s only one place for a child in most grocery carts. I felt the same trepidation when I took all three children out for the first time.

Having a husband who works long hours means that if I want to preserve the time we have together when he’s home, we must run errands without him. Having a double stroller has helped when going to stores without a grocery cart. I scope out the grocery carts with two seats in them (the car kind, or the kind where the older two sit). “Stand on the line” is a specific command and easy to obey (instead of the more vague “Stay near the car while I get your sister”). If we don’t have room for everyone in the cart, keeping them busy by asking them to locate items and put them in the cart works well. In the post office, they get to find trash on the floor to pick up. Driving alone can be tricky if someone needs help, but it’s really not that big of a deal to stop and take care of the problem. Sometimes, though, I can’t stop to help someone who is crying. We just turn up the music, go on our merry way, and eventually the crying stops (most of the time). Most of the time, I think “I can manage this!”

Even still, there are times when I get everyone buckled in and a small voice from the back announces “I have to go to the bathroom.”

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Filed under: In the Car and on the Go