Getting your hubby and kids to help with errands...

... is easy!  Here are my secrets.  

Wednesday is Special Night Out around here.  Every Wednesday Prince Charming tries to get home so that we can have dinner by 6:00.  Right after dinner, Prince Charming takes one of the kids to run errands for me and then out for ice cream.  We rotate through the kiddos.  The children really look forward to having time alone with Dad and I get a few errands run without having to drag everyone with me.  Oh and the kiddo does not have to help with dinner clean up so everyone wins. 

However, a lot of times the whole crew has to go with me.  In these cases, I find that when my kids are informed, they act better.  "We are going to go to the bank, the grocery store for cereal, bread and milk, then to the library and the post office. Then home to have beef stroganoff for dinner."  As far as the dilly dallying goes, I am a softy.  Does it matter if we take five minutes to stomp in puddles?  Maybe.  But once again, for my kids information is key here.  "Guys, there are cars here.  It is not safe to run in the puddles.  But once we finish the post office I will stop at the park to find some puddles." or we can stomp in the puddles at home or whatever.  But whatever you tell them, you have to stick to.  No squeezing in one more thing because they are being so good.