No one likes to run errands, and it’s especially challenging when your kids are along for the ride. While you’re addressing a package, your toddler is decorating the post office with stamps. When you’re grocery shopping, your preschooler is tossing every snack box featuring a Disney character into the cart. It’s enough to make you send your husband to do the shopping, even though he may come home with only hot dogs, Kool-Aid, cereal and milk.

Before you head for your next round of trip torture, check out these real-mom tips for making errands easier and follow the expert advice on why they work. They just might save you from a week of cereal dinners.

Show ’em who’s boss
Before you hit the road, let the kids know you won’t tolerate bad behavior. When kids know what’s expected, they are more likely to act accordingly.
“Children always do best in a predictable environment,” says Stephen K. Bell, Ph.D., of Bair Peacock McDonald & McMullan, and a consultant at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. “Public behavior’s just the hardest part. We always joke about Wal-Mart being the final frontier.”

Angie Cleland, mom to a 2-year-old daughter and 3-month-old twin girls, says, before leaving, she talks with her toddler about where they are headed. “We will talk about it on the way there as a reminder and set down a few rules along the way.”

Of course, if your expectations aren’t met, you should be ready with consequences. Dr. Bell says it’s important to be consistent at home and in public because kids are very in-tune to differences between one situation and another.

And, he adds, it’s okay to dole out punishment when you’re in public. “People don’t like to do it because kids cry, but parenting is a noisy business. Use the same techniques in public as you would at home and let the chips fall where they may.”

Time it right.
Vivian Friedman, Ph.D., a child and family psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, says working around a child’s natural schedule will make getting out the door much easier. “Hungry or tired children don’t behave well. Know your child’s limits.”

Michelle Collier, mom to a 1-year-old who still takes a morning and afternoon nap, shares her method. “If we have errands that must be done in the morning, we usually return home by lunchtime. If we are home in the morning, she will nap around 11:00, wake up to have lunch, then we’ll begin afternoon errands.”

Get it together.
Next, make sure you have everything you and your kids need for the day. Nothing’s worse than getting to the post office and realizing you forgot to address the box that has to go out today and your address book is on the kitchen counter.

Angela Shook, mother of two children with allergies, makes a list for each stop and keeps goodies for her 3-year-old and 1-year-old. “I always have safe snacks as a part of life with food allergies. I let Naomi choose one (toy) to bring in the car.