When you have a busy day filled with appointments and errands, the last thing you want is for your baby to be uncooperative. You're trying to pay while he's pulling things from the shelves in line at the grocery store. He's crying and tugging at you while you're trying to schedule appointments at the reception window of the doctor's office. He's fussy through the drive-thru teller line and is obviously irritated with the day's activities.

Every parent knows the frustration felt when Baby cries in a shopping cart because he isn't having his own way. His impatience leaves you wondering why his disposition isn't more patient or what to do to prevent this behavior. His reaction to waiting and his lack of coping mechanisms tend to shorten your patience and resilience on a busy day.

Although running errands and waiting in lines with a baby can present challenges, it does not have to be frustrating. You can find a happy medium for keeping Baby amused and content while you're still productive and focused.

"It's important to consider why a child is cranky, unreasonable or hard to please in line," says Tani Richardson, an early childhood development teacher and mother from Winthrop Harbor, Ill. He might be bored, feel insecure or be in an extraordinarily curious mood. If you're edgy about the day's events, your baby will sense your anxiety or impatience for waiting and respond with similar emotions. Likewise, he will model your calm, patient disposition when you're tackling a busy day.

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