Decisions

Simple Solutions

My husband sang in the church choir Wednesday nights. He loved it. My three-year-old attended a Bible program those nights. He loved it. My 18-month-old was bathed by Mommy instead of Daddy those nights. He despised it—especially the hair washing. The infant was indifferent, but especially demanding with Daddy away. Eventually, I despised Wednesday nights.

The best solution seemed to be ending the Wednesday evening activities after the Christmas program. After all, bath time with Daddy was especially significant to one son. Even more, I didn’t want a challenging evening after being home all day with three young children.

In retrospect, my husband and oldest child leaving their activities was the worst solution. They were important outlets. Bedtime routines could have been simplified. Wednesday baths could have been skipped— at least the hair washing. These solutions never occurred to me until years later. (Although they may have occurred to you as you read.)

Those days, I was too overwhelmed to find another way. What did I wish I had known and learned along the way? No matter how large the challenge, try to find a simple solution before you quit a priority.

Any simple fixes to your challenging situations?

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