One of the things about having a houseful of babies is that you have to learn to be flexible. A lot of things can’t be helped, like this:

Diaper Change

But there are some things you can control, like your reaction to things. Don’t freak out, don’t go nuclear, and don’t do this:

boyoncar

There’s a cartoon by Todd Wilson where the Dad opens the closet door and finds Mom crouched down inside. The dad is asking something like, “So how did it go today?” The caption reads, “A really dumb question.” I love it.

Moms of little ones believe in the doctrine of original sin, which is the sinful nature we inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12-21). Dealing with this sin nature –both theirs and our own—can be difficult. Some trouble arises just because of circumstances, like the leaking baby on your way out the door to church. Good planning can help with the logistics of raising a family, and sometimes you just have to flex a little.

As for the stuff that makes moms hide in the closet—fighting siblings, whining, and bad attitudes—my third unorthodox confession comes into play. When something isn’t working, we put life on hold. That is, I stop laundry, decent dinners, and the daily routine in order to get a handle on it. My husband brings home takeout, and we jump in the pool for our baths. Develop a plan of attack for the stuff that isn’t working (e.g. lazy listeners). Lack of consistency is usually the reason stuff falls apart, and so a day or two spent on putting us back on track is a lot better than hiding in the closet every other day.