One of the primary focuses of my life has been to simplify. I have always tried to find the shortest distance between A & B. We are talking about dealing with tasks here; I approach traveling very differently. When I approach a new situation, I do a lot of research in hopes of understanding the parameters that I will encounter. It allows me to create different game plans to deal with new possibilities or paths along the way. I hate fixing or cleaning up something that could have been avoided. I love learning from OTHER people’s mistakes. For me, it is much easier. I know many people think a lesson learned by experience is the only way to truly learn. I strongly disagree.

Some may say research takes up a lot of time and energy, and yes, it does. Nevertheless, I would rather invest my energy before a project or task has begun than to fix or clean up problems that could have been avoided. Hey, this way before the first step is taken I can choose whether or not to take it at all. Life is all about investments – time, energy and financial. I believe it’s best to make an educated investment. Nowadays, the internet gives you access to numerous facts and other people’s experiences, so research is a bit easier albeit overwhelming at times.

When my son, Mathew was an infant, many of my choices were made in attempts to steer clear of obstacles down the road. Some may say a “fools folly,” but worth a try nonetheless and sometimes I was rather successful.
I read and observed other parents and found that often when an infant is given a bottle or Sippy cup, it tends to be challenging to get the child to transition to a cup. I preferred not to have the hassle or added step, so I never went there. I nursed Mathew, but around eight months, he started to transition to solids and liquids other than mother’s milk, so I gave him a cup. He needed help holding it at first, and then he simply held it on his own. Many folks may be asking themselves – “Hey what about spills – the mess, that’s a lot of extra work!?” Well, I only gave Mathew water to drink and he rarely spilled it (lucky me), I think I still spill more than he does. On those rare occasions when he did spill his water, it simply helped me clean up some other sticky messes.
An added bonus was that it appeared to help his balance. He seemed a bit more balanced and agile than the average child, balancing a cup early could have contributed to it or he was simply born that way – we will never know, but it sure was easy.

Bypassing bottles and Sippy cups worked best for our family and that’s what raising children is all about. Making choices that are best for your family and you are the only person qualified to answer that. This method saved us the expense of buying bottles and Sippy cups which are used for a limited time. We used small juice cups for Mathew that we purchased at garage sales and still use today and we will continue to use them until they get broken, most likely by me.

What do you do to simplify tasks in your life? Please share, as I will continue to share with you.