I vividly remember one night when our youngest daughter, Holland, was sick with a fever. We had given her medicine before bed, but she woke up again at two or three in the morning, and I went in to tend to her. For me, it was a busy time, as I was a bishop and I traveled for work, and so I was exhausted, and, I am sure, quite out of it.

 

I attempted to retrieve the liquid ibuprofen to reduce Holland’s fever, but, being in somewhat of a stupor, I could not find my glasses and, because I was so tired, I did not want to look for them. Unable to read the label on the ibuprofen bottle to decipher the recommended dosage, I guesstimated. I had delivered this medicine for sick children in the past, but it had been a while. I filled the small measuring cup nearly full of the liquid medicine.

 

Young Holland was barely awake when I took the medicine and thrust it toward her. She was sick, but, even in her weakened state, she looked at me and said, “Dad, that is way too much.” This was not because she didn’t want the medicine; she did want it and was willing to take it, as she knew it would make her feel better.

 

Here was this four-or five-year-old who knew the dosage she had been taking and knew I was giving her way too much, but I didn’t. I didn’t realize the dose I was pushing on her was much more than she needed.

 

I poured out about half the medicine, and she said something to the effect, “That is better.”

 

She then drank the medicine and went back to sleep. My intent was never to overdose sweet Holland, or to sedate her with ibuprofen, or to put her in any danger. I only wanted to help her with her fever. In the end, after she provided some very wise advice and assistance, I was able to give her the appropriate dose of ibuprofen, which helped to reduce her fever and allowed her to sleep more comfortably.

           

This simple, late-night experience taught me some valuable lessons; three, in particular, relate to parenting, principles, and ease.

 

First: As I did in the experience related above, sometimes as parents we just do whatever is the easiest, we do what is most convenient, and we often do the thing that requires the least amount of effort or trouble on our part. In raising children, parents do what is sometimes referred to as “taking the path of least resistance;” and, often, give their children “things” so they don’t have to bother planning better alternatives, meaningful activities, teaching correct principles, or carefully training and instructing children to learn and develop new skills and talents. Many parents, like I did when Holland was sick, simply want to take care of any complications with the least amount of effort and exertion.

           

Second: As parents, we oftentimes give far too much of a good thing to our children. Fun, entertainment, leisure, wholesome recreational activities, playing or watching sports are all good things.  These good things in the proper perspective and proper amounts are wonderful. When we give our children or ourselves an overdose of these good things, they can become damaging or even deadly. We can easily overindulge our families, and, in so doing, we create too much ease; this ease is spiritually harmful, even spiritually debilitating. 

 

Third: There is a great deal of help available to us as parents and as sons and daughters of God. God has given us spiritual medicine in the scriptures, which, in many respects, are parenting manuals. I have been most grateful for this help. I have seen incredible blessings come from the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet and, now, I am already seeing the grand design behind the “Come Follow Me” manuals. The doctrines of the kingdom are the greatest helps to guide and direct us in how to parent and how to live our lives. God has given us reminders, commandments and directions that work. We just need to “prove Him,” or “do His will,” and then we will see the absolute power in His principles.