A Chicken, a Fox and a Sack of Corn – Solving Problems Mommy Style

A farmer needs to get a sack of corn, a chicken, and a fox across a river in his small boat. He can only take one item with him each trip. He knows that if he leaves the fox alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken, and if he leaves the chicken alone with the corn sack, then the chicken will eat the corn. How does the farmer get all three items across the river safely?

If he doesn’t think it through, he will most definitely have a very bad day. Take a minute and see if you can help him.

Solution at the end of this article.

Some times we have to just take a deep breath, pick one option and then hope for the best.

A few years ago, I experienced a similar scenario as l was leaving the meeting of mothers of pre-schoolers. I was carrying my son in the infant carrier; in the other arm I had a heavy laundry basket full of supplies. My 3-year-old-daughter was walking next to me. I thought I could easily make one trip to the car. Halfway there, however, my daughter noticed that it had been raining and the ground was damp. She began to cry and complained that her shoes would get wet. Despite my reassurance, she refused to walk another step. By now I was in the middle of the parking lot. I had only two hands. How could I safely get all three items to the car?

In the rush of the moment, I made the wrong choice. I’m embarrassed to share the details. Let’s just say that I managed to get the chicken safely buckled into the car while the fox ran back through the parking lot and around the corner to the door which we had just left. I locked the chicken safely in the car and ran after the fox. Fortunately I was with friends who helped me get my chicken, fox and corn to the car. I’m supposed to be a super mom, how could I have made such a poor decision? Why didn’t I just leave that silly basket behind?

There are a number of ways to follow the steps of problem solving. We should start by defining the problem, then lay out the options, deliberate the potential outcome of each option and select the best one with the hope that it gives us the best result. Usually we go back to revisit the plan at some point. In quick-decision situations, however, you don’t always have time to go through the process of problem-solving. Sometimes we have to just take a deep breath, pick one option and then hope for the best. After the fact, you can take a few moments to reflect on how your option worked and plan better for next time.

HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING GOOD SNAP MOMMY-STYLE

DECISIONS: PLAN AND PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

If you’re headed to the store, plan for speed. Throw a few toy cars in your purse, write out a quick list or plan to stop by the bakery first for a fresh bagel for the kids.

REFLECT ON WHAT IS WORKING, AND CHANGE WHAT IS NOT.

If your plan is not working, stop forcing the issue and try something else. My daughter refused to ride in the shopping cart from the time she could walk. It was frustrating, but I planned extra time and I let her throw extra treats in the cart as we walked along. She was almost three before she realized that most of her treats were disappearing from the cart.

LET THE LITTLE THINGS GO AND FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE.

Years ago I was at the store carefully reading the label of organic jars of baby food. My eight-month-old started fussing loudly. After a moment he stopped whining and I was relieved. I looked over to see him smiling widely with an orange frosting moustache. My three-year-old daughter was proud that she had shared with him. I had to laugh. Here I was concerned about the healthiest baby food while he was gobbling down a half-chewed frosted cookie.

The Solution to the Puzzle : Did you take time to solve the problem? Here’s the best solution, although there are probably others. Take the chicken first and come back alone. Get the corn, take it across and take the chicken back with you. Leave the chicken back, take the fox and leave it with the corn, and come back alone. Now go back and get the chicken.

 – Tracy Galuski

Tracy Galuski, PhD. is a Professor in the area of Early Childhood at the Empire State College, New York. She uses anecdotes about her own children to illustrate child development.

A Chicken, a Fox and a Sack of Corn is used with the permission of Mom’s Sense.