When You Need Plan B

Plan B, the backup plan, is common at our house.

I hate Plan B, but we find it necessary in our lives. Plan A is always the best plan, which is why it is the first plan after all. But, when it falls through for one reason or another, I like to have a back up plan.

Here's how things typically go with us. We plan a trip on a certain day. Once the date is set, we always have a back up date in mind just in case Jaycee gets sick. Then we wait and see what happens.

Here are bigger things that have happened in the past that didn't work out:

When Jaycee was a toddler, we were so excited for her to be a flower girl at a destination wedding in Florida. Then, she came down with pneumonia the day before we were scheduled to leave. Should we take our daughter on a long trip far away from home and her doctors? Plan B went into action. My husband went to the wedding to fulfill his duty as a groomsman alone while I stayed home and nursed Jaycee back to health.

Two years ago, Jaycee spent a week in the hospital. She was discharged the day before Thanksgiving. So Thanksgiving had to be different that year. We didn't go to any of the three family events that we typically attend during Thanksgiving. We stayed home recovering from the hospital, doing medications every couple of hours, and allowing Jaycee to rest. Plan B became a couple of family members bringing Thanksgiving dinner to us to eat at our home.

This summer, we planned a short family camping trip and vacation to Branson. We planned it in June when Jaycee typically has good breathing. But, it was canceled because Jaycee was in ICU when we should have been leaving. Plan B became a camping trip at a campground close to our house a few weeks later. It wasn't ideal but it was something. Actually, we ended up having a Plan C for this too. Just last weekend, six months after the first trip was planned, we made it to Branson. We had 48 hours to cram in all the fun we could before driving back home. It wasn't the original plan but it was better than nothing.


Forget the big things though, we often have a Plan B for little things. That looks like this:

We will take Jaycee in the store, but if she starts to act up, my husband will sit with her in the car.

We will make plans to go out for dinner but freezing cold air moves in forcing us to keep Jaycee indoors.

We go to church every Sunday together as a family. If Jaycee has a cold symptom, then we have to figure out which of us will stay home with her and watch the sermon online later in the week.

When Jaycee was younger, her health prevented her from playing in the snow. Plan B was always bringing in a bowl full of snow for her to play with and experience.


Plan B is something that many of us that have children with medical or developmental issues have to face more times than we would like. The truth is that sometimes it sucks to do Plan B. But, it is something that comes with having children. I have learned to be appreciative when Plan A actually happens and to learn to be satisfied when Plan B has to do.

Jaycee at Ripley's in Branson during our second attempt at going to Branson.