Our family is very rarely sick. This year was a completely different story, as it has been for many families across the nation.
The flu has been unforgiving and rampant. So what do you do when your children are sick and you home educate? What if mom gets sick but everyone else is well? If they were in public school, you’d send a doctor’s note and the teachers would send home their make up assignments.
Let’s explore a few ideas for catching up when you catch the flu.
Prioritize and plan.
As most moms know, when one child gets sick, they will likely all become sick. A great time to begin planning for a case such as this, is with the initial onset.
Look at your lesson plans for the week. What lessons can be done without your assistance? Reading, copy work, memorization? By getting a plan together early, you won’t feel as unorganized or like time is being wasted while caring for your family.
– Consider prioritizing group or online classes first because catching up to the rest of the students will be more demanding.
– Make a list of assignments for your children to easily follow and allow them to work at their own pace. Assignments could include things like reviewing chapter questions, reading, creative writing or essay question practice. Even young students can do spelling or flashcard work.
– School work that requires high levels of teacher – student interaction can simply be put on hold until the family is well.
Socks and family care.
The primary responsibility for parents is to love and nurture their children. We are called by God to care for their every need. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the checklists of schoolwork and we forget that often the best medicine is a warm pair of socks and sleep.
Clean laundry, a favorite warm blanket, rest and fluids all work together for healing. If you have multiple children and only one is sick, it’s ok to have all of your children adjust their school schedule so you can focus on caring for your family.
Children that are not ill can always benefit from extra rest. Taking time for your family might postpone a math assignment, but the benefit of a speedy recovery will be an A+ for everyone.
Take care of yourself, too!
When my husband came down with the flu, the third in the family to run fever, I went with him to the doctor because dads need extra attention, too! The doctor told him, “If you are sick, that’s unfortunate. If SHE gets sick, the world will stop.”
He had a point. If you are under the weather, you won’t be able to easily care for others. Sleep a little later, loosen the reins on due dates for assignments, and focus your energy on the necessities.
Making up lost ground.
The most important thing to remember is that you can and will make up lost school time. As teachers, some tend to get nervous when they stray too far from their planners. Here are a few options to consider when making up lost time in your school year.
– Include a couple of Saturday afternoons or an extra evening in your work week.
– Exclude or dismiss review materials. Many chapters include sections that review the previous module or chapter’s work. These can be culled out if your student has already mastered the material.
– Double up on independent work when the student is well. Do this by reading through the next chapter in science or moving forward in literature, while you are still caring for sick siblings.
– Consider enlisting the aid of a close friend or grandparent. Grading, housework, trips to the grocery store or meal preparations can be outsourced to the willing and able.
Remember, everyone gets sick. You can clean constantly, give doses of Vitamin C, and wash your hands faithfully, but you won’t always escape illness. It’s ok to be sick. It’s ok to take a break. It’s ok to be behind.
Praying your family stays healthy, but granting you permission to stop, grab some warm socks, a blanket, some soup…and rest. Rest well. School will be there when your family is better!
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