It happens to everyone, flu season rears it's ugly head and before you know it you're down for the count. Or are you? There are ways to school through life's illnesses.
Unless you are “super mom” sometime during your homeschooling career you are going to get sick even, if it’s only for a day. So how does a homeschooling parent cope with illness and ensure the learning continues? Here are some tips for keeping the learning going when you are under the weather:
Plan Today for What May Happen Tomorrow
The first thing you need to do is figure out the one place where you feel most comfortable while ill. Some people don’t like to be in bed when they are sick but prefer to take up residence on the big comfy couch while others prefer the old pullout sofa in the cool dark basement.
Learning can happen anywhere and a child does not have to be seated at a table to learn. If your favorite spot is your big pullout bed in the basement, allow your imagination to set the scene. Let your homeschooler(s) accompany you to your favorite spot. Don’t worry about good reading lights and gourmet lunches for the day but instead have your homeschooler follow a plan you created at the beginning of the year and stored for just an occasion.
Pre-Planning for Homeschooling Sick Days Is Vital
As a homeschooling parent, planning ahead is a vital skill, so be sure to plan for sick days by making several plans at the beginning of the school year. Put your plans away for safe keeping until they are needed. They can be stored in small Rubbermaid totes along with any necessary materials and then pulled out when needed. Small non-perishable snacks can even be stored within your kits.
Themes to Keep Your Homeschooler Occupied on Sick Days
- Send your kids on a treasure hunt through the house and outside (if old enough). Have a sheet of clues leading to homework tasks that need to be competed during the day. Remember one of the important parts of learning at home or in any environment is learning to look after themselves. Leave age-appropriate self-guided lessons for completing tasks such as, making pirate hats out of construction paper (do any preparations ahead of time and store materials with plans), making a pirate's feast which can be as simple as peanut butter and jam sandwiches and finding the way to your pirateship (bed) for quite reading time.
- Pretend you are stranded on a desert island and you must survive for 12 hours before you are rescued. Your kit for this day could include self-guided activities such as word searches, card games like Go Fish, coloring pages, imaginative creative writing assignments and drawing activities. For added creativity pretend your bed (not just the room) is your island and use towels or pillows as a raft needed to leave the room for necessary breaks. A scavenger hunt works well for preparing lunch if snacks are readily available.
Remember sick day plans are limited only by your imagination and preparation time so be creative and you’ll find your child will grasp the reigns and begin to guide themselves through activities while you recuperate.
For more information on homeschooling, read Homeschooling When Mom Is Sick, and Homeschooling and Daily Life.
