The winter of 2015 will go down in history in our home, folks. It was one of the snowiest winters on record, our first homeschooling winter, and a winter filled with a major home renovation. And, it was our sickest winter ever. From colds to croup to chuck-it-buckets, to flu… it seemed as if someone was sick every week. So, how did we do it? How did we homeschool through illness?
How to Homeschool When Under The Weather
- Books– It almost sounds too simple, doesn’t it? Just read books. Whether you have independent reading time, read aloud, or use audiobooks, books are an easy way to homeschool through sickness. The winter that I was pregnant with Seuss I was so sick. I only felt okay if I was laying down. I spent the entire winter on the couch in our playroom, reading to my kids from weird angles.
- Games– Games are a great way to sneak in some learning. Your kids will have so much fun that they won’t even know they are homeschooling!
- Crafts– Why not just open up the craft closet and let the kids have a craft-palooza? It will keep them happy and allow the person who is ill a moment to rest. Over the years, we’ve subscribed to the following kits: Kiwi, Doodle, Tinker, Groovy Lab in a Box, Raddish, Little Passports etc., and I often save a kit for sick days or days with lousy weather. They have saved me on more than one occasion!
- Television– It’s okay. Pop in something educational (or not) and cut yourself some slack. One or two days of too much TV aren’t going to do any long-term damage. Go easy on yourself!
- Simplify– The wonderful thing about children is that they are naturally curious learners. They are learning all the time. Even if you don’t do anything, they will learn. So brew some tea, put those tootsies up, and relax.
That’s how we did it, folks, but this is only my first year homeschooling. I thought it would be neat to ask the experts, those who have been rocking this homeschooling gig longer than I.
Advice from homeschool experts:
“When one child is sick and the others aren’t we will frequently shift our learning to be around the sick bed. The sick child doesn’t have to do as much, but they can still hear the learning going on.
“When Mom is sick we watch a lot of educational shows and documentaries. My kids are young enough I’m still very involved in all of the subjects.”
~ Ticia, Adventures in Mommydom
***
“Though it’s hard to do, realize that most things are temporary. Instead of focusing on what we are not teaching our children, focus on what we are doing by modeling fellow family feeling and being compassionate toward others when they are sick and in a time of need.
“During certain times in our homeschooling journey, they are some things that are just more important to teach other than academics. We have to know when to allow that grace for our family.”
~ Tina, Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
***
“During week three post-op, a friend asked me ‘How much school are you getting done?’
“And I boldly answered, ‘Oh, we haven’t done any school since surgery. Emma’s job right now is to recover.’
“No guilt. No second guessing. Just enjoying her freedom to recover without the pressure of hurrying her healing or completing make up assignments. This is yet another facet of the beauty of homeschooling.”
~ Jimmie, Jimmie’s Collage
***
“That’s when we stooped to the Science, Discovery, and even the Food Network TV channels… Kids can learn a great deal from seeing how chefs play with their food!”
~ Carolyn, Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page
***
“I have chronic migraines, so this happens to us a lot. It’s hard to homeschool when mom is in so much pain she can barely get off the couch! During days like this my son does more of his work independently than he typically does. We stay away from mom-intensive subjects (history and science) and focus on his workbooks where I just need to answer a few questions. If he can’t figure something out, and I can’t see enough to read the workbook, we usually just wait to do the books til Daddy comes home and can help or the next day. We also watch a lot of educational shows. We love Sid the Science Kid, The Magic Schoolbus, and even Octonauts for science stuff. Mainly, like Jimmie said, don’t have guilt. We homeschool so that it fits into our lives, not so that we can slave away to check a lesson plan off a list. Work on feeling better, then get back to the books!”
~ Kaylene, This Outnumbered Mama
***
“When I am sick, I try to remember that if my children were in school, there would be days with a substitute teacher. No student really progresses and learns a ton on the days with a sub, it’s just about getting through the day – so I have decided that on my sick days, it doesn’t have to be any different for my sons. A few weeks ago, I was so sick I could barely move. I picked out a show on Netflix about wilderness and survival (something my boys love anyway) and we watched five episodes throughout the day. Not ideal and certainly not my best ‘screen time’ day, but they learned about the terrain of the Outback, the jungles of Southeast Asia, the frozen tundra in Alaska, and the deserts in Mexico. And I slept next to them on the couch. Win/win.
“My oldest son was recently diagnosed with Lupus. This means he often spends entire days in bed. On these days, I arrange another activity for my younger son and then go in and lie down with him. I give him love and encouragement first, and then slyly start turning on various YouTube videos about some of his favorite topics. It may not be a ton of progress, but at least he is learning and staying engaged in something. On the days where he is feeling better, we catch up. I try to remember that we have six years before he is 18. Six years is plenty of time to learn what is needed to thrive and live life well. One day, one week, one month is not going to change that.”
~ Shawna, Not the Former Things
***
“We don’t get sick. I don’t believe in it. 🙂 ”
~ Amy, Gifted Unschooling
***
“I suppose plopping them in front of the TV isn’t what you’re looking for… 
“Seriously, though, when I’m sick (albeit, it’s just short-term illness like a bad cold or something), the child would just go about his business like any other day. He knew what he had to get done and he would do it. That’s the way we homeschooled, though, intentionally creating a self-sufficient system to give the child as much freedom as possible within the structure he needed. It worked out pretty well for us, I’d say.”
~ Mona, Life with Intensity
***
“One of the best tips I can offer, as a homeschooling mama of two toddlers, is to always have a few down days planned ahead of time… Being fully prepared with quiet activities and books put away that are easily accessible. I keep a few themed activities in a tupperware storage box in our closet for easy grab and go access, this is also good for unexpected time away, emergencies where a family member needs to step in, etc. Be sure to provide new materials, or materials they haven’t used in a while so their interest is kept longer… I also allow more iPad time on days like these. As they play/work, I rest near by, making myself available for questions or help. It is also important to remember to only focus on what is important while you are ill. Steer clear of introducing new concepts, meeting deadlines, or over doing it and focus more on ‘refreshers.’ The beauty of homeschooling is the ability to be flexible.”
~ Ashley, Meet Mot and Pea
***
“When my son or myself are sick, the day turns into a Walking with Dinosaurs Marathon. After that we move onto Planet Dinosaur, Titanaboa Monster Snake and Dinotasia documentaries. Most times my son will try to model one of the creatures out of clay or build it out of LEGOs. Even if it is only 3am! 🙂 ”
~ Erin, Nourishing My Scholar
***
“While pregnant with my 4th child, I had severe complications. An attempted miscarriage, Grade 4 Placenta Previa and an irritated uterus later on during the pregnancy. I was put on bed rest from 12 weeks and had to do school from the comfort of my bed. In the beginning it was fun for the kids, then aged 9, 4 and 2 to sit with Momma in bed doing school, but it soon proved difficult when I had to rest. Getting into some sort of routine was key for us. Putting my health and that of the baby first was difficult at first, but we all settled into the new ‘lifestyle’ fairly quickly. I was in and out of hospital for most of the duration of my pregnancy (spending more time in hospital than at home) until Pixie was born. We were fortunate enough to have a support system that would come and watch the kids while I was hospitalized. Their schooling did suffer during this time, but we worked through it once she was born and they all finished the school year.”
~ Momma Jo, Monsters Ed Homeschooling Academy
Want more homeschooling while under the weather tips? Here are some helpful links:
101 Sick Day Activities for Kids ~ Cornerstone Confessions
Bedschooling ~ Carrie Willard
Beginning Tablet App List for Children ~ Meet Mot and Pea
Biggest Challenges to Homeschooling ~ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Homeschooling and the Morning Sickness Factor ~ Raising Arrows
Homeschooling During the Hard Parts of the Year (and Life) ~ Red, White, & Grew with Pamela Price
Homeschooling Through Illness ~ Simple Homeschool
Homeschooling Through Sickness ~ Classical Conversations
Homeschooling When Mom is Sick ~ Bright Ideas Press
Homeschooling When Mom is Sick ~ 123 Homeschool for Me
Homeschooling When Sick ~ Homeschooling Down Under
Homeschooling While Sick ~ Catholic Mom
Homeschooling with Chronic Illness ~ A 2 Z Home’s Cool
How Do You Handle Sick Days? ~ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
How to Fake Homeschooling ~ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
How to Homeschool When Mom is Sick ~ Upside Down Homeschooling
I Guess This is What Unschooling is Like ~ Home is Possible
{Parental Self-Care} AH-CHOO! Prepare a Little TLC for When You’re Too Sick to Homeschool ~ How to Work and Homeschool
Sick Day Survival Tips- Homeschooling When Mom is Sick ~ Real Life at Home
Surviving Sick Days With Kids ~ Raising Lifelong Learners
Taking a Hit Doesn’t Mean to Quit- Homeschooling Through Crisis ~ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
The Beauty of Homebound Homeschool ~ Jimmie’s Collage
What We Do When We’re Not Doing Anything ~ Gluten-Free Mum
How do YOU homeschool through illness? Share here!
However long the night, the dawn will break.
~ African Proverb
Yep! That is pretty much what we did. Ironically, even though we were all sick, my son still learned. Gotta love being able to stream educational videos! Sure, he watches just fun stuff, but Magic School Bus or documentary’s about Deadly Animals (vipers, scorpions, etc.. – that’s his latest ‘thing’) give his brain the much needed workout. Throw in some reading, art, etc. and a child has learned a lot for the day. The beauty of homeschooling when one is sick, is being able to stay in pj’s all day, while carrying a box of tissue wherever you go. lol Eh, it is what it is – just go with the flow.
I truly hope all of you are feeling better. 🙂
Learning happens if we let it! Isn’t it crazy? And relieving? It was such an epiphany for me this year homeschooling to just LET GO (Let it goooooo!) a little bit and let them lead a little more and … wowza… they learn!
I hope you guys are better! So long winter of ’15!
a day or two of Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel isn’t all bad. Add up on the district calendar the number of SCHEDULED days off (which doesn’t include snow days, substitutes, etc) and you will never stress about having sick days at home again. A perk of homeschooling…when your student is sick for a couple of days they aren’t missing class lecture time…class time will wait for them to feel better.
I do believe that school is the student’s “job”. As much as we want them to learn to be great workers, don’t we want to teach them to put family first if there is a family member having surgery, etc? Life lesson…
Sue,
You’re so right! All those delays and interruptions. Whenever I start to question if we are doing “enough” I always remind myself that much of what we do is 1:1. How can you beat that? You can’t!