As this school year is drawing near an end I am ready to just get it done already!
I have plans written out all the way to May 29, our last day of school for this year.
We’ll finish out our subjects gradually and it will be beautiful.
One thing I didn’t plan on was taking a sick day right in the middle of our last days.
What do you do with sick kids as a homeschooler?
There are three options:
1. Forge ahead and complete school taking breaks and resting when you can
2. Call a sick day and spend the day resting and recovering
3. A little of both…school day for the ones that are well and sick day for those that are sick
We’ve used all three of these options so far this week.
This school week started out so well. My children were up and ready to get stared by 8 am Monday morning, and so was I. That’s a rarity around here these days.
Jenny, my three year old, who doesn’t officially do school although she’s always around soaking up some learning, came down with a little cold over the weekend. My first grader, Will, was starting to suffer the consequences of his sister’s sharing on Monday and had to complete his work with a box of tissue sitting on the corner of his desk. He was a bit distracted, but we were able to forge on and finish a good day of school with a few breaks thrown in.
Monday evening my precious Jenny decided to blow her nasty cold germs into the faces of her brother and sisters. Literally. Yes, I kid you not.
The coughing and hacking and misery began Monday night.
And by Tuesday morning three out of my four little ones were suffering under the weight of a miserable spring cold.
I knew by 6 am that we would have to call a sick day.
Will and his older sister, MC, spent the entire day laying on the couch. There were movies…lots of movies and there was reading.
That’s the beauty of homeschool.
They didn’t have fevers and if we were in a public school, I probably would have made them go.
But we don’t so my little ones were able to get the rest they needed to recover from their colds.
I didn’t have to stress about them missing school and I know we’ll make it up eventually.
They were simply able to be sick and recover.
After a full day’s rest I’m left with only one sick child.
I was able to do school with my older girls today. One of them is still coughing, but she was feeling well enough to complete her lessons with me and work on her assignments.
I decided to give Will an extra day of rest…without television, though.
He spent most of his morning on the couch reading comic books.
My mid-day he was starting the move around and actually asked for some lunch.
Tomorrow he should be able to join us for school.
And we’ll be back on schedule.
That is, as long as Mommy isn’t too sick herself!
How do you handle sick days in your homeschool?