So, it’s inevitable. Unless you’re a superhero, you will eventually get sick. You might find yourself with a high temperature or unable to get out of bed due to an unexpected injury. Maybe you need a “mental” day before you literally snap in two. Or maybe recovery from having an unexpected C-section is taking longer than you planned. Perhaps you were up all night with a sick husband or infant. There will come a day in everyone’s homeschooling career that the teacher will wind up being ill. What’s a mom to do? Can homeschool moms call in sick?
Grace & Space
Every teacher in every school has to call in sick at least once in their career- that same grace should be given to you. Most of the professional teachers I know are asked to do a few things to prepare for the inevitable; we should too. First, give yourself grace and space to recover. Don’t beat yourself -or your husband, baby, older parent- up for not having an impenetrable immune system.
Calling in Sick
Second, be proactive. Take a tip from the professionals and create your “sick day packet.” Gather a few activities that are ready to go the minute you need it. You can find shallow plastic storage bins to create this packet and keep it hidden. Include all worksheet copies, supplies and instructions in the bin so you can just hand the box over to your kids and hit the couch. Update this packet each semester, so it’s something that would actually interest the kids. Try to also stash away a freezer meal or two, just to have on hand when your kids want to eat and the last thing you want to do is think about cooking.
Film Festival
Another idea is to allow the kids to have their own film festival, complete with movie snacks, film reviews and awards. If you have one old enough, have your student put together a few related films and documentaries on one of the topics they recently studied. Watch -and snooze occasionally- with the kids. The same idea can be applied to a day outdoors for the older kids. Instruct them to go outside and develop a skit, fort, treasure hunt, or whatever they imagine while you rest on the porch or in bed. When you’re well enough, ask them to report back what they learned.
Phone-a-friend
If you’re too tired or sick to teach but can still drive, thank yourself for purchasing movie theater vouchers and hiding them in your glove box (more planning ahead, here) and pick out a flick to take the kids to. Or, phone-a-friend and ask them to watch your crew while you allow yourself a good, deep sleep. Maybe your spouse can take a day off to help with the little ones.
Lastly, a great offense is to have a good defense. Be ready for the day when you just need to step away from the school table for any number of reasons. When I knew we would take several weeks longer for a Christmas break due to a new baby, I bumped our start date up a full month earlier than usual. Being able to relax about school while I was recuperating was helpful. I knew a mom that even had her kids do a few hours of school on Saturdays to make up for the time she needed to take off unexpectedly. The kids weren’t thrilled, but they were happy once they were back on their typical schedule a few weeks later.
Flexibility is one of the most beautiful aspects of homeschooling. And this is never so true as on days when Mama needs to call in sick!
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother to three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com
