Being Sick and Homeschooling
If anybody reads Pioneer Woman’s blog (if you don’t, be sure to check her out, she needs the traffic, poor dear) you may remember these T shirts she proposed making back about a year ago…
I absolutely LOVED this one. I wish somebody would make it for reals because I would totally shell out for it.
But it brings me to my current quandary. I am now standing on the opposite banks of the current plague running through my family like a swiftly-moving-current-of-mucous. I feel better. Not 100%, but no longer struggling to keep my head above water snot.
We took yesterday off because I simply wasn’t up to teaching. But today I have various children in various stages of decline, along with a few who are just peachy. I never know what to do. If I teach those who are still upright, those who are horizontal will fall behind (many subjects we do are lumped together unit-study style, regardless of grade level) and then I’ll have to spend more time with them later. If I leave everybody alone then we can all pick up when the plague is completely gone, and move on together.
Trouble is, with so many people in one household, it often takes two weeks for a plague to completely move on.
What we usually wind up doing is a modified format, with the core subjects covered (science, math, writing) and let the rest slide. However, then Martha won’t let Mary scratch the day off our “how many days till school is done” countdown. Then they get into a mud wrestling match, and it gets really messy.
I really hate those two.
Anyone else want to share their particular method of schooling (or not) when illness rampages?
1sarah
wrote on 23 September 2009 at 14:27
I think you ought to purchase one of those silk screening machines and let the juices flow…literally, hahahah…
I don’t think I like the sentiment on the back…
here’s what I vote for homesCOOLing
flip it over we LOVE it
and when sickness reins…just the basics will do…tell Martha to go organize a closet or medicine cabinet…that’ll make her happy…its a win~win!
2sarah
wrote on 24 September 2009 at 14:33
I guess to be correct it should say:
homesChOOLing…maybe with the COOL in a different color…oooh, that might just work…
3Vicki
wrote on 26 September 2009 at 15:56
I usually just let the well child (only have two schooling right now) do their independent work and leave the group activities go. And I still check off those days as school days on my chart, but my only record keeping requirement is an attendance chart so that may or may not work for you. I figure we do so much that falls into educational on days that I don’t count officially (Saturday/Sunday/holidays), we’re good.
4Heather
wrote on 27 September 2009 at 8:22
Those shirts would be pretty easy to make and sell through CafePress.com – does Ree have the idea copyrighted, or could you do it?
5Kate
wrote on 25 October 2009 at 5:06
When kids are sick, we don’t do school. I let it all slide and pick up again when everyone is feeling better.
Why?
Because when kids are sick, I’m usually up at night, not getting enough sleep, and the idea of trying to do school exhausts me. Thankfully, we rarely deal with illness around here.
HOWEVER, as you know, I take 2 week breaks all the time due to Joshua’s surgeries/hospitalizations, so it’s kinda the same as if everyone were sick. Know what I’ve found out? The kids still learn and do just fine, even with the breaks. Sometimes we just don’t get an extended summer holiday.
Give yourself a break when the kids are sick. That’s my philosophy!