Homeschool Memoirs - Sick Days

As homeschoolers, we all have “one of those days” every now and then. Sometimes there isn’t even a sickie in the house. Sometimes mom is drained or burned out and feeling run down. Sometimes there are other medical or health issues that are interfering with our best laid-out plans (bedrest for a 9 month old teacher, anyone?!)…

So do we give up and give in? Do we change the plans to make them more flexible?

I’d love to hear about the ideas that some of you have, the stories that you all can tell - about days that were less than perfect because someone “came down with a bug”, but successes anyway. Are you a “carschooler” when there are doctor appointments to attend? Are you a “bedschooler” when life lays you up? Or do you have a “sick day” schedule that you follow - a “rainy day idea can” that you dip in to?

What happens at your house when life throws a schedule curve?

Share your story with all of us moms who need a little encouragement.

Kleenex. Tylenol. Coughs and Sniffles. Racing for the bathroom. Saltine crackers.

Just the thought of it makes me very thankful that we are all currently healthy.

Whenever someone comes down with a bug, it's usually just a matter of time before it has spread throughout the entire house.

If we're lucky enough to all get hit at once, then we usually just call it a day (or two, or three) and try to get caught up later. Recuperating usually involves movie marathons and all day in PJs.

But sometimes it takes a while to make it through the house - or it lingers. Those times, we just cancel our outside obligations (we wouldn't want to pass the crud around!), but keep on trucking at home - of course dependent on how bad the illness is. Math can still be done with a runny nose, much to my children's disappointment.

There are days too that we may not be truly sick, but we are all in some sort of a funk.

I was sure feeling that today.

I'm just plain tired. Really exhausted. Single parenting is wearing me out.

I sometimes want to find a closet to lock myself in. Just for a quiet moment. A moment alone.

Of course, I decided that I probably wouldn't be too comfortable jammed between the vacuum cleaner and the winter coats.

So, today we just worked for an hour or so and then I let them off for the day. Let's be honest - I let me off for the rest of the day. We had nowhere to go and I sat like a bump on a log and read almost all day long. I occasionally gave them some food. I sent them out in the snow for a little while. I let them watch a movie and play on the computer.

Now they are all asleep. I feel a tiny bit bad that they didn't do much schoolwork today. But only a tiny bit. I mostly feel refreshed. I think that I will feel ever better after I get a full night's sleep - which is where I'm headed now....