Sick Day Strategies
January 16, 2019
In This Issue:
What's For Life

Hey Mama,

Look around. Your house is a disaster. What happened to your couches (all the clean laundry waiting to be folded has buried them) . . . and that kitchen? It does not smell nice. In fact, you don’t look like you’ve had a good night’s sleep in months . . . which you probably haven't as each kid takes a turn being sick.

Where’s your sense of pride? Out the window at 2 a.m. as you take another tempurature and change yet another set of sheets. 

What happened to you? Oh, yeah, you grew up. More accurately, you’ve grown wiser. Sure, a clean house is nice—and there are many times that happens in your family. Certainly, a perfect-smelling kitchen and a dress not stained with spit-up and leftovers from cooking breakfast would be fantastic—but what you have is so much more. So much deeper.

Your kiddos know Mama is there to snuggle and cuddle and PRAY when they don't feel their best. Mama knows exactly what to do on the sick days and every day. 

Don't believe me? Your friends at The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine have been where you are and can offer some great ideas on how to deal with those sick days (and nights):


 

And remember, Mama. . .

You have family. You have children who know they are loved. They may have a caveman for a Mama, but that Mama would fiercely defend them to the ends of the earth. You may look worn and tired, but that’s because you are; your first priority is to meet the needs of your family—and you do it at your own expense. 

The couch may not be visible, but the kids couldn’t care less because that little “problem” pales in comparison to the provision, the stability, the safety, the happiness, the laughter, the memories of all the learning and fun and singing and giggling and goofy times you and your husband provide. 

It’s true. It's genuine. It’s what’s real. It’s what’s for dinner. It’s what’s for life. And your family is so very blessed to have you. 

The house will burn or rot someday. The couches at some point will end up in the dump/landfill/burn barrel. Your hair is going to turn gray and probably fall out someday anyway (grin). But the memories . . . the life you have been given. What a gift! 

Don’t forget that. Your middle name is BALANCE. Your first name is MAMA. And everyone knows they’re loved because of it.

Keep walking. Keep giving. Try to get some sleep. Make time to read God’s Word so you are filled. And just keep on that path He has set you on; it’s a good one. May your children rise up and call you blessed.

- gena
Sick Day Nightmare

It’s a parent’s nightmare—the toddler who wakes you up in the wee hours with that doom-laden phrase, “Mommy . . . I threw up.” Or the teen lying on the couch moaning like a haunted house and complaining about his little siblings walking quietly . . . at the far end of the house. I remember quite a few days like that when I was a kid.

The cold and flu season is in full swing now, whether or not you’ve got school to do. What can you do? Is it a homeschooling catastrophe? The lesson plans are falling behind and New Year’s resolutions to exercise more and make time for social events didn’t make it to the end of the month. At this rate, we won’t finish school till the Fourth of July!

First, take a deep breath and stop worrying about the schedule. Schoolwork will still be here next week, and unlike institutional schools, you are the principal of your homeschool and the school year ends when you say so. Relax! 

Second, look for alternative ways to keep teaching that don’t require too much of your sick children (or their sick teacher).

When I was younger, our parents bought a set of videos that presented real science from a Christian perspective. Moody and Answers in Genesis are great sources we’ve used. For your older children, there are many ways to continue their Great Books curriculum without physical books. Many of the classics are available cheap or free as audiobooks, and for an overview of stories, some have been made into movies (just remember the movies usually cut lots from the original). 

Third, and most simply, make sure that you and your kids recover. Three days of sick leave is far easier to recover from than three weeks of malaise and lingering illness because you hurried back to your routine too soon. Take the time you need, rest lots, medicate appropriately, and try to finish off the infection the first time around. 

Ultimately, dealing with sick days is much easier when you focus on your sick child and recovery instead of lesson plans. Relax, worry about homework or social events or projects when everyone is feeling better. Your children will thank you, your stress will be less, and they will actually learn instead of leaning against your side sniffling. 

~Caleb, Hal & Melanie’s son, writing because they and the kids who are still at home are sick this week! :-) 

P.S. Be kind to your friends—stay home if your kids are under the weather. Just because your family is having a sick day doesn’t mean that their friends need one, too.

Is your middle-schooler driving you to distraction? All the random emotion, mental drift, spiritual doubts? Join us for our popular online class, Boot Camp 9-12, and we’ll help you understand what’s going on, how to effectively parent through their storm, and lay foundations for great teens! http://www.raisingrealmen.com/bootcamp/
"The World Is Your Schoolhouse," so take your family out to enjoy God's Creation and to learn about other cultures. Begin in your own backyard with our homesteading article on gardens and outdoor buildings. Pre-order your copy of the Spring 2019 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine today for spring shipment.

Stacy Farrell
We Make Our Plans, and Then...

Do you make plans at the start of a new year? Perhaps you don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but do you chart a course to take your homeschool through the end of the school year?

PLANS DISRUPTED

I like to start the new year focused—with a clear sense of direction. Disciplined. Determined. 

I try to carve a space to reflect and strategize. But this year started with holiday celebrations spilling into a shortened week. My planning session got delayed.

And the following week, my husband scheduled two of his (too few) vacation days to take our family snowboarding with a local homeschool group. That meant another festive, shortened week. 

Then a nasty flu virus struck our family. One by one, family members succumbed. (My husband is the last man standing. Pray for him!)

THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL 

Despite how it may seem when things go according to our plans (if we’re able to make plans), we’re never really in control. I learned that lesson years ago.

I also learned—after surviving cancer, nerve pain, and a family member’s serious illness—that the One who is in control is Supremely Trustworthy.

That was a painful but liberating lesson.

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

Sick days. They’re disruptive. But they also create a unique opportunity. . . .

When we’re sick, we’re vulnerable. Needy. Uncomfortable. How we’re treated when we’re sick can leave a powerful and lasting impression. 

“The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

If you’ve got sick ones in the house, you have the chance to make special memories. 

It’s a great time to pull out a captivating read-aloud. Pile the blankets high. Fluff the pillows. Simmer some chicken soup. 

Our plans will wait while we seize this fleeting opportunity to express tender, faithful, nurturing love.

With joy (Phil. 1:4),
Stacy 

P.S. - If you’re looking for an enchanting family read-aloud, one of our favorites is The Wise Woman Journal .

Stacy Farrell helps parents equip their children to stand firm for truth in the midst of this crazy culture. She writes books on time management, motherhood, manhood, philosophy ( Philosophy Adventure ), and writing, but she considers her role as wife to Roger and mother to two precious sons as her greatest work. Find her @  HomeschoolAdventure.com
Last week my 24-year-old daughter was telling a friend, “When we were sick, Mom would wait for the Tylenol to kick in and then bring us a math book!” Laughter ensued. “Oh! And get this, I never knew there was even such a thing as snow days!” The laughter continued and the conversation trailed on to other things.

Now I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I pretty much thought I had homeschooling through sick days figured out. But I have to tell you that this conversation got me thinking. It struck me that, in my dedication to making sure my children were well taught, my focus had been misplaced.

Why do we homeschool? Hopefully it’s for the betterment of our children and the glory of God. Then why, when my child was sick, was I focused more on “getting it done” than the well-being of my child?

I’m happy to say that I have mellowed some over the years. Now in our home, if the child is just feeling bad with something mild such as a cold or sniffles, I let them do what they feel they can. Instead of reading about the War of 1812, we may snuggle up with tissues and watch a documentary. Instead of reading to me . . . maybe I read to them. 

If the child has something more serious, school ceases and the focus is on getting the child (or children) better. If we focus too hard and become a slave to our schedule, we end up making life miserable for the entire family.

For younger children, it would be wise to have a “sick day” box with activities, games or DVDs, that can suffice during those challenging days. (Mad libs are the best in my opinion!)

In the high school years, if there is a hard deadline from an outside source such as a co-op, then they can use the evenings and weekends when they are better. There is usually a way to find time to catch up, especially if the TV is off and phones are put up.

Part of the beauty of homeschooling is the freedom we have to schedule what is best for our family. I’m not convinced that having rigid schedules that don’t allow for the reality of illness is good for anyone. 

Relax a little because more than likely you also have been assaulted by germs and suffer from lack of sleep. Accept that there will be days that your perfect schedule will be ambushed by illness. Give thanks for this time with your children, live in the moment, and just love them. 

Kerry Tittle is a mother of nine children and a 20-year homeschool veteran. She was the owner of ReformationKidz with her husband Rob until a tornado destroyed their home and business in 2014, taking the lives of Rob and two of their daughters, Tori and Rebekah. Kerry is the founder of  Refined Family , which is created to encourage others to find hope in the gospel in the midst of trials.
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