What do you do with your schooling when one or more of your children are sick?

[LBC]

I'm feeling sabotaged by sickness.

 

It's hard enough to stay motivated to stick with our schedule with the Christmas break coming up, but now the kids are all getting sick - one at a time. So much of our learning happens as a group. Do I just move on with the healthy kids, even though the sick kids will miss something? I work on the same writing lessons with the three youngest. I dictate the same spelling list to the two youngest. We do our time line and map work together. I do the dictation and grammar lessons together. It's so annoying when one gets sick. :confused:

 

I know that when a kid gets sick at school, the class moves on. What do you do? Do you move on, and not worry if they miss something? Do you drag the sick kids to the table and tell them to "suck it up"? Do you teach the lessons, and then teach them again when the other kids are well? Do you declare a reading break, and get ahead on all your read alouds and historical fiction?

 

Lori

[jacqui in mo]

Well, I deal with this quite a lot as my dd 13 has chronic pain issues. For her, she has to do her work in bed or on the couch as much as she is able. If she cannot be in on things we usually do as a group (history, science), then she has to do the work on her own, & not with much of me teaching her. And yes, on some things we still get behind & just do the best we can, either making it up or just moving on.

[Jennifer in MI]

Depending on how sick they are, I have them participate as much as they are able for the things we do together. That way the information was at least presented. Now, if the sick child was asleep, I'd let them sleep for that day and skip the lesson and maybe double up the next time he/she is feeling better.

 

((hugs)) We've had a very sick fall/winter too. Right now, it's my turn.

[1bassoon]

Aw, Lori -

 

Feeling your pain and living your life.

 

Last week, the dc were sick and mommy was too, but nobody was "down and out". We just did what we could, and I accepted the fact that we weren't going to cover the Greeks quite as well as I had hoped. I did reschedule eldest's literature "class" with me for today.

 

Today, dd8 is really down for the count. I did dd10s spelling lesson alone, and I'll just catch dd8 up later. the 8yo will hopefully join us for an art project in a bit, if not, she'll just miss it.

 

I don't know if that helps.

 

With the younger kids, I tend to let them just skip it.

 

WIth the older ones, they get a day to rest, and then they should be working harder to catch up. Doesn't always happen, though.

 

I hate being sick. :tongue_smilie:

[TraceyS/FL]

Just depends on the whole "thing" going on.

 

LAst week the youngest was really sick - while that didn't impact her older sisters much, i was up multiple times a night with her and was not capable of thinking. Today, youngest is on meds since friday - all was supposed to be great, i actually slept - oh no, the oldest is sick.... the middle is going to art class but otherwise, i'm writing the day off.

 

I was going to clean - but said middle child won't let me in her room to help. Which will change when she gets back from art class... of course, Dad will be home by then and will just muck it up too.

 

UGH.

 

So really, i evaluate based on everything....

[siloam]

I'm feeling sabotaged by sickness.

 

It's hard enough to stay motivated to stick with our schedule with the Christmas break coming up, but now the kids are all getting sick - one at a time. So much of our learning happens as a group. Do I just move on with the healthy kids, even though the sick kids will miss something? I work on the same writing lessons with the three youngest. I dictate the same spelling list to the two youngest. We do our time line and map work together. I do the dictation and grammar lessons together. It's so annoying when one gets sick. :confused:

 

I know that when a kid gets sick at school, the class moves on. What do you do? Do you move on, and not worry if they miss something? Do you drag the sick kids to the table and tell them to "suck it up"? Do you teach the lessons, and then teach them again when the other kids are well? Do you declare a reading break, and get ahead on all your read alouds and historical fiction?

 

Lori

 

Lori,

 

If it is just a head cold, they take medicine and continue as normal. If several of the kids have head colds at once, or if it is Influenza or stomach flu then we take time off. I do give them more wiggle room to make mistakes and not give 100% when they are sick and lighten the work load if I can.

 

Heather

 

[NorthwestMom]

My oldest two only have the same science curriculum, so that I put off until they can both do it. Otherwise, the healthy person works as usual and the sick person lies in bed and reads or watches TV in the office (so, away from the learning child and not a distraction).

 

I actually think this is one of the benefits of homeschooling - feeling nurtured and surrounded by family when you are not feeling well is so nice, and there is plenty of time to make up the work. My oldest took the morning off today since he is recovering from having the flu this weekend, but if he feels better later he can crack open the books at 4pm.

[Tree House Academy]

I do all subjects that we don't do together and then we make up subjects that we do together on a different day. For instance, if we miss CHOW 2 times in one week, then we do CHOW all 5 days the next week to make up for it. And that is only if I feel so inclined. Heck, it won't kill us to be a bit behind. We'll catch up sooner or later! LOL

[Frontier Mom]

I do the things each does individually with the ones that are well. And, well to be honest I usually try to do some things like DVD's on history we were meaning to watch or I let everyone off easy and do a cleaning or de-cluttering project I had planned.

 

At least I stay busy and home educating means we must realize some days are just "Teacher work days."

[joannqn]

We almost never get very sick. Usually, it's just minor things that don't affect anything. If anyone gets really sick, we just take the time off and pickup again when everyone is well.