Rhonda in TX Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 DS has a cold (stuffy nose, sore throat, no fever). However, he's been in a chipper mood all morning. Drawing pictures, talking up a storm, etc. Wednesday is a light day for us, so I'm making him do his schoolwork. He keeps saying, "I'm sick!", but I think he's well enough to do the bit of work he has to do (math, Bible, reading). What are your guidelines for a sick day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 No fever, you can do some schoolwork. I usually keep it simple on those days. Fever is a dismissal from school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they say "I'm sick" and it isn't an every month thing...I would let them off for the day. BUT I am not a scheduled hser. I don't have a daily agenda, and if they take a day off, it doesn't affect the rest of my week. We all have days when we just don't feel like being pushed. We just need a down day. As long as they aren't just taking advantage of you, I say let them off for the day. If you really feel like you need to get a few subjects done, then let them off early and take a 1/2 day. Just knowing it is going to be a light day, may be enough. We do have a rule that if your sick, that means no playing with friends, no playing outside, staying quiet (no jumping around, being crazy), no activities...for 2 days. Just that little reminder will usually get an honest answer about how sick they really are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they are acting normal in non-school activities, they aren't too sick for school. If they are feeling too sick to play, they can have the day off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 DS has a cold (stuffy nose, sore throat, no fever). However, he's been in a chipper mood all morning. Drawing pictures, talking up a storm, etc. Wednesday is a light day for us, so I'm making him do his schoolwork. He keeps saying, "I'm sick!", but I think he's well enough to do the bit of work he has to do (math, Bible, reading). What are your guidelines for a sick day? I would still expect schoolwork on a day you are describing. If ds seems to not be able to concentrate I give him light work. Maybe reading only and verbal narrations. This first thing to go on a sick day is math because that is ds's most challenging subject. I equate working through feeling poorly to the real life. Ds won't be able to take off work for the sniffles, kwim? Last week, I knew ds wasn't feeling well but was continuing with schoolwork. He just got up and said "I have to go lay down". This is extremely unsual for my ds so I let him. He stayed in bed all day and didn't ask for tv or didn't even read. That's how I knew he was sick enough to miss school. There have been times ds has tried to fake it and I suspected that so I sent him to bed, no reading, tv, etc. He was back in the schoolroom within minutes ready to work. Short answer, you need to know your kids and be able to discern if they can actually focus. Realize when they are faking, they ALL do it at some time, and calmly and matter of factly treat them as if they really were sick. Hope that helps. You seem right on track for today. Good luck and I hope your guy is feeling better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Well, I do take it on a case by case basis, but if they have a fever or if they are emptying their stomach then it is automatically a sick day. Sometimes I have given a child a half day if they listen in on lessons, but are too sick to participate. If they're noses are running or they are coughing to an extent that they cannot focus on their work at all, then I would consider calling it a sick day. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they are sick enough to stay in bed or on the couch...it's a sick day. But if they're well enough to wander around the house acting bored, they are well enough for schoolwork. That's the rule in our house. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they have a fever or are running to the bathroom (for either end), I call a sick day. I'll call a sick day for the first day of a cold as that's when they're the most miserable, and I know I won't get any kind of concentration or cooperation from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmaddox Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they are too sick to get out of bed, that is a sick day for us. But for a stuffy nose, slightly sore throat(other than strep); we have school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I have my kids do school unless they are very sick. I let them do school in bed or on the couch. I let them sip juice and take breaks, but they still have to do school if they are able. Private schools and public schools do not stop because your child has a cold. The child has to find a way to catch up if they take days off. I missed large amounts of school in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade because I was hospitalized. Every day my teacher would send home a packet with my sister to deliver to me in the hospital. I did my school work off and on through out the next day and sent it back with my sister. The school offered to send a tutor and my teacher made allowances if the work was late, but I was still required to do it. I don't want to give up my weekends or summer schooling my kids unless it is really an emergency that kept us from getting school done in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they are throwing up, have high fever or feel so sick they would want to stay in bed all day, we don't have school. Otherwise, we usually just try to have a "lighter" day, read a lot and stay away from troublesome subjects until a better temperament returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 My rule of thumb is that if they're lying on the couch vegging, we pop in educational videos (something like Meerkat Manor or Electric Company). If they can sit and listen, we'll do our read-alouds. If they can pay a bit more attention, we'll do light academics. Ds scratched his eye on Monday morning and really couldn't do anything all day, not even watch TV because his eye hurt. On Tuesday, we did some math fact games and read-alouds. Today he's back in action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Under those conditions, my children would be doing school anyway. If they are sick enough to lie on the couch, I assign a bit of math and have them do silent history reading. If they are sick enough that they are happy to go to bed and sleep, then they really do not have to work. I'm a mean mom. However, I do also let them go out and play in the snow sometimes or REALLY nice weather. So I'm not all bad ; ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Not having to count days in California (or Texas, for that matter), if my dc were sick enough to schlep around in their jammies and mostly sleep, I certainly didn't require them to do any Official School Stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I'm probably a mean mom...my dd had the flu last week. With the exception of one day, she still had to do SOME work each day. I figured if she was laying in bed reading anyway, she might as well be reading her science :D I did let her off on her worst day though...she could do nothing but sleep. I have had the flu this week and I didn't get a day off :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avila Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Stomach stuff or fever cancel school. That is about it. For us, if they are well enough to want to do anything but lie in bed, they can do some school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clane Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they are acting normal in non-school activities, they aren't too sick for school. If they are feeling too sick to play, they can have the day off. :iagree: Now, if mom is sick, all bets are off. It's a sick day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 We are having our first sick day all year today. We pretty much work every day unless there fever involved. If it's a low fever we usually just snuggle on the couch and read, read and read some more. Today ds7 felt so crummy that he couldn't hardly lift his head off the couch. Great snuggle time, let me tell you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 If they're throwing up, have diarrhea often, or are so sick they can't lift their head off the pillow - then they can't do school, obviously. Otherwise, they can do something, even if not much written work gets done that day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Before I would have let DS have a sick day for a day like today, but as he gets older I think it's important that we stick with our schedule. Interestingly enough, he has never once had to lay down today. :) I think he survived. If he was genuinely sick (fever, stomach, etc.) I would still try to make up the work over the course of the week. I really don't want to have to do that for the sniffles. Thanks for all the great input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 My dd7 knows that if she says she is too sick for school, the work will be made up by the end of the week. She has a daily check list for the week and knows exactly what has to be done. She does NOT want to do school on the weekend when Dad is home - no way would she give up Daddy time. So...she almost always decides on her own to do her work anyway. Some days she will save half for the next day and do 1 1/2 days then. Most of the times she chooses not to finish her school involve fever. I never make her do school if she has a fever or is running to the bathroom as some have said. What I am saying is that knowing that the work must be made up or done on the weekend is motivation enough for her to be a good judge about what to do and not to do when she is sick. Then I don't have to be the bad guy. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Our rule here is that if you have the energy to play Legos or sit up for tv, you can do some schoolwork, even if it is just reading. Heavy-duty stuffiness I will let you out of brain-crunching math and writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 DS has a cold (stuffy nose, sore throat, no fever). However, he's been in a chipper mood all morning. Drawing pictures, talking up a storm, etc. Wednesday is a light day for us, so I'm making him do his schoolwork. He keeps saying, "I'm sick!", but I think he's well enough to do the bit of work he has to do (math, Bible, reading). What are your guidelines for a sick day? They get to decide how sick they are and how much it will affect their studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 If your kid were my kid, he'd be doing school. My ds, OTOH, couldn't talk yesterday, and he kept lying down at the table, and breaking into tears at the thought of doing anything. He was in pain, and dragging. It was pointless to try to do lessons with him because I was just talking to myself. I let him out of his lessons, but didn't allow any TV or video games or playing. He just sat in a chair and read an entire chapter book. He was happy, and so was I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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