Sick Homeschool Mom? Some Ideas to Get Through

When you’re a sick homeschool mom, it can feel like a disaster! You can usually get time off work. But the household and homeschool tasks remain. So how can you get through an illness without losing your mind? I have some ideas that will work for everyone in the family!

Be Kind to Yourself!

First and foremost, I think it’s so important to be kind to yourself. I get incredibly frustrated when I’m sick because I want to do a millions things. So if you have the same character as me, then you might push through. Guilty!

But being sick is an opportunity to rest. In fact, your body demands it! So try and do so without guilt or frustration. I can guarantee you that you’ll feel really energized once you’ve recuperated. And your body and mind will thank you for it!

If you’re really worried about falling behind, then year round homeschooling could be a great solution for you. It gives you so much more flexibility when things like illness crop up. You can take time off without worrying too much!

Let Your Kids Lead

You may already be using an interest-led approach in your homeschool. So your kids are going to be able to carry on with their learning. But if you don’t, it’s a great opportunity to give it a try. It will help your kids to be learning and engaged at the same time! Here are some ideas for how to get them started:

• Ask your children to find their favourite book and read it to you or each other. Little ones can describe the pictures and make up a story.
• If your kiddos love Lego, set a challenge for them. A Spectacled Owl has a list of 100 activities to do with Lego. Or you could simply ask them to build you something they love.
• If you’re brave and your kids are old enough, you could ask them to cook or bake something. If you’re worried about them heating things up or using the oven, they could make sandwiches or a charcuterie board. Here are some easy recipes for kids.

Challenge Accepted!

If your children enjoy a challenge, then you may be able to convince them to help with some of the chores. By making it fun and by offering them an incentive, it will make housework so much more attractive. And they’ll be learning lots of life skills while helping out their sick homeschool mom!

• Making anything a race can make it much more fun. Who can pick up the most toys in a certain amount of time? Who can vacuum their room the fastest?
• You could play card or board games, where the loser has to do something. You could break the chore down into really small tasks to make it fun and manageable. When they lose a hand or go, they have to pick up one item of clothing or pack one thing into the dishwasher.
• Incentivize them with something special. For my kids, it’s Lego or something yummy to eat – depending on how much they have to do. 😊 Other ideas are a trip somewhere nice, extra screen time or a special meal or treat. You know what would get your kids to help out.

Being a Sick Homeschool Mom is an Excuse to Watch Disney+

If you ever needed an excuse to have a Disney marathon, then being sick is it! If your kiddos love Disney, and I’m guessing most kids do, they’re going to love being able to share it with you!

Ask them to choose what they want to watch. Younger kiddos can tell you the story and sing and dance. Older ones can make up a prequel or sequel if there isn’t already one.

Obviously there are lots of educational shows on Disney+ too. We love the wildlife programmes, which are always so interesting and well-made. Here’s a list of different types of shows they’ll enjoy from PopSugar.

You could use one of their nature documentaries to create a unit study. And once again let your kids lead. Ask them what they want to do. Or if they’re finding it hard to think of ideas you could give them some prompts:

• Which country is the documentary set in? How could you find out more about the country? Come and tell me what you’ve discovered.
• Could you create a piece of art about the animal/place you liked the most?
• Do we have any other books about the animal or place? Can you read me a passage you like?
• What about creating an animal or country-themed meal? So much fun!

The possibilities are endless! And if you let your kids lead for the most part, the pressure will be off you.

Take Care of Yourself Mama!

Always remembered that you need to take care of yourself. As a working homeschool mom, a lot depends on you. You must take the time to rest and recover, when needed.

If you’re homeschooling with a chronic illness, then Colleen at Raising Lifelong Learners has a really good post. It’s very encouraging and I’m sure it will give you a lot of ideas.

HOW I HOMESCHOOL WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS

As always, I’m here if you need help or support. You can book in a session with me, or reach out on social media.

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