Managing Sick Days
By Melissa Ferguson
This is a common time of year for seasonal allergies, colds, and other maladies. Our family has had a string of illnesses the past few weeks, but we’ve gotten better at handling these bumps in the road over the years of homeschooling. Here are some tips for managing sick days:
- Start by gauging how sick your child is. A stomach bug may mean a full day off, while a cold might just call for a lighter schedule.
- When energy is low, we trim back to the basics. Math is usually hardest on foggy days, but most reading can be enjoyed while curled up with tea. I also read aloud more than usual or switch to audiobooks when independent reading feels like too much.
- We don’t stick to timetables on sick days, just fit in bits of reading when possible. A few pages a day keeps us from falling so far behind that it’s overwhelming to catch up later.
- If kids are too tired to work but not too sick to be bored, documentaries, math games, or composer playlists can be gentle ways to keep learning without adding stress.
- When mom is sick, the same principles apply: trim workloads to what students can do independently, lean on audio/video resources, and keep a short list of “go-to” independent activities ready for rough days. (For tips on dealing with chronic illness, our Hive community includes several amazing moms who can share their experiences and advice.)
- Once everyone’s well, adjust based on subject. Some lessons can be skipped or combined (picture study, hymns, art), while others (math, Bible) may just need to pick up where you left off. Sometimes a little weekend reading helps close the gap.
- High schoolers can usually keep up with some work, and learning to manage through mild illnesses is a valuable life skill. This season, my daughter and I have been enjoying Body into Balance from Alveary’s new health course as part of supporting our immune systems.
- Tip for Syllabird users: If illness leaves you a week or more behind, you can retroactively schedule vacation days so your plans shift forward without deleting lessons.
Lesson Plan Spotlight
Our Before Age Six Guide helps you create a relational vision for your home with practical suggestions, reflection activities, and curated resources based on Mason’s motto: Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. Find it on the Dashboard under Lesson Plans.
Notes
- NEW Resource: Alveary’s High School Handbook is here—50 pages of guidance on transcripts, testing, college, trade careers, and more!
- Scheduling Q+A: Need help adjusting your schedule in the Dynamic Planning Tool or Syllabird? Or maybe you started the year with print lesson plans and now want to try Alveary+? This session will not be recorded. No question is too small! Join us!
- Office Hours: Join us on Thursday, October 9 at 3:30 pm (EST) for a special Office Hours all about math, featuring a guest from Denison Math! RSVP here.
- In the Company of Ideas: Our October book is Charlotte Mason’s Great Recognition: A Scheme of Magnificent Unity. You can learn more about the CMI Monograph Series here. Then, join us in October for weekly reading prompts and a special book discussion with one of the authors later in the month!
- Student Showcase: Creating is a big part of a Charlotte Mason education, from handicrafts and poems to artwork, compositions, and lab reports. Often, one of the most popular parts of a CMI conference is a display of students' work, and we're hoping to share this inspiration more broadly! If your student would like to share their work with the CM community, please upload it here and watch for CMI blogs featuring collections of work over the coming months!
- Conference: The Guiding with Grace Virtual Conference Ticket is still available! Gain access to all keynote sessions plus 23 professionally recorded workshops. Want a preview? Enjoy these short snippets for a taste of what’s waiting for you. Shakespeare Everywhere and Classroom Management Tools
- Book Sale: Purple House Press is offering 20% off select titles. No code needed. The discount will appear automatically in your cart.
