Homeschool Late Start | How to Homeschool When Sick

Homeschool late Start

If you are just coming from winter break and starting back to homeschool, don’t worry!

The year 2020 has seen so many parents, and I am talking homeschool parents here, thrown into brand new schedules, making new changes, and just running dry.

For some, there were no changes. Still for others, they lost their homeschool groups, the meet ups, their kids sports groups, or any in-person elective they were taking. 

However, as time went on, we all learned how to adjust; major changes had to take place.

But what if you or your family suddenly experienced a tragedy, a loss, or you and maybe one of your children got sick with covid-19?

What now, how does the family deal?

If you’re like us, and had to deal with this situation, do not feel like all is lost.

Today, I want to discuss some tips to get started again and encourage you to push forward.

Kids Keep Learning

The one thing to remember is kids are always learning. Even if you are not having “proper classes.”   

Your kids will learn regardless if you have a full sit-down class, or allow them to watch an educational show, or cartoon. If they are sick, and need rest, allow them listen to audio books. These can be found on YouTube as well as by subscription.

I shared in a previous article, “How To Homeschool Practically Free,” some ways to save money and help your child learn while also giving yourself a break. I shared resources for audio learning. Enjoying another parent reading to your child, a book of your choice, is a great way to give yourself a break.

If you don’t know about audio books, Amazon has a subscription plan that hosts many books and resources, for a great price. They currently offer three options, all of which I personally love and use.

Amazon is an affiliate of ours, and your purchase might get us a small commission. Thank you!

If you are the one who is ill, and your student/s are not, consider using these audio books and having them write summaries of what they have read. They can listen to two to three chapters a day and write or draw a summary.

Older children can write full page summaries, younger kids can write a paragraph, and even younger students can draw a picture of what they think everything looks like as they listen.

Don’t forget Pureflix! I also mentioned this in the article, “How To Homeschool Practically Free.”

These two things are a must have and a great investment for my family. When we dealt with sickness in our family, I turned heavily to these things. My students never missed a beat. There were tons of educational things for them to get into.

Children are always learning. Even a nice family walk for a day’s break can help your child learn. Look at the birds in the air and have your child document them! Print a bird study unit page, and have them research birds online or by book. Notebooking or journaling is an awesome way for your students to learn on their own, while you recover.

Have a list of resources and journaling pages available in case of family emergencies, in which case no one can teach your students. Its like having a substitute teacher readily available!

We take the time to create some awesome resources for homeschool families and parents who need and can use these resources. They are always tested and approved in our home. It is for this very reason I create most of the things in my homeschool.

Start Small

Nothing is too small to start with. Who said you must start school at 8 or even 9am? When we had to get back into the swing of things, we aimed for 10am. That’s the best we could do considering our situation.

When my sister’s family fell ill and her homeschool had to stop. I took on the homeschool torch by providing her children access into my classroom. Through Facebook messenger app, or Google Duo, her students were able to join our classes. Things were made easy by providing access to our curriculum items, and our homeschool shop resources that we use in our own family.

When the kids themselves became ill, my sister desired to take a break. I encouraged her, the same way I am encouraging you!

As they felt better, and could do a little more, I advised her to start small. Do an easy or basic unit study. Aim for something fun and already planned out. I sent her, “The Gospel of Matthew Full Assignment Series,”. Since we both have Bible as part of our students homeschool curriculum, this was an awesome focus, because it’s something we refuse to go without. Yet, It’s easy enough for the entire family, and fun for the kids. It includes writing, memory, spelling, and Bible research, but at an easy level so as not to take all day. Ages four to teens will be doing a bit more.

Starting small also means taking one subject a day, and carefully building up until your student and your family is back to normal.

Don’t rush it. Give yourself grace, give yourself time. Understand that everyone is doing the best they can right now.

If you can only go back to art class, do so. If music, start there. Build slowly. Its like building a tower, or a business, one step at a time! Pray and trust God to help and guide you.

Collect your Records

As easy as it is for us to snap those pictures of our families in the most intimate, yet family memorial times, so we can also do with their records. Even if you cannot record them right now.

Being behind in your record keeping will affect you if you have a PSP, yet even with your PSA, you want to stay organized and up to date in your record keeping.

If you are in a PSP or private satellite school, contact them and let them know what is going on. If they have rules and regulations on turning in records on time and at certain dates, this is necessary. Communication is key. It also cuts down your stress, as they are willing to work with you, since you do pay them out of your own pockets.

If you homeschool under a PSA or Private School Affidavit, than your record keeping is on you. Falling behind means getting paperwork all mixed up. Even when we had to deal with illness, I would have my husband, or even my kids scan their papers into my phone. I downloaded a scanning app from my android play store that did the job.

For our records, we currently use Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Portable, which is also found in our store. We organize and keep track of all our records here. I will discuss this in more detail in another article. So make sure you stay connected. This gadget is awesome; once, I accidently deleted the entire drive, I was able to recover it fully since it is a rescue drive and provides the service. Well worth the small investment. Trust me.

You can do it!

No matter what, don’t give up. If you do this little by little, you will still have an awesome and successful homeschool year. If you really feel as if you missed something with your child that you desired to cover this year, don’t fret!

First, remember that the public-school system is really doing far worse right now. It is just not possible for them to tend to every online student at home (they really couldn’t do this when school was in-person). What happens to those students? They survive. If you want to think of it that way.

Second, you are a homeschool parent. You have the freedom to go at the rate of your student. If your student couldn’t catch up to where you planned they would be the year prior, make some changes. It’s our job to make sure our children succeed.

Consider extending the year a little bit into the summer. Leave time for breaks so you do not wear you or your family out.

I plan to do an article on homeschool burnout soon. Originally, it was planned to be released last year. But with other pressing projects, I had to put it aside for a little while. And that’s okay. We must realize that we cannot do everything. We must give ourselves grace. Give yourself grace today. Allow yourself to make mistakes but pick yourself up and keep going. All things are possible in Christ Jesus.

For this very reason, I hope to share and discover more homeschool bloggers for you. Homeschool families must support each other, especially in these times.

A prayer for your healing

If you are currently going through a sickness or your family, I want to take this time to pray for you.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, we thank You that you love us. We know that You hate what illness does to us. I ask that You heal this disease or sickness on this parent or family.

That You would have compassion and bring healing from all sickness. Your word says, in Psalm 107:19-20, that when we call out to You, the Eternal One, You will give the order, heal and rescue us from certain death. In the Bible, I have read of Your miraculous healing and I believe that you still heal the same way today. Your Word says that “ If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19).

You said the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up. And if any sins were committed, they will be forgiven. We are told to pray for one another, that we may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. James 5:16

We believe that there is no illness that You cannot heal; we ask for Your healing in this situation. We ask that Your will be done, not ours, but Yours. Whatever Your will has for this person, may it be done. Lord, I thank you that this parent or family belongs to You and that You are in control of everything that happens, from our first breath to our last.  In Jesus Christ Holy Name. Amen.

We hope this article has inspired and encouraged you, share with a friend. Share any comments below. Stay connected!

Love,

Randomnestfamily.

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If you need personalized prayer, or have an testimony, share with us! Blessings.

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