Health is not valued till sickness overcomes.~Thomas Fuller

It’s that time of year.  First one child gets sick, then another and then you.  By the time the illness goes through the family, you’ve fallen behind .  Ugh…

How do you cope?  What do you do?

1. Relax your pace and do what you can.  Remember your first priority is getting/keeping everyone well.  Give yourself permission to let the house go.  Clean it up when everyone’s well.

2. It’s ok to supplement your curriculum with fun activities.  If the kids who are well can keep up with their homeschool work, great.  If they’re young and it’s too much for you to work one on one, put it aside.  Is there a you tube video that you’ve been meaning to show your family, but didn’t have the time?  Well my friend this is the time.  What about audio books? Math games and puzzles?  Mad libs? Educational apps, DVD’s and computer games? There are so many educational activities that you can do during this time.

3. If you are ill, homeschool from the couch.  I used to do that.  I’d lay on the couch and the kids could sit on the floor. around me.  Take it easy and take care of yourself.  You need to keep up your strength so that you can take care of your children.  Even if you don’t see how you can, do it! (Refer to point 1).

4. Rely on your children who are well.  Let your children who are well help each other.  How about letting a child fix lunch for everyone (if you’re not doing this already). Delegate!

5. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to call/text a neighbor or someone from your homeschool group.  Whether you’ve run out of sprite, need someone to watch the kids so that you can take a sick child to the Dr. or just need a good shoulder to cry on.  Get your husband to pick up dinner or take over when he gets home so that you can rest.

And finally, remember brave mama, you’ve got this with God’s help.  No matter how chaotic it feels or how drained and overwhelmed you are, breathe deep and take it one day at a time.  And when everyone gets well, pick up where you left off and carry on.

Psalm 41:3 says,

“The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health”.

What about you?  Share some tips that you’ve found helpful when your children were sick.

If you need prayer, please feel free to leave me a message.  I would love to pray with you.